3862.] Notes of a trip from Simla to tire Spiti Valley. 523 



for any quadruped larger than a goat. In one spot the road crosses 

 a highly inclined slippery surface of gneiss, on which a footing is 

 impossible, hut small holes have been drilled at intervals in the rock 

 in which one can place one's toes whilst others above support the 

 fingers, and by their means a passage across is effected. Ascending 

 this place is comparatively easy, but to descend requires some nerve, 

 as in going down all the danger of the spot is clearly discerned, to say 

 nothing of the greater actual difficulty of descending than ascend- 

 ing a difficult slippery incline, where a single slip is annihilation. 



The last descent to Wangtu is excessively steep and difficult, from 

 the precarious footpath being to a great extent concealed by long 

 grass, which greatly impedes walking over such ground, and on this 

 account some of my coolies did not reach Wangtu till after nightfall. 

 Luckily met here a large company of grain merchants conveying 

 wheat into the interior, from whom my coolies purchased some flour, 

 of which their supply was completely exhausted ; and there being no 

 village here, I was at first sadly afraid, before meeting these men, 

 that my coolies after their hard day's work would have had to pass 

 the night supperless. 



In the book at this bungalow I noticed several complaints from 

 travellers regarding the difficulty of getting coolies and the impu- 

 dence of the man who had to supply them. No doubt the charges 

 were well founded, but there are some people who seem to suppose 

 that all natives, official and others, should always bestir themselves 

 with alacrity for the mere pleasure and glory of so doing, and my 

 own experience goes to prove that in places where delay is to be 

 anticipated from any cause, a small present coupled with a few civil 

 words is all that is required to obtain anything that is obtainable. 

 Men, accustomed to 'deal with European travellers along this road 

 soon distinguish for whom they are working, and if they find 

 the new arrival a close fisted individual, they are liable of course, 

 naturally enough, not to exert themselves as they otherwise might. 

 Travellers are too apt to forget, when they arrive perhaps in the 

 middle of the day and want a fresh relay of coolies, that at such a time 

 all the villagers around are scattered in the fields at work and cannot 

 - easily be gathered together. I myself experienced no difficulty or 

 incivility at this bungalow, wherefore I have been induced to offer 

 the above remarks. 



3 y 2 



