186 EAST NEPAL. Chap. VIII. 



To the west, the black ridge of Sakkiazung, bristling 

 with pines, {Abies Webbiana) cut off the view of Nepal ; 

 but south-west, the Myong valley could be traced to its 

 junction with the Tambur about thirty miles off : beyond 

 which to the south-west and south, low hills belonging to 

 the outer ranges of Nepal rose on the distant horizon, seventy 

 or eighty miles off; and of these the most conspicuous 

 were the Mahavarati which skirt the Nepal Terai. South 

 and south-east, Sinchul and the Goong range of Sikkirn 

 intercepted the view of the plains of India, of which I had a 

 distant peep to the south-west only. 



The west top of Tonglo is very open and grassy, with 

 occasional masses of gneiss of enormous size, but probably 

 not in situ. The whole of this flank, and for 1000 feet 

 down the spur to the south-west, had been cleared by fire 

 for pasturage, and flocks of black-faced sheep were grazing. 

 During my stay on the mountain, except in the early 

 morning, the weather was bleak, gloomy, and very cold, 

 with a high south-west wind. The mean temperature was 

 41°, extremes ~\ the nights were very clear, with sharp 

 hoar-frost ; the radiating thermometer sank to 21°, the 

 temperature at 3^ feet depth was 51°' 5. 



A few of the Bhotan coolies having voluntarily returned, 

 I left Tonglo on the 5th, and descended its west flank to 

 the Mai, a feeder of the Myong. The descent was as 

 abrupt as that on the east face, but through less dense 

 forest ; the Sikkim side (that facing the east) being much 

 the dampest. I encamped at dark by a small village, 

 (Jummanoo) at 4,360 feet, having descended 5000 feet 

 in five hours. Hence we marched eastward to the village 

 of Sakkiazung, which we reached on the third day, 

 crossing en route several spurs 4000 to 6000 feet high, 

 from the same riclge, and as many rivers, which all fall 



