496 Journal of a trip to Sikim. [May, 



suddenly, as it was intended I should travel by the Burmeok route 

 to the Took ghat of the Teesta, where the Dewan would probably 

 meet me. The Kaji pressed me to halt for the day, and he had pre- 

 pared sheds for me ; but I find the Raja's officers manifest such an 

 anxiety to delay me, that although I cannot clearly see the reason, I 

 am quite satisfied it is for some tricky end that would not serve my 

 objects in desiring to see the Raja, and I am therefore resolved not to 

 delay until I am shewn some good cause for slackening my pace. 

 Innumerable excuses are made about the bad state of the road, the 

 propriety of mending them for me ; and that this would have been 

 done had more time been given, and indeed now it would be done if I 

 would only halt a day or two, &c. &c. This road excuse is an unlucky 

 one. It would take years, not to talk of days, to improve them. I 

 therefore put the Kaji off by telling him that we were all hylanders, 

 that the state of the roads was a matter of moonshine to us, but the 

 provisions were a great thing. If he would furnish them it would be 

 acceptable, but that I had nevertheless a good supply of my own for 

 the present, and would take my chance of the road and proceed : I did 

 so, and he came with me evidently vexed, but very civil. The Bur- 

 meok Kaji has sent me a very kind and friendly message, with oranges* 

 rice, a kid, fowl, milk, eggs, and butter. He would come all the way 

 nearly, 15 miles, to see me, but was ill ; he was very glad indeed I had 

 come this way ; he was an old friend of mine ; he and his father were 

 old friends of my government, and above all he hoped to see me on 

 my return, and would make a point of doing so whatever road I took. 

 This is all very well ; I have been exchanging civilities with the old 

 gentleman for the last 10 years by long shots of sweet words, and 

 small presents between his place and Darjeeling, and shall be right glad 

 to find him hospitable in his own country. There is no part of the 

 world I know of in which civil messages are better concocted than in 

 Sikim, and pretty well for this in Bootan too. They always begin by 

 a reference to the antiquity of the alliance between the raja and Chiefs 

 of Sikim, and the Company ; its closeness and durability is then touched 

 upon, and its perpetuity insisted on. Yet not one Bhotia chief of 

 Sikim, or Bootan, that I know of can pass a word on which I would 

 put the least dependence away from sight, or easy reach. They have 

 negative qualities of some use to their neighbours ; they are not brave 



