Chap. IX. 



SNOWY VALLEY. 



181 



few minutes we reached the edge of the valley and 

 heard the noise of the falls. As we followed our 

 guide along a small path, through trees and brush- 

 wood, we were scarcely prepared for the view 

 which was about to be presented to our eyes. All 

 , at once we arrived at the edge of a precipice, which 

 made us quite giddy as we looked over it. The 

 water rolled out of the valley over the precipice, 

 and long before it reached the bottom it was con- 

 verted into showers of spray . Far below us was 

 a deep and narrow glen, through which the little 

 stream was quietly meandering after leaving the 

 falls. As we skirted the mountains on the west 

 side of the Snowy Yalley we found our progress 

 every now and then arrested by perpendicular 

 rocks such as I have just noticed ; and during the 

 rainy season there are several other falls, which, 

 our guide informed us, were not much inferior in 

 beauty to that which we had just visited. 



As it was now nearly dark, and rather dan- 

 gerous work travelling amongst such scenery, we 

 retraced our steps to the old monastery. Here we 

 found our coolies had arrived with our beds and 

 other necessaries, and the cook was busy pre- 

 paring dinner. When our meal was ready we 

 requested Mr. A-chang to honour us with his 

 company, and all sat down with a full determina- 

 tion to do justice to the viands before us, and for 

 which the long journey and fresh air of the moun- 

 tains had made us fully prepared. A-chang 

 seemed to relish the dinner — English though it 



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