The _Nerpani_, or "waterless track"--Exaggerated accounts--A long shot--The rescue of two coolies--Picturesque Nature--An involuntary shower-bath--The _Chai_ Pass. THE renowned _Nerpani_, or _Nerpania_, "waterless track," begins at Gibti. Very few travellers have been on this road, and by the accounts brought back many people have been prevented from imitating their example. [Illustration: THE NERPANI ROAD] Personally I found the track far better than I anticipated. I have been on worse mountain roads among less precipitous cliffs. From what I had heard it seemed as if the greater part of the road for several miles was supported on crowbars fixed in the rock, but such is not the case. Here and there, however, are found along the track spots overhanging precipices; and where the perpendicular cliff did not allow of a road to be cut except at great expense, crowbars have been more or less firmly planted horizontally in the rock, and a narrow path made over them with large slabs of stone. The drop from the path to the river is often from eighteen hundred to two thousand feet, and the path is in many places no wider than six inches. But to any surefooted traveller that would not constitute a real danger. The road is tedious, for the Nerpania cliff along which it has been constructed is subdivided into three smaller cliffs, separated in turn one from the other by ravines. It is thus troublesome to climb up and down some thousands of feet, each time along interminable and badly put together flights of steps, only to descend again on the other side. Some of the descents, especially the last to Gulamla, are precipitous, but with no nails in one's shoes and no stick in one's hand, there is really very little danger for people accustomed to mountaineering. These are the main elevations on the road: Gibti, 8650 feet, 6750 feet, 7600 feet, 6700 feet, 7100 feet, 6600 feet from Gulamla. At bearings magnetic 350 deg., going close to the river-bed through a gorge, one obtains a fine view of a huge gneiss peak towering on the left side of the _Neganza_ or _Nejangar_ Mountain. This peculiar rock, shaped like a fortress, goes by the name of the Ladjekut Peak and rises where the Nejangar River meets the Kali. Here we pitched our tents. [Illustration: THE NERPANI ROAD] Towards sunset there was much agitation in camp over the appearance of wild goats on the other side of the Kali River in Nepal. "Your rifle, Sahib, your rifle!" shouted a chorus of impatient natives. "Quick, quick, your rifle!" I seized my Mannlicher and followed the excited gang to a place some hundred yards away, where a large boisterous crowd had collected to watch the game. [Illustration: THE NERPANI ROAD] "Where are they?" said I, as I could not see anything. "There, there!" they all screamed at the top of their voices, pointing to the summit of the opposite cliff over four hundred yards distant. "Oh, that is too far."