1849.] Journal of a trip to Si/dm. 515 



help it. He did so too very good-naturedly, and complained of the heat 

 of the sun in these vallies. He was full of eagerness, and as joyous as 

 a boy. In spite of his official quibbles and deceits there is something 

 simple and pleasing in his manners, and I dare say that if we were on a 

 hunting party only, and I was to reproach him with all his falsehoods 

 he would say they were "quite Pickwickcian," i. e. Ministerial. 



The preparations for the Raja's arrival are going on briskly to-day, 

 and he will be here to-morrow I believe. Strings of goats and kids 

 are coming in. Firewood is being collected in heaps, The sheds are 

 almost ready and people are hourly arriving to see the fun ; more than 

 all, the Dewan sent to me this morning for some soap to have a regular 

 scrubbing, I take it, and I sent him my only spare cake of brown 

 Windsor, my bearer remonstrating, and saying that Dhobies' soap 

 would do as well, and so it would ; but there is not a bit even of this 

 among us all ! 



Heavy rain last night again, and it is still cloudy. This is hailed 

 with great pleasure by all the people along the Teesta, as it is just at 

 the best time for the young wheat and barley crops. The small range 

 of the Thermometer is remarkable in this situation, — all day yesterday 

 it only varied from 58° to 62°, and at 6 p. m. and 6 a. m. this morning 

 it stood at 59°. 



There is no saul along the bed of the Teesta as on the Rungeet, 

 and oaks abound ; together with a profusion of the three palms already 

 noted, bamboos and plantains at the river edge. The chesnut and 

 wild mangoe are in the same locality. The wormwood which infests 

 the abandoned clearances up to 4000 feet in all parts of Sikim that I 

 have seen, is collected here as food for goats ; and they devour it 

 greedily. There is a tree very common here, the outer bark of which 

 is quite smooth and shining, and of a light stone or nearly white colour, 

 it is the " Seling Koong" of the Lepchas, and peculiar powers are 

 attributed to it. If a woman in the early part of her pregnancy 

 touches the bark, her offspring will be fair and finely skinned like 

 this tree. The leaf is like the toon and ash ; it is not now in fruit or 

 flower. 



Banc/song, \Sth. — The Raja arrived on the opposite side of the rivci 

 about 9 o'clock this morning. About 7, while I was dressing, the 

 Dewan came to me to say he was off to meet his Highness. He was 



3 x 



