240 EAST NEPAL. Chap. X. 



I was premature in complaining of my Wallanchoon 

 tents, those provided for me at Yangma being infinitely 

 worse, mere rags, around which I piled sods as a defence 

 from the insidious piercing night-wind that descended 

 from the northern glaciers in calm, but most keen, 

 breezes. There was no food to be procured in the village, 

 except a little watery milk, and a few small watery potatos. 

 The latter have only very recently been introduced 

 amongst the Tibetans, from the English garden at the 

 Nepalese capital, I believe, and their culture has not 

 spread in these regions further east than Kin chin - 

 junga, but they will very soon penetrate into Tibet from 

 Dorjiling, or eastward from Nepal. My private stock of 

 provisions — consisting chiefly of preserved meats from my 

 kind friend Mr. Hodgson — had fallen very low ; and I 

 here found to my dismay that of four remaining two-pound 

 cases, provided as meat, three contained prunes, and one 

 " dindon aux truffes /" Never did luxuries come more 

 inopportunely ; however the greasy French viand served for 

 many a future meal as sauce to help me to bolt my rice, and 

 according to the theory of chemists, to supply animal heat 

 in these frigid regions. As for my people, they were 

 not accustomed to much animal food ; two pounds of 

 rice, with ghee and chilis, forming their common diet 

 under cold and fatigue. The poorer Tibetans, especially, 

 who undergo great privation and toil, live almost wholly 

 on barley-meal, with tea, and a very little butter and salt : 

 this is not only the case with those amongst whom I 

 mixed so much, but is also mentioned by MM. Hue and 

 Gabet, as having been observed by them in other parts 

 of Tibet. 



On the 1st of December I visited the village and 

 terrace, and proceeded to the head of the Yangma valley, 



