1837.] Journal of a Trip to the Burenda Pass in 1836. 921 



pushed on towards the summit, now fully convinced that the stories 

 we had heard, of the dangers of the Pass, were but too well founded. 



Three of our party had reached the top, but I was still about 200 

 yards from it, feeling so sick and my head aching so much 

 from the reflection of the sun on the snow, over which we were 

 climbing, that I could not walk fast, which the guide perceiving he 

 at once said, " We cannot wait here, so come down," and away he 

 went, followed by the party who had gained the summit, for the 

 clouds had gathered thick and fast during our ascent and promised a 

 storm. On passing me, they warned me to turn and I nothing loath 

 obeyed them instantly. 



The time occupied in ascending and returning was about 4j hours, 

 and we had scarcely arrived at the encampment, when snow began 

 to fall, and sick of the spot from the frightful and desolate scenes we 

 had witnessed, orders were at once given to strike the tents and we 

 marched off towards the forest on the road back. Never was an 

 order more cheerfully obeyed or an encampment more speedily struck 

 than was ours, and a smile gladdened the face of each shivering coolie 

 as he trudged along beneath his burthen, from those regions of 

 gloom and death. 



Hail and snow fell occasionally during our march and at last we 

 halted for the night in the forest about six miles from Liti, having 

 walked at least eighteen miles during the day, and all right glad to 

 get away from the horrid place we had left. 



It afterwards proved that we had not left the Pass a minute too 

 soon, for the next morning the ground was white with snow as low 

 down, as our encamping ground at the bungalow! The forest near 

 Liti abounds with game of the pheasant tribe ; we did not stay to 

 shoot however, as we were anxious to get back to Simla, some of the 

 party being obliged to return to the plains. A monaul was killed and 

 several others heard as also plass. A bear too was followed by a 

 shikari but without success. 



On our return from Liti we fell in with three or four men from 

 Janglig all carrying skins of attah on their backs ; they told us 

 they were going across the Pass into Kandwar to barter their flour 

 for salt which they sell to the neighbouring villages. That night 

 they would sleep near the foot of the Pass beneath some bold 

 projecting rock or at the bungalow, and push across the next 

 morning while the weather was fine and the day before them. The 

 storms seem to gather and break about the turn of the day, or one 

 or two o'clock in the afternoon. 



