78 LACHEN VALLEY. Chap. XX. 



for every animal lost during the season,* by which means 

 a reckoning is kept. Although this girl had never before 

 seen a European, she seemed in no way discomposed at my 

 visit, and gave me a large slice of fresh curd. 



Beyond this place (alt. 14,500 feet), the valley runs 

 up north-east, becoming very stony and desolate, with green 

 patches only by the watercourses : at this place, however, 

 thick fogs came on, and obscured all view. At 15,000 feet, 

 I passed a small glacier on the west side of the valley, the 

 first I had met with that descended nearly to the river, 

 during the whole course of the Teesta. 



Five miles further on we arrived at the tents of the 

 Phipun, whose wife was prepared to entertain us with 

 Tartar hospitality : magnificent tawny Tibet mastiffs were 

 baying at the tent-door, and some yaks and ponies were 

 grazing close by. We mustered twelve in number, and 

 squatted cross-legged in a circle inside the tent, the Soubah 

 and myself being placed on a pretty Chinese rug. Salted and 

 buttered tea was immediately prepared in a tea-pot for us 

 on the mat, and in a great caldron for the rest of the party; 

 parched rice and wheat-flour, curd, and roasted maize f 

 were offered us, and we each produced our wooden cup, 

 which was kept constantly full of scalding tea-soup, which, 

 being made with fresh butter, was very good. The flour 

 was the favourite food, of which each person dexterously 

 formed little dough-balls in his cup, an operation I could 

 not well manage, and only succeeded in making a nauseous 

 paste, that stuck to my jaws and in my throat. Our 



* The Siberians hang tufts of horse-hair inside their houses from superstitious 

 motives (Ermann's "Siberia," i., 281). 



+ Called " pop-corn " in America, and prepared by roasting the maize in an iron 

 vessel, when it splits and turns partly inside out, exposing a snow-white spongy 

 mass of farina. It looks very handsome, and would make a beautiful dish for 

 dcssei't. 



