CHAPTER XI 



GURLA MANDHATA AND THE SOURCES OF THE 

 BRAHMAPUTRA 



The rays of a bright morning sun had scarcely risen over 

 the tops of the hills which flanked the valley of the 

 Koriali* river, when the sound of sharp firing echoed 

 from the rocks opposite, and round the face of the crag 

 on which the fortress of Taklakhar stood. Some of the 

 Bhotias had gone up stream before daylight and crossed 

 at a ford, and were now busy hauling with ropes to replace 

 the beams which formed the bridge. The inhabitants 

 rushed out from the town, but kept a very respectful 

 distance. The blue rock pigeons, which roosted on ledges 

 of rock above the water, flew out in flocks and were 

 knocked over, so that our powder was not quite wasted ; 

 while the Hunias seemed the more convinced how useless 

 it would be to resist our advance, and might depose with 

 a good conscience that the sahibs were too weU armed, 

 and had outwitted them and beaten them in the fight. 

 Anyhow the bridge was restored, consisting of three or 

 four beams laid from ledge of rock to ledge, in a narrow 

 place where the stream had cut a deep channel, and tied 

 together with ropes to prevent them from separating. 



* Written in some maps ' Karnali.' After piercing the snowy 

 range, it comes out through Nepal as the Gogra to join the Ganges at 

 Chapra. 



8—2 



