338 SIKKIM HIMALAYA. Chap. XIV. 



condition, and evidently very old j they have no Hindoo 

 emblems. 



The head Lama sent me a present of dried peaches, with 

 a bag of walnuts, called " Koal-kun " by the Lepchas, and 

 " Taga-sching " by the Bhoteeas ; the two terminations alike 

 signifying " tree." 



The view of Yoksun from this height was very singular : 

 it had the appearance of an enormous deposit banked up 

 against a spur to the south, and mountains to the east, and 

 apparently levelled by the action of water : this deposit 

 seemed as though, having once completely filled the valley 

 of the Ratong, that river had cut a gorge 2000 feet deep 

 between it and the opposite mountain. 



Although the elevation is so low, snow falls abundantly 

 at Doobdi in winter; I was assured that it has been known 

 of the depth of five feet, a statement I consider doubtful ; 

 the quantity is, however, certainly greater than at equal 

 heights about Dorjiling, no doubt owing to its proximity 

 to Kinchinjunga. 



I was amused here by watching a child playing with a 

 popgun, made of bamboo, similar to that of quill, with 

 which most English children are familiar, which propels 

 pellets by means of a spring-trigger made of the upper 

 part of the quill. It is easy to conclude such resemblances 

 between the familiar toys of different countries to be 

 accidental, but I question their being really so. On the 

 plains of India, men may often be seen for hours to- 

 gether, flying what with us are children's kites ; and I 

 procured a jews'-harp from Tibet. These are not the 

 toys of savages, but the amusements of people more 

 than half-civilised, and with whom we have had indirect 

 communication from the earliest ages. The Lepchas play . 

 at quoits, using slate for the purpose, and at the Highland 



