SOCIETY OP THE UNIVERSITY OF ABERDEEN. 23 



products of the higher valleys. Wheat, potatoes, peas, apricots, 

 oranges and nuts are cultivated freely in the lower valleys. The 

 water is as a rule excellent and plentiful. It is taken from streams 

 and rivers and is frequently muddy in appearance as the streams are 

 in most cases glacier fed. 



Flowers grow in abundance in the upper valleys wild violets, 

 anemones and whole fields of purple wild forget-me-nots, etc., are met 

 with. 



In the higher valleys 15,000 to 16,000 feet Goa or Tibetan 

 gazelle are very common. Burrhel on the high, bare hills abound, 

 with Ovis ammon, and, more rarely, Ovis polli. A very rare Tibetan 

 deer the Shao is also found at 12,000 to 14,000 feet. The Kyang, 

 or wild ass, is common on the 15,000 feet valleys,' and very many are 

 seen on the " Meadow of Wild Asses " round Lhassa. The Yak is 

 the beast of burden and agriculture. It cannot work and exist below 

 14,000 feet. Donkeys are very commonly used in carrying loads and 

 for trading. 



The Climate in Healthy. The air as one ascends becomes very 

 rarefied, and unless one's heart is sound one could not exist. The 

 cold is intense in January, February and Mai'ch, as much sometimes 

 as 23 of frost being registered, one's breath condensing and freezing 

 to ice on one's pillow at night. Terrible hurricanes of wind are 

 experienced on the upper tablelands, as a rule commencing about 

 10 A.M. and falling towards 5 P.M., but sometimes continuing for 

 days. There is no really hot weather ; the best month is July, when 

 it is quite warm and pleasant. Snowstorms are worst in March, 

 April and May. We had our first snowstorm in February, but it 

 was slight. It is very dry in the upper tables, but from 13,000 feet 

 down, there are very heavy rains in August, with violent thunder- 

 storms, and the hills are all enveloped in mist for days. 



Route taken, by the Tibet Minion Force. From Siliguri in India 

 one passes up through Sikkim across the Teesta bridge, where the 

 road from Darjeeling joins, up to Rangpo, from which one road leads 

 up to Gangtok, the headquarters of the Political Officer of Sikkim, 



