wv THE BUILDING OF THE TSAVO BRIDGE 49 
over the river. Here it was the custom of the men, 
instead of running beside the trolley, to step on to 
it and to let its own momentum take it down the 
slope, moderating its speed when necessary by a 
brake in the shape of a pole, which one of them 
carried and by which the wheels could be locked. 
On this occasion, however, the pole was by some 
accident dropped overboard, and down the hill we 
flew without brake of any kind. Near the bridge 
there was a sharp curve in the line, where I was 
afraid the trolley would jump the rails; still, I 
thought it was better to stick to it than to risk 
leaping off. A moment afterwards I felt myself 
flying head first over the edge of the bridge, just 
missing by a hair’s breadth a projecting beam; but 
| luckily I landed on a sand bank at the side of the 
river, the heavy trolley falling clear of me with a 
dull thud close by. This accident, also, was happily 
unattended by injury to anyone. 
