FIKST OBSTRUCTION 293 



offering the choice of two roads. Hooker, all politeness, asked 

 for the coolest, and at every obstruction, assured him that as 

 he had volunteered to show the road, it was clear he meant to 

 removal all obstacles, ' and accordingly I put him to all the 

 trouble I possibly could, which he took with a very indifferent 

 grace,' until fully discomfited by the arrival of the faithful 

 Meepo with the Eajah's authority to proceed. Unfortunately 

 the latter had never travelled the road, so that they were at 

 the mercy of the guide he had brought with him, who was but 

 a spy on both. 



At Singtam, where he reduced his party by sending back 

 the escort, he was delayed a day by the Soubah or governor, of 

 whom he was to have much experience later, on the pretext 

 of collecting food, which never arrived, and at Choongtam, 

 where the Lachen and Lachoong join to form the Teesta, a 

 full week. The motive was clear. 



The Kajah hopes, by throwing his Guide and party 

 upon my resources, that he shall starve me into going away, 

 and he has also followed up this scheme by sending a foolish 

 old official to frighten my people ; but the poor man cannot 

 bear any degree of ridicule, and between laughing at his 

 menaces and treating him with all kindness, I have fairly 

 won his heart. I pay most liberally for everything I 

 get; I give large presents to the Authorities and to the 

 Convents ; every day I heal the sick who come to me for 

 advice and medicine ; 'and nobody has received even a 

 hard word from me, except in reply to the insolence of the 

 Kajah. 



It was more serious that the convoys bringing the promised 

 supplies from Darjiling for the men, who required no less 

 than 80 Ibs, of rice per diem, were very late in coming, and 

 when they arrived, brought only enough for eight days. That 

 Campbell should not have fulfilled his promise of sending 

 supplies regularly seemed at first incomprehensible, but it 

 turned out that after the rains had begun on the 10th, the 

 Dewan had taken care to leave the roads unrepaired ; the 

 journey was lengthened and the carriers had to consume part 

 of Hooker's supplies as well as their own. Here, then, he stayed 



VOL. I U 



