TIBET FEOM DONKIAH PASS 303 



of Linnaeus, and of what you have not reaUsed for many a 

 year, that it is 



The sweetest of pleasures under the sun 

 To sit by the fire till the * praties ' are done. 



Kesuming his course up the precipitous valley of the 

 jachoong, he left Lachoong village on August 29, and in two 

 larches mounted 6000 feet to Yeumtong, where a week was 

 )ent among the mountains. Here his long patience was 

 further rewarded. On September 7 a new friend arrived in 

 the person of his old opponent, the Lachen Phipun, who, having 

 now, as he said, ascertained that the Tibetans were entirely 

 indifferent, offered to act as guide still northward up the valley 

 to Momay and the Donkiah Pass. Momay, at 15,362 feet, 

 with its great yak pastures, the highest in Sikkim, proved to be 

 an ideal place for observations of all kinds, and eking out two- 

 third rations with what could be obtained in the village, the 

 party stayed here till September 30. On the 9th they went to 

 the Donkiah pass, 18,466 feet, and in order to obtain a still 

 wider view over Tibet, Hooker scrambled up the mountain side 

 another 1000 feet, an ascent made a second time when he 

 revisited Donkiah later with Dr. Campbell. The climb eclipsed 

 in altitude Humboldt's famous climb on Chimborazo, and this 

 record of over 19,000 feet, as well as three peaks or passes of 

 18,500, held the field till the brothers Schlagintweit in 1856 

 reached the height of 22,230 feet on Kamet. 



This stage of the expedition is well described in the following 

 letter : 



Lachoong River, Thibet Frontier (i.e. Momay) : September 13, 1848. 



From the top of the Donkiah Pass I had a most splendid 

 view for 60 miles north into Thibet — first of extensive plains, 

 dunes, and low rocky hills utterly barren and red from the 

 quantity of quartz, tinged with oxide of iron, which form 

 the hills north of Kongra-Lama ; beyond that again, and 

 as far as the eye could scan, were ranges of rocky mountains 

 sprinkled with snow and of comparatively moderate eleva- 

 tion. From Kongra-Lama at 16,000 feet the view was 

 wretched enough, but from hence, no language can convey 

 an idea of the horrible desolation and sterihty of the scene ! 



