4 THE SNOWY RANGE IN PHOSPECT. 



much as possible, by diverging from the regular route and 

 travelling for a part of the way through the outer Hima- 

 layan ranges. With this intent I made direct for Simla — 

 that Indian Capua which, with its salubrious climate and 

 social attractions, is, like its ancient prototype, much fav- 

 oured by the magnates of the empire, who are wont to 

 luxuriate there during a great part of the year. Thence, 

 about ten days' stiff marching brought us to that other 

 popular, but less ostentatious, mountain resort — Mussoorie. i 

 The scenery and climate on this portion of the journey were 

 a truly delightful change after the dreary monotony and 

 thick sultry atmosphere of " the plains." The clear bracing 

 air of the mountains and the refreshing fragrance of pine 

 woods instilled new life into one. Now our path would 

 wind for miles through forests of noble deodar cedars, or of 

 grand old oaks and rhododendrons, their gnarled and crooked 

 branches all bedecked with lichen and orchids, or ragged 

 with trailing beards of grey moss ; and the rhododendrons 

 (which here are not merely shrubs, but large forest-trees) 

 although past the season of their flowering prime, were still 

 gorgeous with a wealth of crimson blossoms. Now it lay 

 along some bright green valley, beside a clear brawling 

 brook dancing in the sunshine over its pebbly bed, and 

 flanked on either side by wooded heights or steep grassy 

 slopes. Sometimes, where it traversed a rocky eminence 

 or an open hillside, a superb panorama of the distant range 

 of perpetual snow would be disclosed to view, — the lon^ 

 irregular chain of grand frozen peaks and ridges rising 

 sharply on the clear sky-line, and stretching away right 

 and left, their pale summits gradually becoming more indis 

 tinct as they sank towards the far horizon. 



The greater part of a day was spent in crossing a deep' 

 rapid river by a rope bridge, or "jula" as it is called. A 

 stout rope is stretched from side to side, generally betweer' 

 two convenient rocks. Each man or bundle of baggage ii; 

 placed on a short plank of wood, like the seat of a swing 

 which is attached to the main rope by a crooked bit o 



