DARJEELING TO THE BORDERS OF BHOTAN. 247 
with our shoes off, the Lepchas, bearing their enormous loads, walked 
along, like flies on a wall, with perfect indifference. Several Lichens 
grew on these rocks: one is a curious Umbilicaria, or Endocarpon. 
Anxious to avoid sleeping at the bottom of the valley, we sought a 
place above whereon to pitch the tent, but only one very steep hill was 
accessible, up which we crawled, very much fatigued, for a few hundred 
feet, through burnt dry forest. A very sharp ridge was our only reward, 
so narrow that the tent sate astride on it, the ropes being fastened 
to the tops of small trees, on either slope. The ground swarmed 
with black ants, which got into our tea, sugar, &c., and was so covered 
. with charcoal, that we were soon begrimed. Phenix-stumps were 
scattered everywhere around. The trees consisted chiefly of Shorea 
(Sal), and Terminalia, or Pentaptera. Our Lepchas preferred remain- 
ing on the river-bank, whence they had to bring up water, in great 
bamboo “ chungis,” as they are called. 
On the following morning I ascended the ridge for 1,000 feet, but 
I saw nothing, except scorched forest, covering ridges which descended 
from the great mountains, and were all as hog-backed as that on which 
we camped, The great dryness of this face is owing to its southern 
exposure: the opposite mountains, equally high and as steep, were 
clothed in a rich green forest. l 
At nine, A. m., the temperature was 78°, but a fine easterly wind 
reduced it, to the feeling, full ten degrees. Descending to the bed of 
the river, the temperature was 84°. The difference in humidity of 
the two stations (about 300 feet difference of height) was more remark- - 
able: at the upper, the wet-bulb thermometer was 67°5°, and conse- 
quently saturation point 0-713. At the lower, the wet-bulb 68°, and — 
saturation 0:599. The temperature of the river was, at all hours of : 
the preceding day, and this morning, 67°5°; its breadth forty or fifty - 
yards, and current very rapid, amongst immense boulders of gneiss; 
the colour a lurid deep green, but very transparent. A westerly light — 
wind blew over the channel, no doubt induced by the easterly direction _ 
of the rapid current; for, at 300 feet above, the wind was easterly, 
and the clouds still moved to the west. At this hour, the probable 
temperature at Darjeeling (6,000 feet above this) is 56°, with a tem- : 
perature of wet-bulb 7°50°, giving a very much damper atmosphere - 
— 0:816. 
At Caleutta, again, temperature is 91 '8?, wet-bulb, 81: 8°, and ; 
