1871] W. T. Blanford— Journey through Silckim. 417 



Suba passed much of the day with us, looking over books, &c. He 

 was greatly disgusted at our bird collecting, but told us that so 

 long as Kechu Lama remained with us, the presence of so holy a 

 man might protect us. Evidently he wished us to infer that to go 

 on in our wicked ways after the Lami left would entail our certain 

 destruction. I am inclined to believe that any one trying to enter 

 Tibet will find it much easier to do so if he carefully abstain 

 from shooting and from taking life in any form. The mere eating 

 of meat will not injure him ; when we taxed the Suba with having 

 animals killed for food, he replied that he only eat very little 

 meat, and that, after it had been killed at least three days. 



The curious idea about heavy rain being caused by shooting, to 

 which Hooker alludes, is universal in Sikkirn, and we were several 

 times told that if we wished for fine weather, we should not shoot. 



Our friend greatly coveted one thing, a rather nice pair of bino- 

 culars which I had with me, but nothing would induce him to 

 accept them. As we did not like to leave this worthy Tibetan with- 

 out some return for his kindness, Elwes at length, after I had left, 

 again offered him the binoculars, and finally exchanged them for 

 a handsome set of Chinese or Tibetan table utensils, viz., a long 

 knife, and a set of chopsticks in a shagreen case : the Suba had 

 begged to be allowed to purchase the glasses, which, of course, we 

 would not allow. 



Of four sheep which the Tibetans had given to us, one died and 

 two others were sickly, having been poisoned, our people said 

 by a shrub with a yellow flower, which grew in abundance in the 

 neighbourhood. Hooker attributed similar accidents at the same 

 place to a rhododendron, (R. cinnabarinuni). Our coolies ate all the 

 sheep, including the one which had died. 



October 7th. Elwes went down to Tallam Samdong with the camp. 

 As the march was a short one and the day fine, I determined 

 on riding to Phalung first, in order to see the plain describ- 

 ed by Hooker. The road led north-north-east up the valley of the 

 Tangu-chu for 5 or 6 miles, rapidly ascending above trees and then 

 more gradually over grassy slopes. I saw a herd of burhel, but> 

 as I had no rifle, I did not go after them. After about 2 hours 

 ride I came upon the undulating expanse of grass at about 16000 



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