NOMENCLATURE OF PLACES. 43 



equivalent is very similar to Pal IDen. It may, however, be of Lepclia 

 origin, and mean tlie Hill of tlie Goddess. It may also mean the conical 

 hill with a jDoint like a needle. 



Phieungong, "the home of the dwarf bamboo" {Thamnoeulamiis 

 Fakoneri), is a hill covered with the " Phieun," whence one of the 

 finest views in Sikhim is obtainable. 



Rong-li, "tlie hut of the Lepcha" (Rong), is ajDjilied to several 

 Lepcha settlements. 



Pashok=Pa-zok, means a "jungle" or "forest," or the place where 

 bamboos are split, thus corresjiondmg to the common Paharia appella- 

 tion Chatai-bans given to many j^laces where mats are plaited from 

 strips of bamboo. 



Yoksom, the meeting place of the "three Lamas," where they 

 selected Penchoo Namguci as Raja of Sikhim. 



Ramtek was the first place where Penchoo Namgu^ stopped on his 

 way from Gantok to Yoksom, before his accession; it was inhabited by 

 Lepclias, who on being told by Penchoo of his divine mission, called 

 the place after him, "the departure of the god," referring to 

 Penchoo's journey.* It may, however, have reference to the deposition 

 (departure) of their own kingdom which was to result from this 

 j ourney . 



Of Tibetan names there are many examples, such as — 

 . La-chheu and La-chhung, the big pass and the little pass, whence 

 rise two of the main streams of the Tista. The Donkhia (hBr 

 Dong-khyags), the real pass at the head of the latter valley, is very 

 steep, high and dangerous (whence the name, the pass where even 

 the wild yak is frozen), much more so than the Kongra lama (Kang- 

 du lama), "the pass of our exalted lady;" hence the names seem in- 

 appropriate. This is, however, explained by saying that La-chhen is a 

 long wide sloping ascent and descent, whereas the La-chhung is short 

 and steep. Notwithstanding the present spelling, it is probable the 

 words were Lam-chhen and Lam-chhung, the highway and the bye- 

 way, which exactly hits off the physical natures of the two routes. 

 The La-chhen village is more often called Lam-teng. 



Nemitzo, pronounced Men-mo-tsho, " the lake of the demoness." 



Tsho-la-mo (Cholamoo), " the lake of our lady or the goddess," 

 being close to Kongra lama. 



Bidaug tsho (properly hBri-thang-tsho), "the lake of the cow- 

 yak." 



Tanitzo=^Tanyek-tsbo, "the lake of the horse-tail or the horse- 

 hair noose." 



* Penchoo being an educated, intelligent person, was looked upon by the ignorant Lepcha 

 as a superior being, a deity. 



