210 A HILLSIDE IN MOTION. 



" A very curious landslip occurred some thirty years ago, 

 about a mile from Tapoobun, and between that place and 

 Eenee (in Gurhwal). The road to Malari goes up the left 

 bank of the Dhoulee river, and about a mile from Tapoobun 

 crosses a little stream which descends from the mountains on 

 the right. Both banks of this stream were covered with thick 

 forest at the time I first traversed this road. The year after, 

 I came this way again, and found the whole valley of this 

 little stream was on the move downwards, moving very slowly, 

 perhaps not more than a few inches a-day. The trees were 

 all crooked ; some had fallen entirely some one way, some 

 another. The whole extent of ground thus on the- move was 

 perhaps, at its broadest part, near the Dhoulee river, about 

 half a mile, gradually narrowing upwards. The road of course 

 had gone, and we had to climb upwards for about 1200 feet 

 of elevation, over perhaps one and a half miles of ground, 

 until we reached the highest point of the slip, and we de- 

 scended on the other side, along the edge of the slip, until we 

 reached the road. Six years afterwards I again passed this 

 spot : the landslip had stopped, but the trees were all up- 

 rooted and lying about, and the road had been re-made and 

 carried over the rough ground left by the landslip." 



By the natives it was supposed that the game on Gopee 

 Chund hill bore charmed lives. Indeed I had almost reason 

 for fancying that such was the case, for, plentiful as game was 

 there, never before, when going over it, had I been able to 

 shoot a single head. This time, however, I succeeded in 

 breaking the spell by making two such wonderful shots, or 

 flukes, and under circumstances so peculiar, that it seemed as 

 though the spirit of the quondam rajah had transferred the 

 favour hitherto conferred on the wild denizens of the hill 

 to me. 



We had reached the spot where we intended to encamp, 

 which was a small saddle-like flat connecting Gopee Chund 

 with another hill, and commanding a view of a mighty preci- 



