400 CHAMOIS HUNTING. 



might make him lose his balance while thus hanging 

 in the air. It is essential too that he should observe 

 which foot and hand he begins with ; for if he put the 

 wrong one first, he will hardly be able to go on ; the 

 bars being so arranged to receive, as he mounts, this 

 one the left, that one the right foot, and those above 

 the grasp of the right and left hand accordingly. To 

 go up such a place is not quite pleasant, but coming 

 down is still less so ; for in descending you are obliged 

 to look below to find the projecting piece of iron on 

 which to place your foot at the next step, and in do- 

 ing this you cannot prevent your eye perceiving the 

 terrific depth below ; and, as I said before, this is 

 never agreeable. Moreover when coming downward 

 it is somewhat embarrassing to relinquish your hold 

 of one iron bar, in order to grasp the other below. 



There are places in Berchtesgaden where a whole 

 mountain-ridge has but a single outlet one spot only 

 by which even a chamois can pass out. If therefore 

 this be stopped up by artificial means, a natural en- 

 closure of rocks is at once formed, shutting in, like a 

 park wall, the game for many miles. This circum- 

 stance shows at once the abruptness of their forma- 

 tion. The stags, that might otherwise cross the lake 

 by swimming, are prevented from doing so by poles 

 moored in deep water, and left to float on the sur- 

 face. When the deer have reached the poles, their 

 progress is arrested ; for, being out of their depth, 

 they are unable to climb over them ; and turning, swim 

 back again to the shore. 



