40 LAMTENG VILLAGE. Chap. XIX. 



and other orchids ; Ceropeyia, Parochetus, Balanopkora, 

 and many Scitamiuece ; and amongst trees, by EngelUardtia, 

 Gougltia, and various laurels. 



Shortly after my arrival at Lamteng, the villagers sent 

 to request that I would not shoot, as they said it brought 

 on excessive rain,* and consequent damage to the crops. 

 My necessities did not admit of my complying with their 

 wish unless I could procure food by other means ; and I at 

 first paid no attention to their request. The people, how- 

 ever, became urgent, and the Choongtam Lama giving his 

 high authority to the superstition, it appeared impolitic to 

 resist their earnest supplication ; though I was well aware 

 that the story was trumped up by the Lama for the purpose 

 of forcing me to return. I yielded on the promise of pro- 

 visions being supplied from the village, which was done 

 to a limited extent ; and I was enabled to hold out till 

 more arrived from Dorjiling, now, owing to the state of 

 the roads, at the distance of twenty days' inarch. The 

 people were always civil and kind : there was no con- 

 cealing the fact that the orders were stringent, prohibiting 

 my party being supplied with food, but many of the 

 villagers sought opportunities by night of replenishing my 

 stores. Superstitious and timorous, they regard a doctor 

 with great veneration ; and when to that is added his 

 power of writing, drawing, and painting, their admiration 

 knows no bounds : they flocked round my tent all day, 

 scratching their ears, lolling out their tongues, making a 

 clucking noise, smiling, and timidly peeping over my 

 shoulder, but flying in alarm when my little dog 

 resented their familiarity by snapping at their legs. The 



* In Griffith's narrative of '* Pemberton's Mission to Bhotan " ("Posthumous 

 Papers, Journal," p. 283), it is mentioned that the Gylongs (Lamas) attributed a 

 violent storm to the members of the mission shooting birds. 



