May, 1849. LEPCHAS SWIMMING. MOXA. 13 



hours of every day, and the crystallising salt irritated the 

 skin. On sitting down to rest, I was overcome with lan- 

 guor and sleep, and, but for the copious supply of fresh 

 water everywhere, travelling would have been intolerable. 

 The Coolies were all but naked, and were constantly 

 plunging into the pools of the rivers ; for, though filthy in 

 their persons, they revel in cold water in summer. They 

 are powerful swimmers, and will stem a very strong cur- 

 rent, striking out with each arm alternately. It is an ani- 

 mated sight when twenty or thirty of these swarthy 

 children of nature are disporting their muscular figures in 

 the water, diving after large fish, and sometimes catching 

 them by tickling them under the stones. 



Of plants I found few not common at similar elevations 

 below Dorjiling, except another kind of Tree-fern,* whose 

 pith is eaten in times of scarcity. The India-rubber fig pene- 

 trates thus far amongst the mountains, but is of small size. 

 A Gentian, Arenaria, and some sub -alpine plants are met 

 with, though the elevation is only 2000 feet, and the whole 

 climate thoroughly tropical : they were annuals usually 

 found at 7000 to 10,000 feet elevation, and were growing 

 here on mossy rocks, cooled by the spray of the river, whose 

 temperature was only 56° 3. My servant having severely 

 sprained his wrist by a fall, the Lepchas wanted to apply a 

 moxa, which they do by lighting a piece of puff-ball, or 

 Nepal paper that burns like tinder, laying it on the skin, 

 and blowing it till a large open sore is produced : they 

 shook their heads at my treatment, which consisted in 

 transferring some of the leeches from our persons to the 

 inflamed part. 



* Ahophila spinulosa, the " Pugjik " of the Lepchas, who eat the soft watery- 

 pith: it is abundant in East Bengal and the Peninsula of India.. The other 

 Sikkim Tree-fern, A. gigantea, is far more common from the level of the plains to 

 6,500 elevation, and is found as far south as Java. 



