280 TO DARJILING : FIRST HIMALAYAN JOURNEY 



To my amazement, I found myself on the walls, in a flowered 

 coat and pantaloons, hat, spectacles, beard and moustache, 

 drawing in a note-book, an Angel on one side offering me 

 flowers and a devil on the other doing homage ! I never 

 laughed so much in my life, and the Lamas' artists were 

 pleased beyond measure that I recognised the hkeness.^ 



So, with the warm hospitality of the Lamas and four 

 drenching days' march to Darjiling, 



ended [he writes] my journey, without slip, accident, or the 

 loss or hurt of a single man of my sometimes very numerous 

 party. In Sikkim I have not spent an unquiet hour, except 

 on the coolies' account, in the snow. I carried neither gun 

 nor pistols, arms nor keys, and lost nothing whatever. From 

 the simple people, Bhoteas and Lepchas, I have met every 

 attention and kindness, and very pleased they wiU be to 

 see me again, though, should the Rajah oppose, fear may 

 deter them from coming near me ; that I do not anticipate, 

 however. A more interesting country for tourist, artist, 

 naturalist, and antiquarian can scarce be found, and it was 

 untrodden in any walk previous to my visit, and I have 

 but flitted over the surface. 



The only untoward incident at the outset of this march had 

 been the unruliness of the fourteen Bhotea coolies, who plun- 

 dered the stores, resisted their Sirdar and the Ghurkas, and 

 finally made off on the seventh day of the journey, from the 

 summit of Tonglo, their place being taken, after some delay, 

 by a few well-behaved Ghurkas from the Nepalese villages. 

 Then everything that could be dispensed with was sent back 

 to Darjihng, and the reduced party went on its way. 



This was troublesome for the moment, but not serious, and 

 the note of satisfaction re-appears in the words : 



I have not lost or broken a single instrument during my 

 journey, though I have had 8 thermometers in daily use, 

 2 barometers, 2 chronometers, 3 compasses, a sextant, and 

 Artificial Horizon. I consider this quite a feat — always 

 remembering the roads to be of the worst, and that 50 men 

 were bustling about me all day long. 



* These drawings, unfortunately, are no longer extant (see ii. 471). 



