RASSI-KA,M ELA is a fair which since some years has been put a stop to through the Com missioner of Katnaon, who represented to the raja of Garhwal the loss of life which frevently took place during the spectacle. A rope is pre pared several inches in circumference, and several hundred yards in length, made of Babur grass, which grows on these hills. When finished, it is tested. A few days before the fair takes place, and a locality has been fixed upon, this rope is stretched from the hill-top, or hill-side, to another across some frightful yawning khud, some hundred yards in width ; one end of the rope being fixed much higher than the other. On this rope is placed a large wooden horse, or imitation of one, generally painted red or blue, under which or through the horse's legs, it is so tied as to keep it in an upright horizontal position, so that it may slide from the higher to the lower end of the rope. On the day the fair comes off, thousands of hill folks collect together to witness the tanaasha, music, and dancing, not forgetting hill whisky. As the hour of action approaches, the horseman gets aseride of his charger, and, at a given signal, away go horse and rider, acquiring increiu3ed im petus as they proceed ; the crash at the laat is fearful, horse and rider being pitched with great violence to the ground. In former years, hill rajas, their ranis
' and retinue, used to bo present. It was customary then to have a body of matchlockmen in attend ance, and as the bold rider and horse slipped down the rope, a volley was fired at them, but seldom hit, but bad a casualty occurred, the venturesome rider would have been handsomely paid, and the family pensioned. After tho ride is over, all present contribute according to their means, so that a goodly sum is generally collected. A Ilassi-ka Mela took place at Landour, a little above Claremont, a house half-way up the hill, and where some rocks stand at the turning of the road. One end of the rope was fixed in there, and then stretched across above the Butcher khana-khnd to tho hill opposite, several hundred yards. Away went the rider, obtaining a frightful impetus ; with great force horse and rider were pitched against the hill-side. As they reached terra firma, the rider had his thigh and arm broken, in fact barely escaped being killed.—Ilimealayn Chronicle.