EARLY REMINISCENCES
We also had to cross our ponies, about four or five of them, no easy task with the river in such heavy flood, but the villagers and syces managed it successfully. They cut down bamboos, split them and made a rope long enough to reach from one bank to the other. A very strong headstall was put on the horse and the bamboo rope securely fastened to it. The other end was held by a number of men on the opposite side of the stream, the horse was driven into the river and carried in a diagonal course down stream to the opposite bank. It is a marvel how it is done when the rivers are in flood, and the animals have a poor time. More than once I have seen nothing but the legs of my pony in mid stream, but it is wonderful how they go through it and come out none the worse on the other side. I have even crossed an Arab on several occasions, this being one. Of course, if the rope happens to break, you see no more of your horse. The landing is always difficult as it is generally on rough, sharp rocks.
In the rains there was always the danger of bridges being swept away and of land slips. Once travelling from Temi we found a huge landslip had occurred, carried away the bridge on our road and filled the gorge to a depth of several hundred feet with liquid mud. It was nasty stuff to negotiate, but by placing several layers of jungle on it, we managed to cross on a precarious path that trembled under us with each step. On another occasion, on the Lachung road, we had to cross a large slip quite a quarter of a mile broad. The whole hillside was still moving, showers of stones were coming down from above at intervals, but as there was no other road by which we could reach Gangtak, we had to go on and take advantage of a lull in the small avalanches of rocks. It was easier for us than for the mules and ponies, who became frightened by the falling stones, and I nearly lost one—a large rock flying past its ears. But in these hills, with their abnormally heavy rainfall, and owing to the great amount of displacement which has occurred in their upheaval having
43
