16 LACHEN-LACHOONG VALLEY. Chap. XVIII. 



The slope on either side of the valley is very steep ; that 

 on the north, in particular, appearing too precipitous for any 

 road, and being only frequented by honey seekers, who 

 scale the rocks by cane ladders, and thus reach the pendu- 

 lous bees'-nests, which are so large as in some instances to 

 be conspicuous features at the distance of a mile. This 

 pursuit appeared extremely perilous, the long thread-like 

 canes in many places affording the only footing, over many 

 yards of cliff : the procuring of this honey, however, is the 

 only means by which many of the idle poor raise the rent 

 which they must pay to the Rajah. 



The most prominent effect of the steepness of the valleys 

 is the prevalence of land-slips, which sometimes descend for 

 3000 feet, carrying devastation along their course : they 

 are caused either by the melting of the snow-beds on the 

 mountains, or by the action of the rains on the stratified 

 rocks, and are much increased in effect and violence by 

 the heavy timber-trees which, swaying forwards, loosen the 

 earth at their roots, and give impetus to the mass. This 

 phenomenon is as frequent and destructive as in Switzer- 

 land, where, however, more lives are lost, from the country 

 being more populous, and from the people recklessly 

 building in places particularly exposed to such accidents. 

 A most destructive one had, however, occurred here the 

 previous year, by which a village was destroyed, together 

 with twelve of its inhabitants, and all the cattle. The 

 fragments of rock precipitated are sometimes of enormous 

 size, but being a soft mica-schist, are soon removed by 

 weathering. It is in the rainy season that landslips are 

 most frequent, and shortly after rain they are pretty sure to 

 be heard far or near. I crossed the debris of the great one 

 alluded to, on the first inarch beyond Singtam : the whole 

 face of the mountain appeared more or less torn up for fully 



