290 
MISSIONARY TOUR 
eighteen feet long, two or three inches deep, highly 
polished, and at the foremost end tapering off from the 
under side to a point at the upper edge. These two 
runners are fastened together by a number of short 
pieces of wood laid horizontally across. To the upper 
edge of these short pieces two long tough sticks are 
fastened, extending the whole length of the cross pieces, 
and about five or six inches apart. Sometimes a nar¬ 
row piece of matting is fastened over the whole upper 
surface, except three or four feet at the foremost end, 
though in general only a small part for the breast to 
rest on is covered. At the foremost end there is a 
space of about two inches between the runners, but 
they widen gradually towards the hinder part, where 
they are distant from each other four or five inches. 
The person about to slide grasps the small side-stick 
firmly with his right hand, somewhere about the mid¬ 
dle, runs a few yards to the brow of the hill, or starting- 
place, where he grasps it with his left hand, and at the 
same time with all his strength throwing himself for¬ 
ward, falls flat upon it, and slides down the hill, his 
hands retaining their hold of the side-sticks, and his 
feet being fixed against the hindermost cross-piece of 
the sledge. Much practice and address are necessary, 
to assume and keep an even balance on so narrow a 
vehicle, yet a man accustomed to the sport will throw 
himself, with velocity and apparent ease, 150 or 200 
yards down the side of a gradually sloping hill. 
About three o’clock we resumed our journey, and 
soon reached Kula, a romantic spot, where Kahavari 
took leave of his sister. The hill on which he was 
sliding when he incurred the displeasure of the terrible 
goddess, the spot where he rested, and first saw her 
