246 The Hunting Grounds 



handed, and my determination was soon taken, for 

 I despatched Chineah for the rest of the gang. As 

 soon as they arrived, I took the strong silken ropes 

 they carried, on which I made a few knots, so as 

 to enable me to get a better hold, and prevent myself 

 from slipping, then fastening one end securely round 

 the base of an immense boulder of rock, I threw the 

 other down the abyss, taking the precaution of plac- 

 ing my coat and the turban-cloths of some of the 

 people over the rough edge of the cliff, so as to 

 prevent chafing. All being prepared, in spite of the 

 remonstrance of my people, who feared some accident 

 from the snapping of a rope which I knew would 

 sustain a ton in addition to my weight, I commenced 



the descent, even B turning away, as the thought 



made him feel giddy. To me it was easy work 

 enough, although I must own that I felt rather 

 nervous as I first swang myself off, and hung sus- 

 pended over a precipice, six hundred feet in depth, by 

 a cord not three-quarters of an inch in diameter, which, 

 not being steadied at the bottom, kept turning round 

 and round, now and then knocking me against pro- 

 jections in the face of the rock. However, my 

 " suspense " was of very short duration, for I soon 

 found firm footing upon the ledge of rock where the 

 dead ibex lay, which luckily turned out to be much 

 wider than I had at first imagined from its appear- 

 ance from, the top. I soon fastened the rope round 



