5/4 A Journey through Sikim. [No. 7. 



" Mani Padma Hum," in large letters, was printed on the drums, 

 and all visitors repeat this universal prayer, while they remain at the 

 mane. 



There was a well-cut image on stone of Goraknath in one of the 

 huts. From these manes we ascended the open grassy spur on which 

 the monastery stands, and proceeded along a narrow ridge for a mile ; 

 then along the north-west bank of the Tunkala stream, and 1,000 feet, 

 above it, through open pasture land varied by clumps of Rhododen- 

 drons and larch ; a profusion of ornamental plants occupied the open 

 spaces, — prim-roses, asters, lily of the valley, euphorbia, hypericum, 

 &c. &c. The bottom of the valley on both sides of the Tunkala was 

 a dense and noble forest of larch, Pinus Webbiana, Pinus Brunoniana 

 and Pinus Kuthrow. Passing through the pasture-land and still as- 

 cending, we came upon the forest which was formed here of numerous 

 species of the tree rhododendrons, Webbiana-pine, maple, birch, 

 mountain-ash, rose, hawthorn, barberry, the small Chinese bamboo, 

 &c. The Webbiana and Brunoniana pines were the finest I have ever 

 seen. Some of the former measured 25 feet in girth, with a clear 

 stem of 60 feet. Its handsome leaves of a damson-blue colour strewed 

 the ground ; a purple dye is made from them, which is said to be fast. 



About 4 p. m. it became cloudy and we returned ; our coolies laden 

 with seeds and seedlings. 



We purchased three good skins of the kiang of Thibet to-day, a 

 male, female, and young one, and sent them to Doctor O'Shaughnessy 

 at Darjeeling for the Asiatic Society's Museum. The men who sold 

 them were Thibetan hunters. People who live by hunting in Thibet 

 are called " Hurpo ;" they are very numerous ; they eat the kiang, and 

 all other animals, use the gun, make their own powder, and are good 

 marksmen : they cultivate and graze sheep occasionally ; but live most- 

 ly by the chase. 



October 26th. 



Marched to Kedoom. Started at 10 a. m. and arrived at 3 p. m. 

 Road runs on west bank of Lachoong river, and is good for ponies, 

 half the distance it lies at first over open grassy spurs, and through 

 intervening hollows in which pines, junipers and larches are disap- 

 pearing, and oaks, tree rhododendrons, magnolias and laurels are 

 increasing rapidly. At Teemoo — a grassy slope 2 miles long and half 

 way — the pines cease along the road, but the sides of the valley for 



