28 S. E. Ve'dl—JSTotes of n trip up the BiUng. [No. 1, 



few clothes in their huras, or baskets. After all were in, I saw that where 

 shallowest, the stream was strongest, so I took a middle course. The nails 

 or rather screw heads in my shoes, were very useful as the stones were so 

 large and slippery ; a stick was indispensible, not put in down-stream 

 though, to save one going that way, but up-stream to lean on ; in fact, if 

 put down-stream it could not easily be forced to the bottom, whereas up- 

 stream the moment it touched the water, it went to the bottom *' like a 

 shot" and stuck there, if put in at an angle. The water was up to our 

 hips, and only one man, my little Kachari Bhodai, had to be assisted. After 

 a short distance we came to another rapid that had to be forded, a very 

 ugly one below, where the water all rushed close under precipitous rocks, 

 neither I nor the guide were then aware that really there was no need to 

 cross at all, so we all went in for it. I, however, made the Singphus go 

 over first and then return to assist if needed, and having donned my swim- 

 ming belt as a precaution, walked in. 



At first it seemed all right, but the boulders were such a size in some 

 places, two and three or more feet across, that they caused eddies, and in 

 turning to avoid one in front of which the stream had scooped a hole about 

 four ff^et deep, I was suddenly aware that I had stuck and hung poised as 

 it were a moment. 



Sideways I had got on all right but the increased resistance in facing 

 the stream three to four feet deep made a difference. Nden gam a powerful 

 young Singphu, accustomed to all this, at once came towards me, but I 

 managed to get on, and pointed him to little Bhodai behind, whom he took 

 in hand just in time, as his load had touched the water, (and wet all my 

 clothes), as they all said again, "loaded people get on best, as they have 

 more hold of the bottom." 



Each person took about five or six minutes to cross, and in this case 

 I went in at times to the waist. We were now close under a pretty high 

 hill and a strong cold wind blowing made us pretty cold, but we pushed on, 

 and came to where the Dungan Kha falls in from the north, and the 

 Dihing emerges from the south-east between the hills, in a gorge. The 

 place is called Dungan yup.* Here we discovered that if we attempted 

 the ascent of N'chong bum that day, we should again at once have to cross 

 at another bad ford, so rather than do this and to give time to dry clothes 

 I camped. We had, however, not selected a good site. It was all right 

 in fair weather, but after an early dinner it clouded over and we heard 

 thunder, our tents were pitched on the sand, in the middle of the gorge 

 with high bills on each side, and seeing this I had the edges of the tent 

 sunk some 6" in the sand all around, and good large stones piled in a row 

 all around outside ; lashings all doubled and some branches held to wind- 

 * Yup in Singphu " sleep," a resting-place. 



