Oct. 1849. A1UUVE AT TUNGU, LACHEN PHIPUN. 149 



Near the village I found Dr. Campbell remonstrating 

 with the Lachen Phipun on the delays and rude treatment 

 I had reeeived in June and July : the man, of course, 

 answered every question with falsehoods, which is the 

 custom of these people, and produced the Rajah's orders 

 for my being treated with every civility, as a proof that he 

 must have behaved as he ought ! The Singtam Soubah, 

 as was natural, hung back, for it was owing to him alone 

 that the orders had been contravened, and the Phipun 

 appealed to the bystanders for the truth of this. 



The Phipun (accompanied by his Larpim or subordinate 

 officer) had prepared for us a sumptuous refreshment of tea- 

 soup, which was brewing by the road, and in which all ani- 

 mosities were soon washed away. We took up our abode at 

 Tungu in a wooden hut under the great rock, where we were 

 detained for several days by bad weather. I was assured 

 that during all August and September the weather had been 

 uniformly gloomy, as at Momay, though little rain had fallen. 



We had much difficulty in purchasing a sufficient 

 number of blankets * for our people, and in arranging for 

 our journey, to which the Lachen Phipun was favourable, 

 promising us ponies for the expedition. The vegetation 

 around was wholly changed since my July visit : the rhodo- 

 dendron scrub was verdigris-green from the young leaves 

 which burst in autumn, and expose at the end of each 

 branchlet a flower-bud covered with resinous scales, which 

 are thrown off in the following spring. The jungle was 

 spotted yellow with the withered birch, maple and 

 mountain-ash, and scarlet with berberry bushes ; while 

 above, the pastures were yellow-brown with the dead 

 grass, and streaked with snow. 



These were made of goat's wool, teazed into a satiny surface by little teazle- 

 like brushes of bamboo. 



