Jan. 1849. SNOW-STORM ON MON LEPCHA. 355 



seemed steady, and I went to bed with a relieved 

 mind. 



Jan. 10. — During the night the temperature fell to 11° 2, 

 and at 6 a.m. was 19° 8, falling again to 17° soon after. 

 Though clouds were rapidly coming up from the west and 

 south-west, the wind remained northerly till 8 a.m., when 

 it shifted to south-west, and the temperature rose to 25°. 

 As it continued fine, with the barometer high, I ventured 

 on a walk towards Gubroo, carefully taking bearings of 

 my position. I found a good many plants in a rocky 

 valley close to that mountain, which I in vain attempted to 

 ascend. The air was 30°, with a strong and damp south- 

 west wind, and the cold was so piercing, that two lads 

 who were with me, although walking fast, became benumbed, 

 and could not return without assistance. At 11 a.m., a 

 thick fog obliged us to retrace our steps : it was followed 

 by snow in soft round pellets like sago, that swept across 

 the hard ground. During the afternoon it snowed unceas- 

 ingly, the wind repeatedly veering round the compass, 

 always from west to east by south, and so by north to 

 west again. The flakes were large, soft, and moist with 

 the south wind, and small, hard, and dry with the north. 

 Glimpses of blue sky were constantly seen to the south, 

 under the gloomy canopy above, but they augured no 

 change. As darkness came on, the temperature fell to 15°, 

 and it snowed very hard ; at 6 p.m., it was 11°, but rose 

 afterwards to 18°. 



The night was very cold and wintry : I sat for some 

 hours behind a blanket screen (which had to be shifted 

 every few minutes) at my tent-door, keeping up a sulky fire, 

 and peering through the snow for signs of improvement, 

 but in vain. The clouds were not dense, for the moon's 

 light was distinct, shining on the glittering snow-flakes 



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