566 A Journey through Sikim. [No. 7. 



The descent from the Pass on the Sikim side is steep and rocky 

 like the north side. The top of the Pass is 800 or 1000 feet above 

 Cholamoo Lake, something less perhaps above the Lachoong lakes. 

 On descending into Sikim — 800 feet or so — the change from Thibet is 

 already apparent. Instead of the red colour and friable structure of 

 the Thibet hills, and the sandy soil of its downs tinged yellow with 

 scorched grass and a few herbs, we find grey gneiss with a black peaty 

 soil, and vegetation still alive, although now browned with winter tints. 

 Instead of a clear sky, bright sun and dry atmosphere, we had, a 

 couple of miles down the valley, a thick mist and heavy clouds upon 

 the mountains ; — vegetation increased gradually as we came along ; 

 first it was composed of grass and sedges only, then the dwarf rhodo- 

 dendrons appeared, and increased as we came down until it quite 

 covered the hills about Sarndong road — good enough for ponies — from 

 the Lachoong Lake. There is one hut built of stone partially roofed 

 with boards at Sarndong, and no other habitation or shelter. We 

 pitched a tent for ourselves, leaving the hut for our people. 



October 20th. 



Momay Sarndong, elevation 16,000 feet. "We halt here to-day, to 

 allow our people to recover from their head-aches and the other dis- 

 tressing symptoms produced by travelling at our late high elevations, 

 and by the great cold they have been exposed to. Nurkoo, a Lepcha 

 of mine, was so ill yesterday at Cholamoo that I feared for his life. 

 He had the worst symptoms of apoplexy without a thumping pulse, 

 and could with difficulty be roused to consciousness. I was afraid to 

 bleed him, but a large dose of jalap helped to do him good, I think, 

 for although he was carried over the Pass, thereby ascending 800 feet 

 more, he was lively when he reached this ; but still he had an excru- 

 ciating head-ache. As I came down the Pass I had to rouse up four 

 coolies who lay on their knees and faces in great pain with head-aches, 

 and to force them to move. This position was much preferred to any 

 other by all the sufferers, who were so listless and sick that if left 

 alone they would not, I believe, have ever moved from where they lay. 

 Although I am subject to severe head-aches under ordinary circum- 

 stances, I have escaped them wonderfully here. Rapidity of breath- 

 ing in all positions and oppression under exercise is all I have felt 

 since leaving Tungu ; but I have ridden wherever I could, and this 



