TO LADAK. 133 



one of those ingenious and curious suspension bridges, 

 doubtless the originals from which our magnificent 

 structures were conceived and framed, made of twigs of 

 willow woven into ropes, and the ropes into large cables. 

 They are thus constructed. A pier of stones is built up 

 without mortar, on either side, close to the water : within 

 the pier are planted two upright stems of trees about two 

 feet apart, and a transverse one secured on the top, over 

 which the suspension cables are hauled and strained, and 

 fastened down by large stones piled on them : the foot- 

 way is a plait of this twig work about ten inches wide, 

 suspended from the two side cables by numerous con- 

 necting ropes of like manufacture, of about three feet 

 depth. One ascends the pile of stones, stooping low, 

 creeps through the two uprights, and with a hand on 

 each side-cable performs a sort of acrobatic ' pas ' on the 

 slack rope, swinging about uncomfortably. However, I 

 relished the novelty of the thing, this being the first of 

 these bridges I had come across. My little dog, Sara, 

 did not relish it at all, but, having assayed a step or two, 

 retreated in a very ridiculous, nervous manner, and was 

 then ignominiously carried over, enveloped in a cloth, 

 on the sepoy's shoulders, whence he anxiously watched 

 the passage. And how he did skip and jump, when he 

 was safe over ! 



I must also remember to note that many birds of 

 European kinds were met with, some of which I had not 

 found before, as magpies, and the pretty little goldfinch. 

 There are larks too, which are common enough, and 

 enliven these regions with their merry notes, warbling 

 until quite dark at evening, and again, ere coming day, 

 cheering one with their quick trilling chirp and song. 

 The homely sparrow, too, was present, and also the 

 solemn old crow. A couple of the former quaint, pert, 



