22 S. E. Peal — Notes of a trip up the Diking. [No. 1, 



in Dapha Bum, 15,000 feet in front, at that side lay Katoh, and below 

 it the smaller " Mana Bum" ridges. Here and there in the open flat of 

 the valley wooded islands stood out clearly and broke the monotony effec- 

 tively. With the exception of " Malum" peak 6,939 feet no part of the 

 Patkai was visible, and it was seen with some difficulty in the haze. After 

 enjoying the view for a couple of hours making some notes, and having 

 breakfast, we started on, and soon passed what is an island in the rains 

 having trees on it, the age of which I estimated at 20 to 25 years, and 

 another one beyond, at 12 to 15 years. We soon came to the end of the 

 dividing spit as seen now at least (in the cold season), and found the Buri 

 Dihing water pouring down a rapid at one side, with a fall of probably 4 

 feet in the first 50 yards, the shingle was all large, and in crossing at the 

 bead of the rapid, wading was not easy even though the water was not more 

 than a foot to two feet deep. The stream was very strong, so much so 

 that very little force sufficed to start the large stones rolling down. Except 

 at the very throat of the rapid the bed was wide and flat for considerable 

 distances all around and it would have taken a large amount of work to 

 carry the gut of the rapid (as a depression) up into the wide, shallow, and 

 swift sheet of water above, so as to drain it off. If done, however, there 

 could be no reasonable doubt, that very little of the water would have 

 reached the No Dihing. 



It took all hands to run the canoe up, and at one time I feared she 

 would be filled ; however, we got her up all right. 



As we went on we found it true that gradually the sand would become 

 less, and give place to shingle. I had brought strong lace boots with pro- 

 jecting screws in the soles, but soon discarded them for wading shoes simi- 

 larly screwed. Here the latter were particularly suitable, as the stepping 

 from stone to stone for hours, and at last days, makes one expert, and it is 

 necessary to be " light-footed." Boots become at once filled with small 

 pebbles, at rapids, and cannot be as easilj^ taken off, or put on, as shoes. 

 Pantaloons should be wide and cut off just at or below the knee. Some 

 light material (as strong jute), is preferable ; and two or three pairs should 

 be kept handy to change after each wading if wetted to the hips. I 

 hardly need say that about eight or nine good large pockets, are indispen- 

 sable, and an orderly with as many more, close at hand, who should carry 

 shot gun, binoculars, and sketch book, &c. 



The rapids up here we found far worse than those below, in M'ganto, 

 and the whole river-bed was covered by much larger shingle, even over the 

 tops of the wide flat islands, where in floods the water must sweep with 

 immense force, great tree stems were piled up here and there and jammed 

 into masses. In other places the cold weather scour had undermined the 

 banks of shingle so far at least that the stones often rested more like a 



