538 Journal of a trip to Sikim. [May, 



10. An image of the first Raja of Sikim, who was deified. It is 

 treated as that of a deity. 



The walls are principally occupied with paintings of Lamas, white 

 and yellow skinned, sitting in deep thought or expounding, the right 

 arm being raised. There are also, among others, the following marked 

 figures : — 



1. A Shiva, I suppose.* Face and body red, the shoulders and 

 body partially clothed with skins of human beings, tigers and snakes. 

 It has but one foot, which is placed on the back of a gigantic human 

 being, who is crawling with his load, the features of his face painfully 

 distorted. 



2. Another. — Face and body blue. Bow and arrow in hand, neck 

 and head ornamented with human skulls. 



3. Namgemoo. — An 8 -handed 4 -faced figure. The face colours are 

 white, red, blue, and yellow — a face of each. 



4. A full length painting with a Lama's mitre-crowned cap ; the 

 Dorje in the right hand, and the trident in the left. This, as well as 

 many of the images and figures already noted, unite the Shivaite sym- 

 bols of Hindooism with those of Lamaism, and this union is I think 

 the true representation of Buddhism at Pomiongchi. 



The convertion of the Lepchas to Lamaism was not rapid. It 

 took 3 reigns before it was general ; it is by no means universal yet. 

 The indigenous Bhotias of Sikim, Arhats, held back from the new 

 religion less than the Lepchas. The Magars and Limboos, were and 

 are the most recusant of all. When they quit their own religion, (if 

 sacrificing fowls and pigs to propitiate evil spirits can be called religion,) 

 they adopt a sort of Hindooism. The Lamas of Sikim are however 

 the most tolerant of priests, and not to follow them in the faith does 

 not bring persecution or mischief to any man's door. We had hard 

 frost at Pomiongchi on the morning of the 2nd; at 7 a. m. the ther. 

 in the air stood at 32°. On the ground at 25°. Here I was to leave 

 Hooker after 10 happy days spent together. He had to start for 

 Jongri next day ; I did so for Darjeeling, and marched to Tadong. 

 He accompained me as far as the Gayzing Mendong, which is about 

 2000 feet below Pomiongchi, and to the south of it. It is the most 

 extensive of all the Mendongs in Sikim ; it is 200 yards long, about 10 

 * See second note, p. 537. 



