300 SIKKIM HIMALAYA. Chap. XIII. 



and feeble are frozen to death, standing and resting their 

 chins on their staves ; remaining as pillars of ice, to fall 

 only when the thaw of the ensuing spring commences. 



We remained several days at Bhomsong, awaiting an 

 interview with the Rajah, whose movements the Dew an 

 kept shrouded in mystery. On Dr. Campbell's arrival 

 at this river a week before, he found messengers waiting 

 to inform him that the Rajah would meet him here ; 

 this being half way between Dorjiling and Tumloong. 

 Thenceforward every subterfuge was resorted to by the 

 Dewan to frustrate the meeting ; and even after the 

 arrival of the Rajah on the east bank, the Dewan com- 

 municated with Dr. Campbell by shooting across the 

 river arrows to which were attached letters, containing 

 every possible argument to induce him to return to 

 Dorjiling ; such as that the Rajah was sick at Tumloong, 

 that he was gone to Tibet, that he had a religious fast and 

 rites to perform, &c. &c. 



One day we walked up the Teesta to the Rumphiup 

 river, a torrent from Mainom mountain to the west ; the 

 path led amongst thick jungle of WallicMa palm, prickly 

 rattan canes, and the Pandanns, or screw-pine, called 

 " Borr," which has a straight, often forked, palm-like trunk, 

 and an immense crown of grassy saw-edged leaves four 

 feet long : it bears clusters of uneatable fruit as large as a 

 man's fist, and their similarity to the pine-apple has 

 suggested the name of " Borr " for the latter fruit also, 

 which has for many years been cultivated in Sikkim, and 

 yields indifferent produce. Beautiful pink balsams covered 

 the ground, but at this season few other showy plants 

 were in flower : the rocks were chlorite, very soft and 

 silvery, and so curiously crumpled and contorted as to 

 appear as though formed of scales of mica crushed together, 



