THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH. 99 



progress, ropes of twisted juniper-branches had been 

 stretched from one protruding end to another, and 

 slabs of slate had been placed on these, with their 

 inner ends resting on any crevices which could be 

 found in the precipice wall, thus forming a " footpath" 

 with great gaps in it, through which we could look 

 down sometimes a long distance, and which bent and 

 shook beneath our feet, allowing the slabs every jiow 

 and then to drop out and fall towards the Sutlej, till 

 shattered into innumerable fragments. It was useless 

 attempting to rely on a rope at many of these places, 

 for the men who Avould have had to hold the rope 

 could hardly have found a position from which to 

 stand the least strain. Indeed the worst danger I 

 met with was from a man officiously trying to help 

 me on one of these juniper-bridges, with the result 

 of nearly bringing the whole concern down. And if 

 slabs of slate went out from underneath our feet, not 

 less did slabs of slate come crashing down over and 

 between our heads occasionally ; for it seemed to me 

 that the whole of that precipice had got into the 

 habit of detaching itself in fragments into the river 

 beneath. I may add, that having sent my servants 

 on in front to set up my tent and make other pre- 

 parations in case of Mr Pagell being away, of which 

 I had heard a rumour I was entirely in the hands 

 of the Sugnam bigarries, of whose Tebarskad I hardly 

 understood a word ; and that the July sun beat upon 

 the slate, so that every breath from the rock was 



