DANGEROUS FORDING. 439 



a ne^v pair of cliilanas^ of tlie prevailing pattern, 

 made in Acliin. They are sliort-legged trousers, fast- 

 ened at tlie waist and reaching nearly to the knee. I 

 proposed that we exchange, but he declined to do 

 that, and insisted on my keeping possession of my 

 own habit, and using the article I desii'ed, and in 

 that costume I travelled till I came back to his 

 village. In one place the torrent rolled uj) against a 

 high precipice, but there chanced to be a horizontal 

 crevice some distance above the water, and there, 

 "Where scarcely a monkey would think of venturing, 

 we were obliged to crawl along as best we could. 

 This danger passed, we had to cross back and forth 

 over rapids by leaping from rock to rock, some of 

 which were above and some just beneath the surface 

 of the boiling torrent. Then we came to an area of 

 high grass. The tall native, in accordance with the 

 rajah's orders, marching ahead with the sword 

 grasped in his right hand, and its naked, rusty blade 

 resting on his bare arm, was, indeed, the personi- 

 fication of bravery ; but, as I had little faith in the 

 necessity of such a doughty wan'ior, I began to ridi- 

 cule his appearance to the rajah, when suddenly our 

 brave gave an ugly nasal grunt, and, brandishing his 

 sword hiMi over his head, brous^ht it down with a 

 heavy cutting stroke on some object in front of him. 

 " What is the matter ? " every one asked. " A gi^eat 

 snake was crossing the road ! " an agreeable thing to 

 hear, considering that I had no clothing on below 

 tlie knee ; but, while he was ilourisliing his weapon 

 and getting ready to strike, the rejitile had glided 

 away in the tall grass. 



