1848.] Narrative of a Journey to Cho Lagan, fyc. 133 



main at Kunti, till they get notice of our having crossed the pass, 

 when they go down to Garbia or Budhi, and there wait my return to 

 lower Byans by Lipu-Lekh. 



I have instructed the Patwari to apprehend nothing particular for a 

 fornight or so ; if our absence exceed that time to send out scouts in 

 the direction of Taklakhar, and in event of our being imprisoned or 

 otherwise coerced or maltreated by the Hunias to do what he can for 

 our rescue and report the state of affairs to Batten. Thokdar Hirkun, 

 the best of the Byans Bhotias, takes his leave, with repeated warning 

 to me against the " Khampa," whom he seems to think worse enemies 

 to progress than the Pruang Zungpun and his satellites. 



Leaving Kunti at length we descend and cross the river (though 

 here easily fordable I should think) by a small Sanga, and a mile or two 

 on cross a small rivulet, Mangdang ; the valley now narrows to a mere 

 open glen, the river and the road one or two hundred feet above it, 

 gradually rising, and the mountains on both sides decreasing in rela- 

 tive (if not absolute) height. A considerable stream, the Toshi-Yankti, 

 nearly as large as the western branch of the Kunti River, comes through 

 a large ravine, entering the main valley from the northward. The top of 

 the opposite ridge of no great height apparently, and only just tipped 

 with snow, is said to look into the table-land of Hundes (the western 

 branch of the valley of Pruang) but there is no pass this way, the 

 mountain being steep and rocky ; and yet some one must have been to 

 the top to have seen the said view into Hundes. The Surveyor's Map 

 calls this stream Kembelchoo. The road continues over a tolerably 

 level shelf in the hill side, affording a pretty smooth and easy path a 

 few hundred feet above the river. The only vegetation here is grass 

 and a few herbs reaching one or two hundred feet above us, and on the 

 northern exposure of the hills to our left the snow has descended nearly 

 to the limit of vegetation. Having started so late in the day we make 

 but a short march to Sangchungma, a mere encamping ground near 

 a small stream on the shelf in the mountain side ; the river is one or 

 two hundred feet below us aud not visible from this owing to the depth 

 and narrowness of its channel. 



Thermometer at 5 p. m. 41° ; boiled at 188° ; elevation of Sang- 

 chungma 14,000 feet. 



Evening cloudy, with slight symptoms of rain or snow. 



