528 Journal of a trip to Sikim. [May, 



paid us a visit, bringing rice, eggs, butter, milk, &c. &c. They apolo- 

 gised for not bringing kids, or oxen, lest they should be accessary to 

 the destruction of life, which is against the tenets of their religion.* 

 They suggested that we should assist with some contribution towards 

 roofing the new Goomba with copper instead of bamboos. The party 

 consisted of a principal, and 6 or 8 companions, all fat, placid, and 

 well-bred men. " Now, that you have seen Sikim, what do you think 

 of the country ?" said the spokesman. " It is just the sort of wild 

 country we like to travel in, and the people are very pleasing and hospi- 

 table," was the reply, and this is the truth. Kindness to strangers' frank- 

 ness, and hospitality eminently distinguish the people. The outer 

 walls of the monastery are built of stone with a white mud mortar, 

 decomposed mica slate, the inner ones of mud mixed with sand and 

 pebbles of clay slate, which is beaten and stamped into wooden frames 

 six feet long, and 3 feet wide, and tiers of this are laid one over the 

 other. It is similar to the Pisi work of Italy, and answers very well 

 for walls not exposed to wet. Thermometer at 9 p. m. 45° . Water 

 boils on Mainomchoo top at 192^°. 



29th, Lingdam. — We visited the Goomba at Yangang this morning 

 before starting, and found the Lamas at their morning religious exer- 

 cises. They were civil and polite as usual. It was term-day with their 

 tenants, who were collected round the Goomba ; some to pay their 

 house, or family tax, which takes the place of land-rent in Sikim, and 

 some to make offerings of rice, murwa for beer, beef, &c The library 

 we saw did not exceed 20 volumes ; and there were about a dozen 

 images of gilded brass and painted clays, ranged in a bookshelf like a 

 cabinet, one image in each compartment. In the centre was the image 

 of Sakya, called Sakya-thoba, in Sikim ; the names of the others were 

 altogether unpronounceable. 



After Hooker had taken a circle of bearings we started for this 

 place at 10 a. m. and reached it at \ past 3 p. m. having stopped 

 an hour at the top of the Raklang ridge. Taking this march altoge- 

 ther it is an exceedingly interesting one, and the scenery from this 

 side of Raklang is very fine indeed. Our route from Yangang lay 

 N. W. along the west face of Mainomchoo, descending gradually into 

 the bed of the Rungpo, which we crossed; and thence ascended 

 * They do not eat the less beef on this account. 



