Jax. 1845*. CHANGACHELLING TEMPLE. 363 



rocky eminence on the ridge, their roofs, cones and spires 

 peeping through groves of bamboo, rhododendrons, and 

 arbutus ; the ascent is by broad flights of steps cut in the 

 mica-slate rocks, up which shaven and girdled monks, with 

 rosaries and long red gowns, were dragging loads of bamboo 

 stems, that produced a curious rattling noise. At the 

 summit there is a fine temple, with the ruins of several 

 others, and of many houses : the greater part of the prin- 

 cipal temple, which is two-storied and divided into several 

 compartments, is occupied by families. The monks were 

 busy repairing the part devoted to worship, which consists 

 of a large chamber and vestibule of the usual form ■ the 

 outside walls are daubed red, with a pigment of burnt 

 felspathic clay, which is dug hard by. Some were painting 

 the vestibule with colours brought from Lhassa, where they 

 had been trained to the art. Amongst other figures was one 

 playing on a guitar, a very common symbol in the vestibules 

 of Sikkim temples : I also saw an angel playing on the 

 flute, and a snake-king offering fruit to a figure in the water, 

 who was grasping a serpent. Amongst the figures I was 

 struck by that of an Englishman, whom, to my amusement, 

 and the limner's great delight, I recognised as myself. I 

 was depicted in a flowered silk coat instead of a tartan 

 shooting jacket, my shoes were turned up at the toes, and 

 I had on spectacles and a tartar cap, and was writing 

 notes in a book. On one side a snake-king was politely 

 handing me fruit, and on the other a horrible demon was 

 writhing. 



A crowd had collected to see whether I should recognise 

 myself, and when I did so, the merriment was extreme. 

 They begged me to send them a supply of vermilion, gold- 

 leaf, and brushes ; our so called camel's-hair pencils being 

 much superior to theirs, which are made of marmot's hair. 



