Jan. 1849. CATSUPERRI LAKE. 363 



the sea ; it is here a turbulent stream, twelve yards across, 

 with the usual features of gravel terraces, huge boulders of 

 gneiss and some of the same rock in situ, striking north-east. 

 Some idea of its velocity may be formed from the descent it 

 makes from the foot of Mon Lepcha, where the elevation of its 

 bed was 7,1 50 feet, giving a fall of 3,350 feet in only ten miles. 



Hence I ascended a very steep spur, through tropical 

 vegetation, now become so familiar to me that I used to 

 count the number of species belonging to the different large 

 natural orders, as 1 went along. I gathered only thirty-five 

 ferns at these low elevations, in the same space as produces 

 from fifty to sixty in the more equable and humid regions 

 of 6000 feet ; grasses on the other hand were much more 

 numerous. The view of the flat of Yoksun from Lung- 

 schung village, opposite to it, and on about the same level, is 

 curious; as is that of the hamlet of Lathiang on the same side, 

 which I have before noticed as being placed on a very singular 

 flat shelf above the Ratong, and is overhung by rocks. 



Ascending very steeply for several thousand feet, we 

 reached a hollow on the Catsuperri spur, beyond which the 

 lake lies buried in a deep forest. A Lama from the adjacent 

 temple accompanied us, and I found my people affecting 

 great solemnity as they approached its sacred bounds ; 

 they incessantly muttered " Om mani," &c, kotowed to 

 trees and stones, and hung bits of rag on the bushes. A 

 pretence of opposing our progress was made by the priest, 

 who of course wanted money ; this I did not appear to 

 notice, and after a steep descent, we were soon on the shores 

 of what is, for Sikkim, a grand sheet of water, (6,040 feet 

 above the sea), without any apparent outlet : it may be from 

 three to five hundred yards across in the rains, but was 

 much less now, and was bordered by a broad marsh of bog 

 moss (Sphagnum), in which were abundance of AzoUa, 



