1848.] Narrative of a Journey to Cho Lagan, fyc. 101 



The Jwdris* have very fair tents, of cow-hair cloth, in one of which 

 I found good accommodation (for myself and half a dozen JBhotias) in 

 my expedition across the Jwar Pass, last June. The Byansis certainly 

 have less need of these things, as their traffic lies mostly among the 

 villages of Pruang, and but a short distance from their own homes. 

 Tent, or no tent, I now proceed through Byans, going by Kunti and the 

 western pass, thence making the lakes (if nothing go wrong), and 

 returning through Pruang, by Lipu Dhura, the eastern pass, into Lower 

 Byans, My first plan had been to go by Darma and return by western 

 Byans, in order to see both of the Bhotia valleys ; but the season is 

 now so far advanced, that unless my journey on the other side were 

 curtailed of its fair proportions, there would be an even chance of my 

 finding the Western Ghat of Byans impassable from snow, by the time 

 of my return, whereas Lipu Dhura will be safe probably, for the next 

 month or two. 



Patwari says that the remnant of the Sikh invaders of Gnari, who 

 made their escape into Kumaon, came over Lipu Dhura in the month 

 of December 1841. All the other Ghats would have been absolutely 

 impassable at that time of year. 



Receive a letter from Hirdu Budha, Thokdarf of Chaudans, to the 

 effect, that hearing I am going to Darma, he requests that I will 

 abandon that route and come his way instead ; no reason whatever is 

 offered for the said request. But the Patwari explains that the Bho- 

 tias of Darma, Chaudans, and Byans have heard that the Sahib L6g 

 frequently drop a good deal of money in visits to Jwar and Niti, % and 

 often ask him why he does not exert his influence to bring part of this 

 lucrative traffic their way. 



\§th September. — Descend from Kela, cross the Dhauli (now 

 unfordable) by a Sdnga^ and enter Chaudans, up a long and steep 

 ascent, the distance from Kela to Titila, though no more than 

 \\ miles by the Map, occupying me 5^ hours, of which half an hour 

 may have been rest. The hill enveloped in clouds, and myself 

 drenched with mist and rain, I could see little or nothing of the coun- 



* Inhabitants of Jwar, the Alpine valley of the Gori. 



t Head of a hill district. 



\ A village of Garhwal giving its name to one of the passes into Tibet. 



§ A timber-bridge of a construction common in these mountains. 



