and from each shore stretched out for 20 yards or
so a thick sheet of ice. This formed the main
obstacle, as it necessitated a drop of 3 feet from
the surface of ice to the river bed, and a scramble
up again on the other side. The little ponies seemed
to thoroughly understand what was required of them,
and, aided by the Tooling men, pluckily struggled
across. A steep path led to the village and monastery
above, but the buildings were barely noticed by us
at the time, for of far greater interest and importance
was the sight of a splendid tree growing by the path,
the first seen for five weeks.
Ram Singh and his men were found comfortably
installed in a double-storeyed house on the far side of
the town, and during their two days’ halt had made
themselves thoroughly at home; even the three ponies
were enjoying themselves, with as much grass as they
could eat and almost belly deep in straw.
Ram Singh during the preceding ten days had been
fully occupied in making many side excursions,
primarily to assist him in his map, but with the
additional result that he had visited the forts of
De-pa and Tsaparang.
CHAPTER XIV
A FORGOTTEN CITY
T o o ling, interesting place as it is at the present
day, is insignificant compared with what it must have
been five centuries ago. At that date the town was
not situated on the level ground just above the river,
but was perched on the very summit of two isolated
plateaux a mile or two away to the south. Ram
Singh had found time to climb to the nearer and
more important of these two, and appeared much
impressed by the dangers incurred and the dangers
overcome. From him and an intelligent Tooling
inhabitant, I was enabled to gather my information
respecting the past history and present condition.
Rising about 1000 feet above the river stands an
isolated plateau of sandstone, four miles in circumference,
from which sheer precipices fall away on all sides.
On the summit and clearly distinguishable to the
naked eye, are ruins of ancient buildings, standing
out sharp and distinct against the sky. The road
passed straight from the present Tooling to the foot
of the cliff, and then, after a short climb over rubble,
led by means of a cave into the heart of the mountain.
The approaches had originally been guarded by strong
towers and walls, but these had long since fallen into
decay and were now in a complete state of ruin.
The summit of the mountain was reached by subterranean
funnel-like passages, up which only one man
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