CHAPTER XIII. 



Raklang pass — Uses of nettles — Edible plants — Lepclia war — Do-mani stone — 

 Neongong — Teesta valley — Pony, saddle, &c. — Meet Campbell — Vegetation 

 and scenery — Presents — Visit of Dewan — Characters of Rajah and Dewan — 

 Accounts of Tibet — Lhassa — Siling — Tricks of Dewan — Walk up Teesta — 

 Audience of Rajah — Lamas — Kajees — Tchebu Lama, his character and position 

 — Effects of interview — Heir-apparent — Dewan's house — Guitar — Weather — 

 Fall of river — Tibet officers — Gigantic trees — Neongong lake — Mainom, ascent 

 of — Vegetation — Camp on snow — Silver firs — View from top — Kinchin, &c. 

 — Geology — Vapours — Sunset effect — Elevation — Temperature, &c. — Lamas 

 of Neongong — Temples — Religious festival — Bamboo, flowering — Recross pass 

 of Raklang — Numerous temples, villages, &c. — Domestic animals — Descent 

 to Great Run gee t. 



On the following morning, after receiving the usual presents 

 from the Lamas of Dholing, and from a large posse of 

 women belonging to the village of Barphiung, close by, 

 we ascended the Raklang pass, which crosses the range 

 dividing the waters of the Teesta from those of the Great 

 Rungeet. The Kajee still kept beside me, and proved a 

 lively companion : seeing me continually plucking and 

 noting plants, he gave me much local information about 

 them. He told me the uses made of the fibres of the 

 various nettles; some being twisted for bowstrings, others as 

 thread for sewing and weaving ; while many are eaten raw 

 and in soups, especially the numerous little succulent species. 

 The great yellow-flowered Begonia was abundant, and he cut 

 its juicy stalks to make sauce (as we do apple-sauce) for 

 some pork which he expected to get at Bhomsong ; the taste 



