1849.] Journal of a trip to Sikim. 525 



but toil most enduringly. From the Yangma valley, not being able as 

 originally intended to enter Sikim by the Kanglanamo pass, which had 

 been snowed up since October, he crossed the Nango ridge, 16,000 feet, 

 into the Kambachen valley, and thence crossed the Choongjerma range, 

 15,000 feet, into the Yalloong valley, whence over the Singalelah ridge 

 he reached Lingchoon in Sikim. 



From Lingchoon he joined me via Pemongchi, Dalling, and Yan- 

 gang, having crossed the Great Rungeet above Rinchinpoong.* 



The meeting with Hooker has been a most gratifying one. It was 

 quite delightful to listen to his frank and modest account of his labori- 

 ous and tedious journey, in the course of which he had to encounter 

 what to many men would be great privations. For 18 days he had to 

 subsist on 8 days' provisions, and was at last reduced to coarse boiled 

 rice, and Chili vinegar ! His discoveries in glacial Geology are alto- 

 gether new in this part of the Himalaya, and although the lateness of 

 the season deprived him of many of the plants of the higher regions, 

 he has still made large collections. He has 18 species of Rhododen- 

 dron for instance, many of them hitherto unknown. 



On the 24th we had an interview with the Raja, at which I took my 

 leave, and Hooker made his first and last appearance. It was on the 

 whole satisfactory for my affairs, and I greatly rejoice at having made 

 this trip to the Raja, in the course of which I have largely added to my 

 knowledge of himself and his people, and consequently to my power 

 of improving our own position with them, and adding to their know- 

 ledge of me and my Government. On the latter, and on the real 

 nature of our power in India, and England, they are wofully ignorant, 

 and not a little misinformed. I had, and took some good opportuni- 

 ties of talking with effect on this latter subject to the Dewan. 



On the 25th started from Bangsong and returned by my outward 

 route via Lingmoo and Neh, to Brom, whence, instead of keeping along 

 the bottom of the Rungoom basin, we ascended via Sok to upper Nam- 

 fok, near the residence of the Lassoo Kaji, and a well peopled place, 

 with neatly fenced fields of wheat and barley, and some patches of 

 mustard and radishes. The profile of Mainomchoo from this is very 

 wild and bold. Perpendicular cliffs of rock dipping to the north- 



* I am answerable for any inaccuracies that occur in this outline of Hooker's 

 journey. 



3 Y 2 



