GEOGRAPHICAL RESULTS OF THE TIBET MISSION. 267 



shouted " Good luck ! " as I rode off, covered with waterproofs, into 

 the mist to join my companions, Mr. AMiite and Captain O'Connor, 

 in Sikkim. And detestable though the rain was, there was still a 

 large surplus of joy in riding through those wonderful Sikkim forests, 

 day after day seeing fresh marvels of forest growth or. flowery 

 beauty. The mountain sides were everywhere a wealth of tropical 

 vegetation, rich and luxuriant. And here under the shade of the 

 mighty giants of the forest grew the stately tree ferns, often 40 or 50 

 feet in height, with fronds 10 or 12 feet long. All were in bright 

 fresh foliage, and besides ferns of every graceful form and of the 

 subtlest delicacy of tracery w^ere variegated colored plants, like cal- 

 ladiums, and closely connecting all together and festooned from 

 tree to tree were creepers of every size, from the great elephant 

 creeper, whose leaves resembled elephant's ears, to light trailing 

 vinelike tendrils lightly strung from bough to bough; while here 

 and there, as some bright surprise, the eye would light upon the most 

 perfect orchid, or other flowery marvel, which brought one to a halt 

 in an ecstasy of enjoj'ment. Nor should I omit to mention the bril- 

 liant butterflies glinting past on every side. Seventeen different 

 kinds did I count in the space of 200 yards in the Teesta Valley; 

 and in few other places in the world are to be found such a variety 

 of rare butterflies, so many different orchids, and such a wealth of 

 trees and flowers as in Sikkim. There are, I believe, over 600 dif- 

 ferent orchids alone to be found here and over CO separate kinds of 

 rhododendron. 



Fain would I dAvell longer on the attractions of this wonderful 

 countr3% but it is with Tibet itself that we are chiefly concerned 

 to-night, and thither I must without delay transport 3'ou. Just cross 

 one pass and all is changed. On the far side of the Kongra-lama 

 Pass not a tree is to be seen. If in some secluded nook a plant a foot 

 high is met with, it is a curiosity. In place of the deep-cut valleys of 

 Sikkim there are gi-eat plains 10 or 12 miles w^ide. The sky is cloud- 

 less, and the view extended over many and many a mile. Here at 

 Khamba Jong Mr. ^^^lite had laid out a camp, and here we spent 

 manj^ delightful months, doing- our best to bring to reason a people 

 nearly as obstinate as ourselves, and between whiles making roving 

 expeditions to distant valleys — geological investigations with Mr. 

 Hayden, of the geological survey ; botanical trips with Doctor Prain, 

 of the Botanical Gardens in Calcutta; natural history expeditions 

 with Captain "Walton, I. M. S. ; every day and every hour enjoj^ing 

 the charming summer climate, and, aboA^e all, the unrivaled panorama 

 of the mighty Himalayas at the very culminating point of their 

 grandeur, where all the loftiest peaks in the world were majestically 

 arrayed before us. Captain Ryder, known to you for his journey in 

 China, surveyed and measured all this wonderful region, and will, 



