1848.] Journal of a trip through Kulu and Lahul, fyc. 211 



Sunday 23rd August. The ascent from Les-dhar to the top of the 

 Pass was gentle and easy. There was no snow on the Pass, and we 

 were able to trace the Byas river to its actual source, 300 yards beyond 

 the block of mica slate noticed by Moorcroft, to a ridge of mica slate 

 at the top of the Pass, from beneath which it trickles forth in a gentle 

 rill. Just below the block of mica slate a new temple has been built 

 by Lena Sing Majithia, dedicated to the Rishi Vyasa (or Byas Rikhi) 

 the compiler of the Vedas. The Pass is 13,000 feet above the sea. 



The descent from the top of the Pass to Koksar, the first village in 

 Lahul, was steep but easy ; the distance about 5 miles. 



Monday 24th August. The jhula, or suspension bridge over the 

 Chandra river, not having been put up this year, we were obliged to halt 

 on the left bank opposite to Koksar. This jhula is annually carried 

 away by the snow, which is drifted down in enormous masses from the 

 hills to the south. The river too is constantly varying in width. In 

 1820 when Moorcroft crossed the Chandra the jhula was only 96 feet 

 long. In 1839, when I travelled this road before, it was 106 feet long : 

 but this year it was 210 feet in length. One cause of the greater length 

 of the jhula was the undermining of the projecting rocks on the south- 

 ern bank, from which the bridge was formerly sprung. Large masses of 

 this rock were lying immediately below the jhula. 



This description of bridge is quite safe ; but it is very unpleasant to 

 cross, from the little height of the suspension side ropes above the foot- 

 rope, and the great play of the bridge, which swings about very much 

 from side to side, as well as up and down, whenever more than one per- 

 son goes upon it. I have seen a woman 3 a native of the country, sit 

 down in the middle of the bridge, and scream for assistance ; many of 

 the coolees also cannot cross with their loads, which they are obliged to 

 make over to people of the place. 



The Koksar jhula was formed of two side suspension ropes and a foot- 

 rope connected with the side ones by smaller ropes at short intervals. 

 Each of the side-ropes was formed of seven birchen-twig cables of four 

 plaits, and the foot-rope consisted of three cables of the same thickness t 



Tuesday, 25th August. Crossed the Chandra river to Koksar. From 

 this place there are two roads leading into Piti — the first down the 

 Chandra river, the second up the river. The first, which is the better 

 road, is that which we followed ; the second, which is much the shorter 



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