DOONAGIRI PEAK. 399 



pile, and my unexpected proximity to it, was such, that at 

 first it inspired an almost overpowering sensation of mingled 

 wonder and awe, until the shrinking eye gradually became 

 more accustomed to its dazzling magnificence. What an in- 

 significant atom of mortality I felt as I silently contemplated 

 this stupendous immutable work of nature ! If any Alpine 

 traveller can imagine himself brought suddenly face to face 

 with the Jungfrau, as viewed from the Mengern Alp, but 

 considerably exaggerated, and with a towering cone of snow 

 piled above it, he may perhaps be able to form some idea 

 of what was before me, and of my feelings whilst I stood 

 regarding it. As the morning wore on, huge masses of snow, 

 detached by the sun's heat, began thundering down with a 

 dull booming sound like salvoes of distant artillery. 



Several noonday hours were passed on the ridge resting 

 and watching for game. Towards the afternoon, as we sat 

 under the rhododendrons, where we had been sheltering from 

 a shower of hail, we descried two tahr far up among the 

 craggy ground across the wide hollow we had last ascended 

 from, and almost directly above where I had killed the musk- 

 deer. Three more soon put in an appearance still higher up, 

 and all were fine old fellows. They took some time to make 

 up their minds to descend towards the greener slopes lower 

 down, my shot at the musk-deer having probably made them 

 suspicious of danger below. Once started, however, they lost 

 no time on their way, as they rattled down with the succes- 

 sion of playful skips and bounds by which these wild goats 

 are often wont to seemingly show their glee at the prospect of 

 their evening meal. It was very interesting to observe them 

 through the glass, with their long shaggy hair tossing wildly 

 about in the wind, as they reared up and butted at each other 

 in their gambols, sometimes appearing as though they were 

 knocked headlong, or had even fallen backwards, down from 

 crag to crag. How little did they know they were being 

 watched with deadly intent! At length they all settled 



