DARJEELING TO TONGLO. 167 
inculcate, whether originating wholly amongst themselves, or received 
from others, and partially concealed by them from the publie, would 
give additional weapons. The system, once established, is quite likely 
to have adopted many of the forms exercised by the Catholics in their 
attempts at conversion, and none of which involved any infringement 
of existing rites. Such an adoption, if the selection were judicious, 
would weaken the chance of the Catholics, and by so much strengthen 
their own hands. 
We left Simonbong with the determination of reaching Darjeeling 
the same day, and accomplished it with some difficulty, for it involved 
a descent of several thousand feet at once, crossing three intervening 
spurs, and ascending 5,000 feet more. The Pteris grows at Simon- 
bong to fourteen feet high, a greater stature than even in New 
Zealand, where alone I have seen it attain twelve feet high. The soil 
is a deep reddish clay, from the decomposition of the gneiss, full of 
felspar, and tinged with oxide of iron. The hill-sides, where there is 
or has been cultivation, were perforated with pits, in which the natives 
have stored roots. We crossed the Little Runjeet much lower down 
than last week, hoping in vain to avoid some of the fatiguing spurs. 
Though it did nof rain, the mountain-tops were heavily clouded, and 
the heat (80°) of the valleys proved very trying and oppressive, that 
of the stream 69°. Ficus elastica, Hoya, Chloranthus, Marlea, and 
some other plants, never leave these hot holes. Passed a Semul-tree 
(Boinbaz) on the spur of Chongtong, elevated about 3,000 feet, which 
is much the greatest altitude at which I have seen it. This individual 
tree is a very conspicuous object, even from Darjeeling, from its size 
and rarity. The last ascent up a steep spur to home, was one pitiless 
pull, over burnt ground, till we reached 4,000 feet (the forest), where 
we had plenty of rain and a cooler climate. The clayey soil was very 
slippery, and so steep that the march was most fatiguing: I scarcely 
remember being more fagged and thirsty. At 6,000 feet we came on 
a glorious harvest of the yellow-fruited bramble, ripe, and loaded with 
fruit. I recollect that, when a child at home, prudence forbade the 
full enjoyment of wild fruit, and that colic sometimes preceded satiety ; 
but of this grateful raspberry any quantity may be eaten with safety, 
as we did most assuredly prove. Reached Darjeeling by nightfall. 
The men came up on the following day, four of them ill with fevers, 
from sleeping in the hot valleys after their previous exposure to damp 
and cold. 
