568 A Journey through Sikim. [No. 7. 



the north-west of Samdong, and about 2 miles off. The Moraine 

 or rocky bed below the field of ice is about 3 miles long, and 300 to 

 400 feet high. It is composed of rocks and stones of all sizes loosely 

 huddled together, on the west side of this, and at the foot of the See- 

 boolah Pass, which leads to the Lachen Valley, is a deep lake, the drain- 

 age from which passes through the Moraine above noted, and issues at 

 the east side of it as a large stream. There is a hot spring close by, 

 which throws up air-bubbles from the bottom. Temp. 104° at noon ; 

 water quite clear ; it has a slightly sulphurous smell ; no deposit out- 

 side ; Temp, of the glacial steam 41° . 



A little lower down there is another hot spring; Temp. 116°; a 

 good water-cress growing round it. Some crystals of sulphur at exit 

 of spring from the rock — and silver dipped in the spring is turned 

 brown by the sulphuretted hydrogen. Both waters are in repute as hot 

 baths. A Lepcha of Hooker's — Chitoong — who lost a Thermometer near 

 the spring, was sent back from Yeumtang to search for it. He found 

 it not far off at dark, but could not return to us that night, and the 

 cold would have probably killed him, if he had lain down to sleep in the 

 open air. He stripped and lay comfortably in the hot bath all night. 



There is some good yak grazing at Samdong. The tsalor, faloo, and 

 other dwarf rhododendrons abound round it, and there is a plant very 

 like heather, abundant near the great glacier — an andromeda. The 

 descent of the valley for 3 miles is gradual — both sides are barren and 

 rocky, with scarcely anything on them, except dwarf rhododendrons. 

 This is succeeded for a short distance by some of the shrubby rhodo- 

 dendrons, and some dwarf junipers ; when quite suddenly at about 5 

 miles down, at the turning of a corner, a full mass of fine and varied 

 vegetation is displayed in trees, shrubs and herbs, affording a very 

 fine prospect. Among these are the Pinus Webbiana, large and smaller 

 junipers, willows, birches, barbereys, mountain-ash, roses, thistle, ho- 

 ney-suckle, primroses, asters, gentians, the chuka rhubarb, &c; and this 

 is the character of the valley all the way down to Yeumtang. Dis- 

 tance from Samdong 10 miles. A good riding road all the way along 

 the west bank for 5 miles, when we crossed by a wooden bridge, then 

 our road lay over 3 or 4 spurs abutting on the river, and at 2 miles 

 from Yeumtang it came on a flat expanse — old lake-bed — 2 miles 

 broad or so, which continued all the way to the village where the 



