385 A JOURNEY TO LAKE 



bearer was alfo of fome ufe ; but at length became fo' alarmed as only 

 to' be capable of proceeding by being fteadied by an end of his turban 

 being tied round his waift, and the other end fecured by the young 

 Pandit as he proceeded in front. 



. .... . ' .' i 



The horrors of this road were very great,, and ought fo to have been 

 to juftify palling by fuch a road as that which I followed. For it colt 

 me the labour of two hours to attain the top of the firft mountain 

 which I had to fcale, and although the path confided of lines of zig zag 

 not more than 10 or 12 feet in length, at angles fo fharp, that in a length 

 of 24 feet, nor more than 10 feet were gained in aclual afcent, yet even 

 this progrefs was not made except by clinging with the hands to ihrubs,. 

 roots of trees, clumps of grafs and clods of earth ; and fometimes from 

 the obliquity of the path,, required nre to creep on hands and knees to 

 prevent flipping. Near the fummit of the mountain, the path divided y 

 and a mountaineer, whom we met, as we thought opportunely, at this 

 point, ad vi fed the lower one ; though from the accounts of porters 

 and fervants who- took the upper orie, the latter was eafier but a 

 little longer.. 



In descending the mountain a grand view opened from the S: El- 

 confirming of a villa formed by two fides of mountains cornpoiinga 

 glen, down which ran a large ft ream. — One dope was enriched by a fo- 

 rcft which reached to the clouds ; the other covered by fcanty paflurage 

 for about 400 yards ; when it was overhung by a fleep face of barren 

 rock of immenfe height, and the upper part of the vale was fhut-up by 

 a peak of flill higher mountain, the bale of which was fprinkled witISs 

 cyprefs, and the top whitened witlifriow,„ 



... : 



After a tedious march oftwo hours more, through a forefl'of 



