370 W. T. Blanford — Journey through Sikkim. [No. 4, 



Elwes, after much trouble, debate, and enquiry, had learned that 

 the plan was feasible, that there was a pass nearer to Darjiling 

 and easier than Yakla by which we could cross, and he secured the 

 services of a man, a native of Chumbi, named Chrida, who pro- 

 mised to shew us the road from one pass to the other. This man 

 subsequently proved to be an arrant impostor, he did not appear 

 to have any acquaintance which the Chola range, and we after- 

 wards learnt that he had hired himself as our guide on the strength 

 of two journeys he had made between Chumbi and Darjiling as a 

 salt carrier. He did not even know the road by which we went, 

 the marches along which, as given to us in Darjiling, proved quite 

 inaccurate. This well illustrates one of the difficulties in the way 

 of travelling in Sikkim. Very little confidence can be placed in 

 any statements as to roads, and especially as to distances, made by 

 Butias at all events. This is partly due to untruthfulness, but 

 more perhaps to that want of accurate ideas about time and dis- 

 tance which is so characteristic of savage and semi-savage races** 



Our plan was therefore to march across part of the Butan 

 Diiars east of the Tista, and through the south-eastern corner of 

 native Sikkim to a pass called Jelep-la, and thence, if practicable, 

 to make our way to the Tankra-la along the east side of the Chola 

 range. 



The arrangements about coolies and provisions had been pretty 

 nearly completed by Elwes, before I reached Darjiling, thus saving 

 much trouble and delay. I mention them because our experience 

 may be of service to future travellers. The coolies were partly 

 Nepalese, partly Butias and only a few Lepchas. The head- 

 man or sirdar, Guruk by name, was a Sikkim Butia, and a good 

 specimen of the race, tall and stout. He proved an excellent man, 



* Few, if any, savage and semi-civilized races have any conception of dis- 

 tance, as we understand it. They consider places far or near in proportion to 

 the time necessary to reach them. I once had a good instance of this in Sik- 

 kim itself, when ascending Tonglu. As I was going up I asked one of the coolies 

 the distance to the summit from the monastery at Simonbong. He said ten 

 kos. When returning and about one kos below the top I asked the same man 

 how far we had to go to the monastery, and he replied three kos. Why, I said 

 how is this, yesterday you told me it was ten kos to the top, to-day you make 

 only four. Oh ! said he, it is ten kos to go up, but only four to come down. 

 In connection with this, it may be borne in mind that it is the practise of many 

 civilized nations to reckon their distances by hours. 



