Information respecti'ny Botanical Travellers. 209 



The distance was about eleven miles. Punukka, the second capital 

 in Bootan, the summer residence of a long line of unconquered mo- 

 narchs — Punukka, to which place we had been so long looking for- 

 ward with feelings of delight, although the experience of Tongsa 

 ought to have taught us better, disappointed all of us dreadfully : 

 for in the first place I saw a miserable village, promising little com- 

 fort as respects accommodation, and one glance at the surrounding 

 country satisfied me that little was to be done in any branch of na- 

 tural history : for a narrow, unfruitful valley, hemmed in by bar- 

 ren hills, on which no arboreous vegetation was to be seen, except 

 at considerable elevation, gave no great promise of botanical suc- 

 cess. The capital of Bootan is for pre-eminence, miserable. The 

 city itself consists of some twelve or fifteen houses, half of which are 

 on the left bank of the river, and two-thirds of which are completely 

 ruinous, and the best of these ' Capital ' houses were far worse than 

 those at Phain or Santagong, &c. Around the city, and within a 

 distance of a quarter of a mile, three or four other villages occur, all 

 bearing the stamp of poverty and the marks of oppression. The pa- 

 lace is situated on a flat tongue of land formed by the confluence of 

 the Matchien and Patchien rivers. To the west it is quite close to 

 the west boundary of the valle5^ the rivers alone intervening. It is a 

 very large building, but too uniform and too heavy to be imposing : 

 it is upwards of 200 yards in length, by perhaps 80 in breadth. Its 

 regal nature is attested by the central tower, and the several cop- 

 pered roofs of this. The only cheering objects visible in this capital 

 are the glorious Himalayas to the north, and a Gy long village 1200 

 or 1500 feet above the palace to the west; elsewhere all is dreary, 

 desolate-looking, and hot. During the first few days of our stay, and 

 indeed until our interview with the Deb, we were much annoyed by 

 the intruding hupertinence and blind obstinacy of his followers. 

 They were continually causing disputes either with the sentries or 

 our immediate followers, and it was only by repeated messages to 

 the palace, stating the probable consequence of such a system of 

 annoyance, that Capt. Pemberton succeeded in obtaining any respite. 

 After manydelays, we were admitted to the Deb's presence on the 9th. 

 A day or two after, our interview with the Dhurma took i)lace. He 

 received us in an upper room of the quadrangular central tower ; 

 while we were in his presence we remained standing, in compliment 

 to his religious character. The Dhurma Rajah is a boy of eight or ten 

 years old, and good-looking, particularly when the looks of his father, 

 the Tungso Pillo, are taken into consideration. He sat in a small re- 

 cess, lighted chiefly with lamps, and was prompted by a very vene- 



