328 Narrative of a Journey to Cho Lagan. [Sept. 



Garpun of Gartokh : the people of that ilk have the reputation of being 

 great thieves ; their head-man is " Goba Lobjang." 



Beyond Hor Tol, eastward, lies the district of Tosher, by some pro- 

 nounced Doshel, also Jang-tang ; it is subject to the Zungpun of Saku 

 Ziing, or Saka, which is the centre of the province next east of Gnari ; 

 how far from the Nipal frontier uncertain. 



Bhotias brought me the skin of a Barji, the brown bear, which Traill 

 has improperly called " Tawny :" the color is not tawny, i. e. tenny, 

 which implies a tendency to yellow, but a fair umber brown : some 

 people have an idea that this beast is white or turns white in winter, 

 which the Bhotias assured me is never the case. Maximum thermo- 

 meter in sun 92° ; in shade at sunset 46°. 



1 \th October. — Hoar frost at sunrise ; thermometer 32° ; maximum 

 in sun during the day 82°; at 4 p. m. 50°, boiled at 194° ; elevation 

 of Garbia 10,2/2 feet. 



The barley here is now under the sickle, but much of it seems still im- 

 perfectly ripe, and I doubt whether all of it ever can ripen properly, 

 the due quantum of sunshine being so much curtailed by the high sur- 

 rounding mountains at all times, and throughout summer by the con- 

 stant clouds. The gooseberries appear to be in the same predicament ; 

 no great loss, for they are utterly worthless. 



I must mention, once for all, a strong south wind prevails here, 

 and which is of universal occurrence in all the Alpine valleys of the 

 Himalaya, penetrating also to the north side of the snowy ranges, 

 where there is an opening through the chain of mountain, as I observ- 

 ed it in the valley of Pruang, and other travellers have noticed the 

 same in Kunawar. 



In J war the village of Martoli is notorious among the Bhotias for its 

 " Pon"* being from its elevated site towards the bottom of the valley 

 particularly exposed to the current of air from the lower regions. This 

 wind appears to be the end of the great westerly current which prevails 

 over the continent of northern India, and here impingning on the south- 

 western face of the Himalaya, enters all the valleys that debouch in 

 that direction. It here follows the universal custom of rising at mid- 

 day and attaining its greatest intensity in the afternoon. They say that 

 this Bhotia " Pon" reverses its direction, blowing down the valleys at 



* V Wind." 



