PROVIDENTIAL ESCAPE. 415 



two men first, with directions to make their way as fast as 

 possible to this shelter, take breath there for five minutes, 

 and then run across to the other side. It was about a quarter 

 of a mile to this shelter, and we all sat down and watched this 

 forlorn hope with breathless suspense. They had gone about 

 half-way when I saw a huge rock bounding down towards 

 them. It seemed to strike one of them and then bound away 

 again into the abyss below, and the man rolled over. But 

 immediately he got up again, to our intense relief, and both of 

 them reached the other side in safety. Presently afterwards 

 the whole valley was alive with rocks and stones, and the 

 noise was deafening. When this had nearly subsided, I started 

 with two other men in the same way. There were many hair- 

 breadth escapes from rocks, some of which whizzed close past 

 us. I was struck on the arm by a small stone, but not much 

 hurt. The rest of our party came over in twos and threes 

 without accident, and I was never more thankful in my life 

 than when the last man arrived safe on the other side. By 

 dark we reached a place where were a few bushes and some 

 running water, where we could encamp comfortably at an 

 elevation of about 16,000 feet. Next morning we descended 

 to Siboo, the highest village in Darma (13,000 feet) without 

 difficulty. 



" I was told that this landslip had been going on for thirty 

 years or more. It may stop suddenly some day, like the 

 smaller one between the villages of Gumsali and Mti, and 

 the road may. be opened again." 



The other escape was equally providential : 

 " It is now thirty-six years ago that I paid my first visit to 

 Milum, and crossed the Oontadhura pass from Milum into 

 Tibet. My first carnp was Shelong, seven or eight miles 

 from Milum. On arrival there I saw three ram Ovis burrell 

 feeding on the hill 1500 feet above. These were the first 

 burrell I had ever seen, and the stalk was successful. I 

 rolled over the largest one with the first shot. The ground 



