Oct. 1348. BAD BEHAVIOUR OF BHOTAN COOLIES. 181 



On overtaking the coolies, I proceeded for six or seven 

 miles along a zig-zag road, at about 7,500 feet elevation, 

 through dense forests, and halted at a little hut within 

 sight of Dorjiling. Rain and mist came on at nightfall, 

 and though several parties of my servants arrived, none 

 of the Bhotan coolies made their appearance, and I spent 

 the night without food or bed, the weather being much too 

 fogorv and dark to send back to meet the missing men. 

 They joined me late on the following day, complaining 

 unreasonably of their loads, and without their Sirdar, who, 

 after starting his crew, had returned to take leave of his 

 wife and family. On the following day he appeared, and 

 after due admonishment we started, but four miles further 

 on were again obliged to halt for the Bhotan coolies, who 

 were equally deaf to threats and entreaties. As they did 

 not come up till dusk, we were obliged to encamp here, 

 (alt. 7,400 feet) at the common source of the Balasun, 

 which flows to the plains, and the Little Rungeet, whose 

 course is north. 



The contrast between the conduct of the Bhotan men 

 and that of the Lepchas and Nepalese was so marked, that 

 I seriously debated in my own mind the propriety of 

 sending the former back to Dorjiling, but yielded to the 

 remonstrances of their Sirdar and the Nepal guard, who 

 represented the great difficulty we should have in replacing 

 them, and above all, the loss of time, at this season a 

 matter of great importance. We accordingly started again 

 the following morning, and still keeping in a western 

 direction, crossed the posts in the forest dividing Sikkim 

 from Nepal, and descended into the Myong valley of the 

 latter country, through which flows the river of that name, 

 a tributary of the Tambur. The Myong valley is remark- 

 ably fine : it rims south-west from Tonglo, and its open 



