Troublesome ascent from the valley.  Sickness and mortality among the horses and stock.

The ponies, though weak, bore their burdens and submitted to the packsaddles better than I had hoped.  The first horse was led up by the stock-keeper in safety, with its saddle and load on it; I followed with the second, but was not so fortunate.  I had accomplished about three-fourths of the ascent when, turning one of the sharp corners round a rock, the load struck against it and knocked the horse over on its side.  I thought for a moment that the poor beast would have fallen down the precipice, but luckily its roll was checked in time to prevent this.  There it lay however on a flat rock, four or five feet wide, a precipice of 150 feet on one side of it, and the projecting rock against which it had struck on the other, whilst I sat upon its head to prevent it from moving.  Its long tail streamed in the wind over the precipice; its wild and fiery eye gleamed from its shaggy mane and forelock; and, ignorant of its impending danger, it kicked and struggled violently, whilst it appeared to hang in mid-air over the gloomy depth of this tropical ravine.  Anxious as I felt for the safety of my pony I could not be unconscious of the singular beauty of the scene during the few minutes that elapsed whilst I was repressing its struggles on a narrow ledge of rock, of which the dark brow projected threateningly above me, whilst the noise of a rushing torrent was audible far below.  I cut the girths of the saddle, which then with its load rolled over the precipice, and pitched with a heavy crash on a rock far down.  Even then, if the brute had not been a denizen of a wild and mountainous country, it must have been lost; but now it no sooner felt itself freed from its encumbrance than, looking sagaciously around and then raising itself cautiously up, it stood trembling by my side upon the narrow terrace.

Warned by this misfortune we managed to make another turn in the path, by which this awkward rock was avoided, and the remainder of the horses, with their loads, reached the tableland in safety.  But so rocky was this country that, even after having mastered the ascent, we found great difficulty in getting the loaded ponies half a mile further to a point I had fixed on for our camp.  We had this night a continued succession of heavy showers, accompanied with thunder and lightning.

January 30.

This morning it was reported to me that several sheep were dead, and that the horses were beginning to suffer much from constant exposure to the heavy cold rains, for the trees were so small, and their foliage so slight, that they afforded no shelter whatever from tropical showers.  On repairing to the ravine I found that the stream which even yesterday was much swollen had now become an impetuous torrent, so much so that even to swim across it was not an easy matter.