424 A Journey through Sikim. [No. 5. 



The road was very muddy all the way, and we had to toil through 

 peaty slush in many places more than ancle-high. The leeches were 

 most troublesome, half a dozen at a time fastening through the stock- 

 ings, and it often sickened me to see the bloody water bubbling through 

 my shoe laces as I toiled along. Peepsas and midges were all the 

 time busy at my hands and face. 



The course of the Teesta here is nearly east and west, and its bed 

 is now gorge-like the mountains on the north side being almost per- 

 pendicular, and on this side but little less abrupt. 



The Ramam is a large feeder from the north, and just below its 

 junction with the Teesta there is a cane suspension bridge ; above it is 

 the great landslip already noted and which recently carried a whole 

 village into the river. 



We met some excellent cows to-day, and I would have bought some, 

 but they could never get to Darjeeling, and until a road is made in this 

 direction the cattle of Rungoon must continue to die in the land of 

 their birth, for no cows could travel where we came along to-day. Ano- 

 ther day and no views of Kunchinjinga ; it cannot be helped, and I hope 

 for better skies as we return. I had however a glimpse of Lemteng 

 across the Teesta, it is a well cultivated mountain- side above the Run- 

 jung river. The road to the Taloong Pass goes through it. This pass 

 leads to Shanok in Thibet, a district of Digarchi. There is a little 

 trade across it, but the difficulties of effecting a passage are very great, 

 and the route is but rarely attempted. 



Chakoong, October 4th. 



Heavy rain again all last night, but it ceased by daylight, and at 

 6 o'clock we started ; passed " Namgah" at 8, and reached this at 

 noon. Thermometer at 8 p. m. 70°. Miangh is a place to be remem- 

 bered albeit not memorable ; my tent was soaking wet, there was no 

 village near, and I therefore had a hut built of long grass and plan- 

 tain leaves ; it defended me pretty well from the rain although it fell 

 in torrents ; but I was a prey in the day to Peepsas and all night to 

 fleas, bugs, musquitos and another creature more venomous than all 

 of them, a sort of gnat, the bites of which are greatly inflamed and in- 

 tolerably itchy. I am speckled purple all over from the industry of 

 these creatures, and my feet and ancles are swollen and very painful 

 from yesterday's leech bites. These animals, the leeches, I can, I 



