1848.] Journal of a trip through Kulu and Ldhul, fyc. 213 



bed of the Chandra is here exceedingly narrow ; and the mountains are 

 bare, bleak and wild, and blasted, as if freshly risen from the innermost 

 and fiery depths of the earth. The limestone strata on the left bank 

 are very much contorted. From Gantal to Kardang, 4 miles, the road 

 was at first very bad, with a steep descent, and a still steeper ascent 

 over almost perpendicular landslips. The rest of the road was very 

 fair. The country improves on approaching Kardang ; and the view of 

 the Bhaga valley, with the high picturesque-looking houses in the vil- 

 lage of Kardang, situated on a commanding point, is really beautiful for 

 this desolate district. There are numbers of trees too around the 

 village, especially pollard, willows and pencil cedars, with numerous 

 gooseberry and rose bushes. 



Tuesday, 1st September. To Kolang, 13 miles. A large village with 

 temple. Road, for 3 miles, along the left bank of the Bhaga river, bad : 

 but it could be easily made into a very good one. Crossed the Bhaga 

 by a Sang a, or spar bridge of 38 feet span, and 40 feet above the 

 stream, having a roadway 4 feet broad of split spars without a hand- 

 rail. At this point the river is confined in a narrow chasm of only 30 

 feet in width, between siliceous rocks, in which the waters forever rush 

 and rave impetuously and franticly from side to side. From the bridge 

 there is a steep ascent to Goomring : thence the road lay for 3 miles 

 amidst cultivation along the edge of the bank and about 600 feet above 

 the river. For three miles more the road ran through a thin forest of 

 pencil cedars and along the edge of very steep rocky cliffs — then again 

 over rough, stony, and barren ground for 5 or 6 miles to Kolang. 

 Throughout this march the road was bad. The hills on the opposite 

 bank of the Bhaga look barren and hideous, and scathed as if with fire 

 — with bare and frightful precipices, so steep that even the snow can- 

 not rest upon them. But high above all these rise the majestic snowy 

 peaks of Biinkanta and Tinu, the latter named from a village at the foot 

 of the hill, khRun-kdnta, the " avalanche-peak," is a remarkable look- 

 ing cone of snow which may be seen from Sultanpur. 



Wednesday, 2nd September. To Darcha, 10 miles. A rapid, steep, 

 zig-zaggy descent from Kolang, amidst granite boulders, to the bed of 

 the Bhaga. Thence a tolerably level road along the river's edge, 

 among stones, and over grassy ground for about 4 miles to Jaspa, a 

 pretty looking village with plenty of trees about it. From Jaspa the 



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