230 EAST NEPAL. Chap. X. 



at the gable end, and consisted of one good-sized 

 apartment. Around was abundance of dock, together with 

 three common English plants.* 



The night was calm, misty, and warm Q^ f° a 5 ') for the 

 elevation (9,300 feet). During the night, I was startled 

 out of my sleep by a blaze of light, and jumping up, found 

 myself in presence of a party of most sinister-looking, 

 black, ragged Tibetans, armed with huge torches of pine, 

 that filled the room with flame and pitchy smoke. I 

 remembered their arriving just before dark, and their 

 weapons dispelled my fears, for they came armed with 

 bamboo jugs of Murwa beer, and were very drunk and 

 very amiable : they grinned, nodded, kotowed, lolled 

 out their tongues, and scratched their ears in the most 

 seductive manner, then held out their jugs, and besought 

 me by words and gestures to drink and be happy too. I 

 awoke my servant (always a work of difficulty), and with 

 some trouble ejected the visitors, happily without setting 

 the house on fire. I heard them toppling head over heels 

 down the stair, which I afterwards had drawn up to prevent 

 further intrusion, and in spite of their drunken orgies, was 

 soon lulled to sleep again by the music of the roaring river. 



On the 29th November, I continued my course north up 

 the Yangma valley, which after five miles opened con- 

 siderably, the trees disappearing, and the river flowing more 

 tranquilly, and through a broader valley, when above 

 11,000 feet elevation. The Guobah of Wallanchoon over- 

 took us on the road ; on his way, he said, to collect the 

 revenues at Yangma village, but in reality to see what I 

 was about. He owns five considerable villages, and is 

 said to pay a tax of 6000 rupees (600/.) to the Rajah of 

 Nepal : this is no doubt a great exaggeration, but the 



* Cardamine hirsuta, Limosella aqtiatica, and Jancus bufonius. 



