CURIOUS ROCK- BRIDGE. 383 



caused him to neglect his temporal interests, as his chief topic 

 of conversation was concerning his worldly possessions. As 

 I had nothing more suitable to offer, at Puddoo's suggestion 

 I presented him with a canister of gunpowder, which he was 

 pleased to accept on account of his son, who, he said, was a 

 great shikaree. He evidently considered me in the light of a 

 pilgrim, as on taking my leave he wound a new white turban 

 about my head, and promised to show me the temple on my 

 return from Bussoodara. 



On the way to the waterfall, under Puddoo's guidance, we 

 passed through the Bhotia village of Man a, at an elevation of 

 about 12,000 feet. It was empty and desolate, none of its 

 inhabitants having as yet returned to it for the summer. The 

 only living thing I saw there was a chuckor partridge we 

 flushed in its main alley. To reach the fall we crossed a 

 curious natural bridge formed of a gigantic block of stone 

 that had fallen athwart the stream. A truly wild spot it 

 looked, as the glen here suddenly grows very narrow, its 

 rugged sides rising abruptly from the river, and the heavy 

 volume of snow-water rushes down in a roaring cataract 

 through a dark narrow cleft under the overlying rock-bridge. 

 The " dara," or cascade, is situated up a lateral gorge, and 

 near the confluence of three fine glaciers. It much resembles 

 the Staubbach in Switzerland, as the water, which is precipi- 

 tated from a height of several hundred feet, is blown into 

 dust-like spray before reaching the rocks below. 



On my return the Eaol fulfilled his promise of showing 

 me the interior of the temple. The entrance is approached 

 by a steep flight of steps. There are three doors, the outer 

 one of wood, the second of silver, and the inner one of gold 

 at least so I was informed. I was not, however, permitted to 

 enter beyond the silver one, and therefore had only an indis- 

 tinct view of the symbolical figure of Vishnu in the gloom of 

 the innermost part of the temple. By the glimmer of a torch 

 which the Eaol was good enough to have lighted, I could just 



