l6o THE FORESTS OF UPPER INDIA 



fifteen miles away at Malari — only 10,290 feet on the 

 map. 



From this pass one gets glimpses of the great Trisul 

 group. Some of the summits were so steep that no snow 

 could lie on the northern side, but the rock cliffs appeared 

 white even against the snow, as if of pure white marble ; 

 while others were of black basalt, towering like huge 

 black giants against the white world of perpetual snow. 

 The descent to a place called Topidunga, in a deep valley, 

 was the most appalling attempt, apparently down an over- 

 hanging precipice. Our guides informed us there was no 

 other route, and down we must go. Feeling desperate, 

 we craned our necks over the edge, seeing the track dis- 

 appear below us and plunge over the edge into space. 

 However, we descended one by one, the ponies and yaks 

 following behind. This was a most dangerous proceed- 

 ing, as every stone detached would bound down the preci- 

 pice, accumulating force as it sped. We had to let the 

 beasts remain until we were past the most perpendicular 

 descent, when they followed as best they could. It was 

 a breakneck march, and how the poor beasts got down 

 safely without rolling head over heels to the bottom is a 

 marvel which is quite unintelligible, as the rock was loose 

 shingle and rotten, and the stones to which one had to 

 cling were themselves only sticking to their places by a 

 miracle, and were balanced so lightly that a kick would 

 overthrow them, to set others falling and start a general 

 landslip. However, we got down the three hours' descent 

 safely till we came to a narrow gorge between lofty 

 precipices, with a roaring torrent many hundred feet 

 below, which could be heard but not seen. Luckily 

 there was a mass of snow jammed between the rocks, 

 which formed a bridge or viaduct, on the top of which we 

 traversed, the path emerging, after many turns, in the 



