386 Narrative of a Journey from Soobathoo [No. 125. 



ference, the road then was a rocky descent of one and a half mile to 

 the Syldung, a rapid torrent dashing over large stones, and coming 

 from the Himalaya mountains to the southward; we crossed it above 

 the union of two streams by a couple of bad sangos, and then ascended 

 from its bed by a rocky footpath, winding amongst extensive forests of 

 oak, yew, pine, and horse chesnut to camp. 



3rd November. — We were detained by a heavy fall of snow and hail, 

 which lay around us in large quantities many hundred feet below the 

 village; had this shower come on ten days ago, we should have been 

 prevented from crossing the passes near Soongnum, which together 

 with those above 13,000 feet, are blocked up for four months in winter. 



4th November. — Marched to Soorahun thirteen miles. It took us 

 almost the whole day to perform the journey, for the path which is at 

 all times dangerous from often lying near a precipice upon smooth 

 stones, by the late shower of snow, now frozen hard, had become so 

 slippery, that we could get on very slowly. 



We crossed four streams of some size, besides many smaller ones, 

 they are all rapid, but of no great depth. The mountains near this are 

 heavily wooded to their summits, the cultivation increases at every 

 step, and the villages are most thickly scattered. 



Soorahun is 7,248 feet above the sea, in Dusow, one of the large 

 divisions of Busahir ; it is the summer residence of the Rajah and most 

 of his Wuzeers, who stay here six or seven months in the year to avoid 

 the great heats at Rampoor ; it contains several good houses, and a 

 temple attended by Brahmins. 



5th November. — -Marched to Dhar nine and a half miles. The road 

 was bad crossing the Munglad, a rapid torrent, by a rotten sango, con- 

 sisting of two fir trees, about a foot apart, with small twigs and slates 

 laid across, one of the spars is much lower than the other, and the 

 bridge is both unsteady and unsafe ; the descent to the stream was at 

 such a great angle, that we frequently slid many feet at a time, the 

 ascent was equally bad, lying upon pure mica, shining with a bright 

 lustre, and extremely slippery. 



6th November. — Marched to Rampoor, distant eight and a quarter 

 miles. The road was sometimes rugged ; but more commonly even ; 

 part of the way it was a complete swamp, lying through rice fields 

 intersected by many rills. 



