20 LACHEN-LACHOONG VALLEY. Chap. XVII I. 



near the village of Niong, was nearly square, eighty feet 

 long, and ten high. 



It is a remarkable fact, that this hot, damp gorge is 

 never malarious ; this is attributable to the coolness of the 

 river, and to the water on the flats not stagnating ; for at 

 Choongtam, a march further north, and 1500 feet higher, 

 fevers and ague prevail in summer on similar flats, but 

 which have been cleared of jungle, and are therefore exposed 

 to the sun. 



I had had constant headache for several mornings on 

 waking, which I did not fail to attribute to coming fever, 

 or to the unhealthiness of the climate ; till I accidentally 

 found it to arise from the wormwood, upon a thick couch 

 of the cut branches of which I was accustomed to sleep, 

 and which in dry weather produced no such effects.* 



From Chakoong to Choongtam the route lay northwards, 

 following the course of the river, or crossing steep spurs of 

 vertical strata of mica-schist, that dip into the valley, and 

 leave no space between their perpendicular sides and the 

 furious torrent. Immense landslips seamed the steep 

 mountain flanks ; and we crossed with precipitation one 

 that extended fully 4000 feet (and perhaps much more) up 

 a mountain 12,000 feet high, on the east bank : it moves 

 every year, and the mud and rocks shot down by it were 

 strewn with the green leaves and twigs of shrubs, some of 

 the flowers on which were yet fresh and bright, while others 

 were crushed : these were mixed with gigantic trunks of 

 pines, with ragged bark and scored timbers. The talus 

 which had lately been poured into the valley formed a gently 

 sloping bank, twenty feet high, over which the Lachen- 



This wormwood (Artemisia Indica) is one of the most common Sikkim plants 

 at 2000 to 6000 feet elevation, and grows twelve feet high : it is a favourite 



food of goats. 



