1848.] Routes from Barjeeling to Thibet. 493 



14. Sarrh. — Direction north. The Neela range is crossed on this 

 march. The ascent is commenced about half way from Chankpook, 

 and is not above 500 feet. No snow on Neela in August, or till the 

 cold weather. 



15. Badong. — Direction north, country level, but not cultivated; 

 thinly inhabited by herdsmen who keep herds of Yaks and live by the 

 sale of the butter, which is very fine. There are no trees nor shrubs 

 even. The Yaks browse on short grass, and people use their dung as 

 the only fuel. 



16. Bobtah. — A hundred houses here or more. The people are all 

 Bhotiahs, and cultivate a good deal. They are subject to the Sekim 

 Raja and pay their rents at Choombi, which is 4 horse journey to the 

 east via Phari, 6 on foot. The country is quite level from Badong to 

 Dobtah, but very bare and stony. There is a large lake close to Dob- 

 tahjong and east of it. It takes more than a day to walk round it. 

 It is very deep and has sweet water. The Tashirukpa rises from it. 

 The name is " Tsomootethoong," which means the " Lake the mule 

 drank of,"* and the origin of this is as follows. "There was a well here 

 originally, but a mule one day knelt down and drank out of it. No 

 sooner it did so than the waters rose and formed this large lake." The 

 neighbouring lands are irrigated from it ; the banks are grassy, and it is 

 well stocked with good fish. There are no trees to be seen here and 

 the cultivation is confined to wheat, pease, turnips and radishes. 



1 7. Kochoochen. — About 5 cos over a level bare country, but thinly 

 inhabited. There is a hot spring here which is used medicinally ; it rises 

 out of the level ground, not from a hill. The Sikim Raja visits it when 

 he comes to Dobtah from Digarchi. When at Choombi he uses the hot 

 springs of Kamboo Sachoo, which are near the Phari road at Bukcha. 

 Kochoochen belongs to the Thibetans, not to the Sikim Raja. Direc- 

 tion north. 



18. Shejong or Bhejong on the She river. This is the residence 

 of a Soubah, and has about 100 houses. The route is due north and 

 over a level country, i. e. there are but small hillocks scattered over a 

 plain. No trees except the willow, which however is not indigenous 

 but brought from a distance — Lachen-Lachoong. The only crops 

 grown are wheat, pease, radishes and turnips ; grass is abundant ; rains 



* Tso, lake ; te, mule ; thoong, to drink. 



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