334 A JOURNEY TO LAKE 



path in various places, formed by pieces of (lone which jut out, over- 

 hangs the edge ef the water and feldom retires fo fur from it as to give 

 a chance of the traveller efcaping from rolling down to the river, mould 

 he have the misfortune to make a falfe Hep j and the footing was very 

 infecure fromfmall ftones being mixed with much loofe earth. — Juft on 

 attaining the fummit I met a large flock of goats loaded, and was 

 glad to find a ft cure corner until the whole had paffed. I obferved, 

 that goats when laden climb up places however apparently difficult 

 without hefitation ; but they do not like to go down fteep decli- 

 vities: for whether they defcend ftraight down or fideways, the 

 load urges them forward quicker than they like, and as there is no 

 belly-band, it frequently tumbles off, and is the caufe of the ani- 

 mal being carried down the deep fides of hills and loft.— Goats, caft 

 a look of inquiry at ftrangers and pais on leifurely • but fheep 

 generally Hop, and, after one has either been driven onwards or 

 gone of his own accord, the reft follow with precipitancy, and 

 frequently lofe their loads by their hurry*. 



Crossing this mountain took up an hour and a quarter* 

 Having mounted a height, which though fhort, was fleep and 

 rugged, I was fomewbat confounded by the fight of a fieep and 

 bare flope of ftone about 100 feet deep running to the bed of the 

 river without any path, and with a furface fo fmooth as to excifcc 

 a doubt whether I could reach the bottom in any other way than 

 by Aiding, which would have been too rapid to be fafe: the more 

 efpecially as the flop mu.fi have taken place amongft ftones in the 

 bed of the river. By taking off my flockings, preffing the fpike 

 of my ftaff into little dips in the flone, and catching at a friendly 

 tuft of grafs which ©ccafionally prefented itfelf near one edge* I 

 got to the b&fe nearly at the fame time with the old Paadit^ whofe- 



