1852.] A Journey through Sikitn. 419 



The wormwood* on the fallow ground here is 12 feet high ; it grows 

 up to, and all round the house and on both sides of all the path- 

 ways. I find, however, that the people have good reason for allow- 

 ing this plant to monopolise all their fallow clearances. Its decay- 

 ed leaves are considered to form the very best manure, it has a 

 profuse foliage which falls and rots readily during the rains, and the 

 plant itself is cut down after it seeds in October, and is also allowed to 

 rot on the land. 



As I did not in December last travel further than this place on the 

 route to Thibet, I shall henceforward note more particularly the state 

 of the road, the places along it, &c. ; the foregoing memoranda being 

 purposely of a more general nature, or designed only to shew the 

 differences observable in the country during the rains, and in the dry 

 season. 



October 1st. Tugvia, east bank of the Teesta. Started at 6 a. m. 

 and reached this at 2 p. m. very much fatigued ; got into a good 

 house just as it began to rain heavily. Thermometer at 6 p. m. 72°. 

 Probable elevation above the Teesta 1,200 feet. There is a little gar- 

 den attached to this house, the first I have seen in Sikim ; it contains 

 plantains, sugar-cane, capsicums, turnips, two kinds of creeping beans 

 and marigolds. 



The villagers have been turned out to clear the road all the way 

 from Bansong, and the little Lama with the Raja's orders to that 

 effect under a Red Seal in his pocket, is exceedingly attentive and 

 most useful. 



The road descends steeply from the Goreh-mendong in a north-east 

 direction to the Jett, a rapid torrent which pours over a precepice of 

 whitish clay slate, and rushes to the Teesta ; we crossed it over bam- 

 boos laid from rock to rock, and afterwards continued to descend in the 

 same direction as before to the Num-moo, a larger feeder of the Teesta 

 than the last, which we crossed at half past 8 ; a mile more along a 

 flat terrace parallel to the Teesta brought us to the Bhalak ghaut of 

 the Teesta, where at 9 o'clock we crossed to the East Bank by a rick- 

 ety cane bridge suspended 30 feet above the water. The river is here 

 confined in a narrow channel of rock and pours down like a sluice of 

 dirty soap suds, so turbid is it from land slips in its upper course. 



* Artemisia. 



