10 TEESTA VALLEY. Chap. XVIII. 



50 feet high, that clasp the rocks with cable-like roots, 

 and bear one or two crowns of drooping leaves, 15 feet 

 long: two palms, Rattan {Calamus) and Areca gracilis, 

 penetrate thus far up the Teesta valley, but are scarcely 

 found further. 



From the village the view was superb, embracing 

 the tropical gulley below, with the flat of Bhomsong 

 deep down in the gorge, its bright rice-fields gleaming 

 like emeralds amid the dark vegetation that surrounded 

 it ; the Teesta winding to the southward, the pine- 

 clad rocky top of Mainom, 10,613 feet high, to the 

 south-west, the cone of Mount Ararat far to the south, to 

 the north black mountains tipped with snow, and to the 

 east the magnificent snowy range of Chola, girdling the 

 valley of the Ryott with a diadem of frosted silver. The 

 coolies, each carrying upwards of 80 lb. load, had walked 

 twelve hours that day, and besides descending 2000 feet, 

 they had ascended nearly 4000 feet, and gone over innu- 

 merable ups and downs besides. 



Beyond Lathiang, a steep and dangerous path runs 

 along the east flank of Mainom, sometimes on narrow 

 ledges of dry rock, covered with long grass, sometimes 

 dipping into wooded gullies, full of EdgeivortJiia Garclneri 

 and small trees of Andromeda and rhododendron, covered 

 with orchids * of great beauty. 



Descending to Gorh (4,100 feet), I was met by the 

 Lama of that district, a tall, disagreeable-looking fellow, 

 who informed me that the road ahead was impassable. 

 The day being spent, 1 was obliged to camp at any rate ; 

 after which he visited me in full canonicals, bringing me a 

 handsome present, but assuring me that he had no autho- 



* Especially some species of Sunipia and Clrrltopdalam, which have not yet been 

 introduced into England. 



