176 Narrative of a Journey to Clio Lagan, fyc. [Aug. 



the great dryness of the climate in Pruang, compared with'that of the 

 neighbouring Cis-Himalayan Alpine valley, in which the natural rains 

 during the summer supply abundance of water for all cultivation. The 

 crops of Pruang are raised by artificial irrigation during the height of 

 the Indian rainy season. From this ground we had a good, (moon- 

 light) view of Takla-khar, which extended along the top of the oppo- 

 site bank : the principal development of the place appears to be east 

 and west, the extreme length in which direction may be a quarter of a 

 mile ; and to judge from what we saw of the east end, and from the 

 descent of the buildings in parrallel terraces this side, its breadth 

 must be inconsiderable ; a mere strip along the top of a narrow ridge. 

 I could see nothing of the Khar or the Gumba, which are the principal 

 edifices ; the former is said to be well built, with lofty walls and nume- 

 rous apartments, capable of holding a thousand men ; but the fortress 

 has the fatal defect of being without water, the nearest supply of which 

 is, as above mentioned, in the village of Beli at the bottom of the 

 hill : there was once a walled passage communicating with this, but it 

 is now ruined, and so far obliterated that I saw no vestige of it, as we 

 crossed the east end of the hill. The Pruang Zungpun resides in the 

 Khar, but without any garrison whatever. The Gumba is a large 

 building adjoining to the fort, and stocked, they say, with some 300 of 

 the monkish order. Many of the houses of the place belong to people 

 of the neighbouring villages, and are used chiefly as depots for their salt 

 and grain, the traific in which with the Bhotias of Byans, and the peo- 

 ple of Dhiili, Humla, &c constitutes the main resort to Takla-khar. 

 The village, with its Khar and Gumba, may perhaps equal in extent 

 the north-eastern suburb and bazar with the town fort of Almora. I 

 estimate the elevation of the summit of Takla-khar to be 14,750 feet, 

 viz. 500 feet higher than the confluence of the Tidya-chu with the 

 Karnali. 



Nami is a small village on the south bank of the Tidya Pryag, where 

 there are the remains of field-works made by the Sikhs under Zorawar 

 Sing, who (to command water I suppose) took up his position here in 

 preference to occupying the fort above. 



When he went on his fatal pilgrimage to Gangri, his Lieutenant, 

 Basti Sing, with the remaining party, went over to Kirow, the district of 

 the third Makhpun on the other side of the Karnali, and thence after the 



