4 26 A Journey through Sikim. [No. 5. 



I had heard the crash at that hour, and said it was caused hy a great 

 landslip on the opposite bank of the river. 



To-day I have heard about a dozen of these crashes, and they are 

 followed by a rumbling noise as the masses of rock are carried down 

 by the current, which is a boiling flood throwing waves up in the 

 narrow parts of the channel 20 feet high. 



After leaving Miangh we descended to the feeder of that name, and 

 crossed it by a rickety suspension bridge, the side rails of which, as 

 well as the footing, were covered with a thick slime, and exceedingly 

 slippery. It was a foaming cataract where we crossed. The bridge 

 hung 40 feet above it, and many of the coolies clung to it in evident 

 alarm, and were very dizzy. At 9 o'clock we reached the Rune, and 

 crossed it also by a suspension bridge hung just below a fall of about 

 50 feet, and about 100 yards from its junction with the Teesta. It 

 was a continuous bed of roaring foam for about 1000 feet above the 

 bridge, and below it all the way to the river. I stopped midway to 

 gaze at the extraordinary sight, and got soaking wet with the spray 

 from the cataract. It was a noble sight ; the rainy season only can 

 give such sights in Sikim, where waterfalls and cataracts are very rare. 

 Between the Rune and this place, Chakoong, three hour's walk, our 

 road lay close to the Teesta, varying from 200 feet above it down to its 

 level, and in that distance we had to cross 8 or 10 landslips of varying 

 extent, some quite recent and extending from 1000 feet above us 

 down into the river. They were all sufficiently difficult to cross, and 

 none of them well free from danger ; one in particular was very 

 frightful. We crossed it 200 feet above the river ; it was quite a new 

 slip ; foot traces had scarcely been formed along it to guide us ; it was 

 nearly perpendicular above us for 800 feet, equally so below us ; the 

 crest of the mountain whence it had separated above, was of rock, and 

 projecting over it so far that it looked as if it was overhanging us, our 

 footing was of loose rubble, and over lumps of rock, and water courses 

 just cut in it came running down its sides. 



While crossing this unsettled slip the Lama who was leading, and 

 just ahead of me looked up to the top, and instantly quickened his 

 pace ; my eyes followed his to the overhanging summit, and my pace 

 was quickened up to his, but not a word was spoken by any one, nor 

 did any one delay a moment. When safe across I said, " That is a 



