30 LACHEN VALLEY. Chap. XIX. 



and mislead myself, and the country people's dread of 

 incurring the Dewan's displeasure. 



The Lachen valley being pronounced impracticable in the 

 height of the rains, a month later, it behoved me to 

 attempt it first, and it possessed the attraction of leading 

 to a frontier described as far to the northward of the 

 snowy Himalaya, on a lofty plateau, whose plants and 

 animals were different from anything I had previously 

 seen. 



After a week the coolies arrived with supplies : they had 

 been delayed by the state of the paths, and had conse- 

 quently consumed a great part of my stock, reducing it to 

 eight clays' allowance. I therefore divided my party, 

 leaving the greater number at Choongtam, with a small 

 tent, and instructions to forward all food to me as it arrived. 

 I started with about fifteen attendants, on the 25th of May, 

 for Lamteng, three marches up the Lachen. 



Descending the step-formed terraces, I crossed the Lachen 

 by a good cane bridge. The river is a headstrong torrent, 

 and turbid from the vast amount of earthy matter which 

 it bears along ; and this character of extreme impetuosity, 

 unbroken by any still bend, or even swirling pool, it main- 

 tains uninterruptedly at this season from 4000 to 10,000 

 feet. It is crossed three times, always by cane bridges, and 

 I cannot conceive any valley of its nature to be more imprac- 

 ticable at such a season. On both sides the mountains 

 rose, densely forest-clad, at an average angle of 35° to 40°, 

 to 10,000 and 15,000 feet. Its extreme narrowness, and 

 the grandeur of its scenery, were alike recalled to my 

 mind, on visiting the Sachs valley in the Valais of Switzer- 

 land ; from which, however, it differs in its luxuriant forest, 

 and in the slopes being more uniform and less broken up 

 into those imposing precipices so frequent in Switzerland, 



