1871.] W. T. Blanford — Journey through Sibkim. 375 



he would afford us every assistance in his power, but that he beg- 

 ged us not to attempt to cross the Tibetan frontier. The Kaji was 

 to accompany us to the Chola range and to take care of us, which, 

 being interpreted, of course meant to see that we did not cross into 

 Tibet. 



The interview lasted some time ; after it was over, we determined 

 to breakfast and start. But it was useless sending for the coolies, 

 one man after another appeared with some excuse or other. The 

 rain would cease soon, the road ahead was impassable from its 

 slipperiness, the leeches were terrible and we should be eaten alive, 

 &c. &c. Time went on till it was 11 o'clock, when a Nepalese 

 cooly, who had been over the road before, declared that it was 

 useless to start now as we could not possibly reach Chusachen, the 

 next halting-place, before night, and at length we had to give in. I 

 went out and shot two or three birds, but nothing rare : JEgithalis- 

 cus erythrocephalas, Grammatoptila striata Sfc. In the afternoon 

 there were some large landslips in the valley, and although they 

 were two or three miles distant, the noise was like that of thunder. 



\&th. There was an improvement in the weather, and we start- 

 ed early. One of the coolies was ill, and I remained behind for 

 some time to make arrangements with the village manclal, or head 

 man, to take the poor fellow in for a day or two. Whilst waiting, 

 a flock of hill monkeys, (Innuus pelops ?) climbed into some trees 

 above the camping ground and I watched them there for some time. 

 They are far less active than the common Indian I. rhesus. 



Starting at length I climbed to the crest of the range north of 

 the Bishet, perhaps 1000 feet above Bhinok, and found myself on 

 the slope of a deeper valley, that of the Eangchu, on the opposite 

 side. The path led for a mile or two along the side of the hill 

 through high forest swarming with leeches, until after passing a 

 spur it descended rapidly to the valley of a large tributary of the 

 Eangchd ; the road beyond this to the Sikkim frontier lay up a 

 long spur between the Eangchu and this tributary. 



After a bath and breakfast we proceeded to climb the oj)posite 

 side, and to our surprise reached Chusachen in about an hour. 

 The march wasjn fact a very short one, and might with the great- 

 est ease have been accomplished the day before. We went 



