1862.] Journal of a trip in the SiJcJcim Himalaya. 461 



morning were without clothing, which may account for their restless- 

 ness. 



Breakfast over, and after attempting to eat some hard cakes made 

 of crushed Indian corn, cemented with some farinaceous matter, we 

 left for Pemionchee at 8 A. I. ; and after a steep ascent reached the 

 Rajah of Sikkim's unfinished durbar at 9 A. M. This durbar was 

 only begun last year, and during tbe troubles in Sikkim remained 

 untouched, and is now in abeyance until the Pemioncbee Monastery 

 is renovated. At present only two stories have been built. As far 

 as it goes, it is a very substantially constructed mansion, 36 % 46 

 feet. The walls are 5 feet in thickness and of solid masonry, and the 

 floor of the upper story is supported on massive beams and upright 

 posts. It will be a fine building, when completed. 



A further steep ascent of half an hour brought us to the Goompa 

 at Pemionchee. This once extensive monastery is now a mass of 

 ruins. It was accidentally burnt in October last year. The full 

 complement of Llamas is 108. Of this number only twelve were 

 present. The remainder were absent in all parts of the country, 

 collecting money and materials for the rebuilding of their temple. 

 Some of the latter, such as pigments and brushes for the painting of 

 the figures of their gods and embellishment of the walls, are to come 

 from China, the artists from Thibet, and other materials from Cal- 

 cutta. We saw the villagers bringing in half wrought logs of wood 

 from the surrounding forests. 



It will take two years to rebuild, and probably as many more to 

 embellish. The Llamas are very anxious to get it completed, as in 

 its present state their occupation is gone. They complained that no- 

 body visited them, a state of things very detrimental to their finan- 

 ces. Formerly they received a subsidy of Rs. 30U0 annually from 

 the Rajah of Sikkim, but since the Terai lands and the Darjeeling 

 hills were annexed to British territory, this bounty has been discon- 

 tinued. The Llamas are consequently poor, but like the monks of 

 old are a fat and jovial race, their sleek faces indicating any thing 

 but a poor larder. We put up in a house belonging to one of the 

 absent Llamas. The head Llama, who is a perfect type of his holy 

 order, treated us to murwa which was very refreshing. He and sever- 

 al other Llamas were sociable and talkative. They informed us that 

 they had two days previously received instructions from the Devvan 



