60 RELAY OF HORSES. 



they passed up and down. The path was in some 

 places, too, so steep and slippery as to render it diffi- 

 cult either for man or horse to scramble up it. 



About one o'clock it began to rain heavily, accom- 

 panied by thunder and lightning, but so dense was 

 the vegetation overhead that it was some time before 

 we got wet. When, however, the trees and leaves 

 were once thoroughly saturated, there was no escap- 

 ing it. At two p. m. we reached a little shed, where 

 we found fresh horses awaiting us under the com- 

 mand of the Bukkel, or chief officer of Lodo Ombo, 

 the mountain village to which we were proceeding. 

 He had not, however, provided a relay of coolies, 

 owing to some mistake in the orders received, so 

 that we were in some doubt whether the set who 

 were now toiling up the mountain side with our 

 baggage would be able to bring it on that night. 

 However, we mounted our fresh horses, and with 

 them proceeded more merrily, those which had come 

 with us thus far being nearly knocked up. We still 

 had some long and very steep ascents to make, and 

 occasionally a rapid descent across a ravine, in 

 order to gain another ridge, but presently the road 

 became more level and broader, and at length we 

 emerged from the lofty matted forests, and came on 

 a more open country, with bushes like willows, and 

 fine pine-like trees, that I afterwards learnt were 

 casuarinas. We then traversed a small mountain 

 plain, or shelf, with some grassy hollows and fields, 

 and a few cottages and gardens ; and as we were 



