44 LACHEN VALLEY. Chap. XIX. 



rising steeply behind, divides the valley. This flat was 

 marshy and covered with grass ; and buried in the jungle 

 were several ruined stone houses, with thick walls pierced 

 with loopholes : these had no doubt been occupied by 

 Tibetans at the time when this was the frontier. 



The elevation which I had attained (that of the river being 

 8,970 feet) being excellent for botanising, I camped ; and 

 the villagers, contented with the supposed success of their 

 strategy, returned to Lamteng. 



My guide from the Durbar had staid behind at Lam- 

 teng, and though Meepo and all my men w T ell knew that 

 this was not the frontier, they were ignorant as to its 

 true position, nor could we even ascertain which of the 

 rivers was the Lachen.* The only routes I possessed 

 indicated two paths northwards from Lamteng, neither 

 crossing a river : and I therefore thought it best to 

 remain at Zemu Samdong till provisions should arrive. 

 I accordingly halted for three days, collecting many new 

 and beautiful plants, and exploring the roads, of which 

 five (paths or yak-tracks) diverged from this point, one on 

 either bank of each river, and one leading up the fork. 



On one occasion I ascended the steep hill at the fork ; it 

 was dry and rocky, and crowned with stunted pines. 

 Stacks of different sorts of pine- wood were stored on the 

 flat at its base, for export to Tibet, all thatched with the 

 bark of Abies Brunoniana. Of these the larch {Lariic 

 Griffithii, " Sah "), splits well, and is the most durable of 

 any; but the planks are small, soft, and white. t The 

 silver fir {Abies Webbiana, " Dunshing ") also splits well ; 

 it is white, soft, and highly prized for durability. The wood 



* The eastern afterwards proved to be the Lachen. 

 f I never saw this wood to be red, close-grained, and hard, like that of the old 

 Swiss larch ; nor does it ever reach so great a size. 



