x84 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 
obliged to unload our baggage, and, by flow degrees, crawl 
up the hill, carrying them little by little upon our fhoul- 
ders round thefe chafms where the road was interfecéted. 
The mountains grow fteeper, the paths narrower, and the 
breaches more frequent as we afcend. Scarce were our 
mules, though unloaded, able to fcramble up, but were per- - 
petually falling ; and, to increafe our difficulties, which, in 
fuch cafes, feldom come fingle, a large number of cattle 
was defcending, and feemed to threaten to pufh us all in- 
to the gulf below. After two hours of conftant toil, at 
nine o’clock we alighted in a {mall plain called Kedus, or 
St Michael, from a church and village of that name, nei- 
ther beaft nor man being able to goa ftep further. 
Tue plain of St Michael, where we now were, is at the 
foot of a fteep cliff which terminates the weft fide of La- 
malmon. It is here perpendicular like ’a wall, anda few 
trees only upon the top of the cliff. Over this precipice 
flow two ftreams of water, which never are dry, but run in 
all feafons. They fall into a wood at the bottom of this 
cliff, and preferve it in continual verdure all the year, tho’ 
the plain itfelf below, as I have faid, is all rent into chafms, 
and cracked by the heat of the fun. Thefe two ftreams 
form a confiderable rivulet in the plain of St Michael, and 
are a great relief both to men and cattle in this tedious and 
difficult paflage over the mountain. © 
Tue air on Lamalmon is pleafant and temperate. We. 
found here our appetite return, with a chearfulnefs, light- 
nefs of f{pirits, and agility of body, which indicated that 
our nerves had again refumed their wonted tone, which 
they had loft in the low, poifonous, and fultry air on the 
re Ms coatt 
