1840. J Journal of a trip through Kunawur, fyc. 495 



one while led us along the margin of the Spiti, and at another, up over 

 crumbling rocks of slate which overhung the river. These heights 

 were sometimes of a frightfully dangerous nature, the soil being so loose 

 and crumbling, that often the pathway had slipped down altogether into 

 the waters below, and left a gap over which we were obliged to pass 

 by making holes for our feet, while we literally overhung the roaring 

 torrent at a height which made one shudder to behold. I am quite 

 sure that had I been left to myself, I should have fallen from the very 

 care I took to avoid it, and from the mere fear lest I should fall ; but 

 the people about me were well used to such kind of places, and seemed 

 to regard them no more than would a goat or a sheep, and as one gave 

 me a hand to steady me forward, and another kept a hand at my back 

 to reassure me, I managed to get across well enough, although I 

 should previously have been very much inclined to say that the place 

 was impracticable. So much however does habit hide the danger of 

 any place, that on my return I walked along it without assistance, and 

 without the least idea of falling, though the coolies preferred sliding 

 down an easier part of the hill, and walking knee- deep in water. 



A far more dangerous passage than this, was wading along the 

 margin of the river Spiti, at a place where its waters had swallowed up 

 the road. Descending gradually from the heights already mentioned, 

 the pathway lies along the margin of the stream, at a place where the 

 rocky mountain is too precipitous to be scaled. When the river is 

 unswollen by the melting of the snows the road thus runs between it 

 and the mural cliff which rises from the bank. Now, however, at this 

 late period the waters washed against the cliff itself, and left no passage 

 for about 200 feet, but through the stream. Taking hold of each 

 other's clothes with one hand, and pressing the other firmly against 

 the rock, we slowly and cautiously entered the rapid stream, groping 

 along the bank up to our waists in water, whose temperature was any 

 thing but hot, and whose force was such, that had any one lost his 

 footing among the stones and fallen, he would inevitably have been 

 carried down by the current, and most probably drowned. The distance, 

 however, was not very great, and we reached the road again in safety, 

 where it once more emerged from the river's bed. Luckily this cold bath 

 occurred but a short distance from our journey's end, and hastening 

 on we soon arrived at Pokh, where we were glad to strip off our drip- 

 ping garments and warm ourselves at a blazing fire in the open air. 



