COURSE AND LEVELS 



across, and the bridge thus appears at a distance to consist of three pieces 

 which meet at an angle. The ingress to, and egress from it, is regulated by 

 a guard house or choki on each side, which fills up the whole of the road 

 way ; and thus they serve as points of check to an enemy as well as of com- 

 munication to friends. This bridge had been burned when the Gurkhas 

 attempted to penetrate here, and though we admired the spirit of the act, 

 we could not help regretting the loss of the bridge, forced as we were to 

 cross a rapid and powerful river on a tar or single rope. We arrived at 

 the jhula at half after nine a. m. and at half after three p. m. when I left 

 it, there still remained several loads on the opposite side. The distance of 

 JVichar where we encamped, from it was four miles and the whole distance 

 was seven and a quarter. Nichar is situated high on the mountain side, 

 and the declivity is much more gradual, so that the ground is open about it 

 and rather leveL 



From Nichar our next stage was Trade, orTrandeh, to Panda; the path 

 was tolerably good, with partial ascents and descents, leading sometimes 

 through fine forests of deodar. From Punda the path turns up the Saldang 

 glen, remarkable as forming one of the most romantic and beautiful scenes 

 1 have noticed. The river is rather a cataract having a great fall and form- 

 ing a complete bed of foam; the sanga on which we crossed it was twenty 

 feet in length ; besides the main there are two smaller branches. The ascent 

 from it is rather steep partly by steps in the rock. The last mile to the 

 village is nearly level, the path good, passing a pretty cascade which falls 

 from the brow of a rock into a basin which it has worn for itself. Trandeh, 

 or Trade, is a neat village and pleasantly situated. Lofty deodars at once 

 shade and adorn it, and the houses are substantial and well built. 



Thermometer 36° 5". Hoar frost on the ground. This was a very severe 

 march to Suran, being sixteen miles and a half, and the road far from good ; 

 we did not arrive till after dark. To the Chonda nala is a difficult descent; 

 thence the path is of a mixed kind, occasionally very bad, though with few 



