1871.] W. T. Bl&rrfoTdr—Jburney through Sikk'm. 369 



learned that Captain Elwes, who had come from England mainly 

 in order to study Indian ornithology, had been staying at Darji- 

 ling since the commencement of the monsoon, and was anxious to 

 penetrate into the interior, and that Colonel Haughton, the Com- 

 missioner, had written to the Raja of Sikkim to ask him to give 

 Captain Elwes all the assistance in his power. As we had nearly 

 the same objects in view, we agreed to travel together. 



The time at our disposal, August, September, and October, was 

 decidedly unpropitious. All travellers in Sikkim have described 

 the disadvantages of the rainy season ; both Dr. Campbell's and 

 Captain W. S. Sherwill's accounts of their journeys in the autumn 

 are a record of constant discomfort. But there was no help, an 

 Indian official must take leave when he can get it, although that 

 be at the worst season of the year, 



Our principal object was to reach the upper branches of the 

 Tista valley, where the rains are lighter, and the climate cool in 

 consequence of the elevation. Here we expected to find a very 

 different fauna from that of Sikkim proper, and belonging to the 

 dry central Asian region. A glance at the map of Sikkim will shew 

 that the long hot tedious march up the valley of the Tista might 

 easily be avoided, and Lachiing reached, by crossing the Choia 

 range, which forms the eastern boundary of Sikkim, by the Yak-la, 

 or one of the neighbouring passes, marching northwards along 

 the flank of the Clnimbi valley, and recrossing into Sikkim by the 

 Tankra-la. The only difficulties in the way are the necessity of 

 avoiding the Tibetan guard when entering the Chuinbi valley, 

 and the finding of a road from the one pass to the other without 

 passing through the town of Clnimbi. As regards the first point, 

 Mr. W. S. Atkinson and Mr. Clarke, who visited Yakla in 1867, 

 found no guard whatever there, and were led to believe that none 

 was usually stationed at this pass. The other difficulty would cer- 

 tainly have appeared the more formidable of the two, had we had 

 much experience of the Sikkim mountains, but having none, we 

 scarcely troubled ourselves about it, supposing that it must be pos- 

 sible to march along the flank of the range without descending 

 into the deep valleys. 



47 



