1839.] Capt. Pembertoiis Mission to Bootan, 1837-38. 219 



preceding one, and it was late in the day before we reached its summit, 

 which was found to be nearly 12,500 feet. Above 9500 feet, the height 

 of the summit of the grassy knoll before alluded to, the snow was deep ; 

 above 10,000 feet all the trees were covered with hoar-frost, and icicles 

 were by no means uncommon. The appearance of the black pines, 

 which we always met with at great elevations, was rendered very 

 striking by the hoar-frost. Every thing looked desolate, scarce a 

 flower was to be seen, and the occasional fall of hail and sleet added 

 to the universal gloom. 



The descent from the ridge was for the first 1500 feet, or thereabout, 

 most steep, chiefly down zigzag paths, that had been built up the faces 

 of precipices ; and the ground was so slippery, the surface snow being 

 frozen into- ice, that falls were very frequent, but happily not attended 

 with injury. It then became less steep, the path running along swardy 

 ridges, or through woods. In the evening I came on the coolies, who 

 had halted at a place evidently often used for that purpose, and who 

 positively refused to proceed a single step further. But as Captain 

 Pemberton and Lieut. Blake had proceeded on, I determined on follow- 

 ing them, hoping that my departure would stimulate the coolies to 

 further exertions. After passing over about a mile of open swardy 

 ground I found myself benighted on the borders of a wood, into which 

 I plunged in the hopes of meeting my companions ; after proceeding for 

 about half an hour slipping, sliding, and falling in all imaginable 

 directions, and obtaining no answers to my repeated halloos; after 

 having been plainly informed that I was a blockhead by a hurkarah, 

 who as long as it was light professed 'to follow me to the death — 

 " Master go on, and I will follow thee to the last gasp with love and 

 loyalty" — I thought it best to attempt returning, and after con- 

 siderable difficulty succeeded in reaching the coolies at 8J p. m. 

 when I spread my bedding under a tree, too glad to find one source of 

 comfort. 



I resumed the march early next morning, and overtook my com- 

 panions about a mile beyond the furthest point I had reached ; and as 

 I expected, found that they had passed the night in great discomfort. 

 We soon found how impossible it would have been for the coolies 

 to have proceeded at night, as the ground was so excessively slippery 

 from the half melted snow, and from its clayey nature, that it was as 

 much as they could do to keep their legs in open day-light. 



We continued descending uninterruptedly, and almost entirely 

 through the same wood, until we reached Singe at 9J a. m. The total 

 distance of the march was fifteen miles — the greatest amount of 

 ascent was about 4500 feet, of descent 6100 feet. We remained at 



