t8 4 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



obliged to unload our baggage, and, by flow degrees, crawl 

 up the hill, carrying them little by little upon our moul- 

 ders round thefe chafms where the road was interfered. 

 The mountains grow fleeper, the paths narrower, and the 

 breaches more frequent as we afcend. Scarce were our 

 mules, though unloaded, able to fcramble up, but were per- 

 petually falling ; and, to increafe our difficulties, which, in 

 fuch cafes, feldom come fmgle, a large number of cattle 

 was defcending, and feemed to threaten to pufli us all in- 

 to the gulf below. After two hours of conftant toil, at 

 nine o'clock we alighted in a fmall plain called Kedus, or 

 St Michael, from a church and village of that name, nei- 

 ther beaft nor man being able to go a ftep further. 



The plain of St Michael, where we now were, is at the 

 foot of a fteep cliff which terminates the weft fide of La- 

 malmon. It is here perpendicular like a wall, and a few 

 trees only upon the top of the cliff. Over this precipice 

 flow two ftreams of water, which never are dry, but run in 

 all feafons. They fall into a wood at the bottom of this 

 cliff, and preferve it in continual verdure all the year, tho' 

 the plain itfelf below, as I have faid, is all rent into chafms., 

 and cracked by the heat of the fun. Thefe two ftreams 

 form a confiderable rivulet in the plain of St Michael, and 

 are a great relief both to men and cattle in this tedious and 

 difficult paffage over the mountain. 



The air on Lamalmon is pleafant and temperate. We 

 found here our appetite return, with a chearfulnefs, light- 

 nefs of fpirits, and agility of body, which indicated that 

 our nerves had again refumed their wonted tone, which 

 fthey had loft in the low, poifonous, and fultry air on the 



coaft 



