JOURNAL 



OF THE 



ASIATIC SOCIETY. 



MAY, 1849. 



Notes, chiefly Botanical, made during an excursion from Darjiling to 

 Tongld, a lofty mountain on the confines of Si/ckim and Nepal, by 

 J. D. Hooker, M. D., R. W., F. R. S., fyc. Honorary Member of the 

 Asiatic Society. {Communicated by the Hon. Sir James Colvile, 

 President As. Soc. 



May 19th, 1848. — Left Darjiling in the forenoon of this day, accom- 

 panied by my friend, C. Barnes, Esq. We took with us a small tent, 

 about 1 5 Lepcha and Ghorkha coolies, together with as few servants as 

 possible, these being bad mountaineers, and our route involving much 

 ascent and descent. The direction is W. ; the distance, in a straight 

 line, little above 1 2 miles ; but occupying good 3 days' march ; for we 

 have to descend from Darjiling 5000 feet to the intervening river beds, 

 cross these and as many spurs of 1000 — 1500 feet, and thence ascend 

 to a summit 10,000 feet above the sea. The route is of course wholly 

 within the sub-Himalaya, and always through the forest region. What 

 clear spots we saw were artificial, and large trees extend to the top of 

 Tonglo ; which is however below the lower limit of Alpine Pines in 

 this parallel, and of the Arctic vegetation of the loftier Himalaya. 



A Lepcha carries his load in similarly formed, but much ruder bas- 

 kets, than those used by the Nepal races, and I observe that he uniformly 

 used shoulder straps, with or without the belt across the forehead, which 

 latter is most frequently wholly dispensed with.* The weight thus 



* May not the use of the head-strap be a predisposing cause of goitre, by in- 

 ducing congestion of the Laryngeal vessels ? The Lepcha is certainly far more 

 free of this disease then the Bhothea, or than any of the tribes of E. Nepal I have 



No. XXIX.— New Series. 3 r 



