242 JOUKNEY TO THE KYMOEE HILLS 



/. 



even the forthcoming expedition to the rich botanical fields 

 of Sikkim included the hope of discovering a trade route to 

 Tibet if the result of war with China were to be the opening 

 up of direct relations with the Forbidden Land, still under 

 Chinese suzerainty. 



At the same time the personal friendship with Lord Dal- 

 housie enabled him to send in a memorial regarding the ex- 

 cessive cost of postage and travel, the destruction of timber, 

 and the need of drawing up a good Indian Materia Medica. 



Further extracts from letters to his aunt Ellen (Mrs. 

 Jacobson), and to his sister Elizabeth, give some lively impres- 

 sions of Oriental travel. 



To Mrs. Jacobson 



I often think of my cousins, little Willie and Mary, when 

 perched on the top of my elephant ; or when I am struck by 

 the peculiarities of this far foreign land. Many things are 

 interesting, through their novelty : others are of a deeply 

 melancholy nature, too much so to be pleasing. The elephant 

 is always an agreeable animal ; he is so docile and gentle, 

 when properly tamed ; and though to ride on a pad on his 

 back is somewhat akin to being tossed in a blanket, one soon 

 becomes accustomed to the motion. Every morning, after 

 he has breakfasted heartily on a stone and a half, or two 

 stone, of boiled rice, relished with large boughs of Fig-trees, 

 the elephant is led to my tent to be mounted. A little active 

 Mohammedan driver sits on his broad neck, and directs his 

 movements by poking his own toes behind either ear, accord- 

 ing to the way he desires to turn the beast. He carries a 

 goad, a short spear of iron, which he sticks into the poor 

 elephant's head, if lazy, or inflicts a pat with it which would 

 lay Willy's skull open. When the order is issued to * butt, 1 

 elephant drops on his knees ; and I climb up, by getting on a 

 hoof and holding by the tail, or with ropes. Or I accom- 

 plish the ascent by stepping upon a tusk and gripping at the 

 broad ear. At the word of command, he rises, and walks 

 off, at the rate of 6-8 miles an hour, his broad hoofs crushing 

 the soft soil as he boldly tramps along. If the road be 

 stony, he picks his way with great care, placing the hind 

 hooHn the exact place from which he has lifted the fore one : 

 he is^a tender -footed beast, and cannot travel far or fast upon 



