556 Notes upon a Tour in the SikJcim Simalayah Mountains. [No. 6, 



Having washed all the leeches off our legs, we started and as- 

 cended a very steep and rocky mountain, and at 4 p. m. halted at a 

 group of Lepcha huts named Eudhoo at an elevation of 6,517 feet. 

 We took possession of a Lepcha house, the owner of which was 

 absent. The view from this spot is very beautiful ; five thousand 

 feet below us the Kullait river, a mass of foam from its headlong 

 speed, was visible, looking both up and down the valley. Immediately 

 to the north of us and shutting out all view of the snowy range, 

 stood the imposing steep and rocky mountain Pemionchi ; magnificent 

 forests of oak, chesnut and walnut clothing its steep sides. Imme- 

 diately opposite to our house, we could see a fine cascade dashing 

 down one of the deep ravines in the face of the mountain. The 

 monasteries on the summit, the Cazi's village and residence near 

 the summit, the numerous deep dells and ravines with which the 

 sides of the mountain are indented, the distant mountains looking 

 towards the East, and Heeloo, over which we had travelled this 

 day, the little village of Hee overhanging the river — all combined 

 to form as pretty a picture as we could desire to look upon. The 

 Kullait river rises from the Singaleela range, flows between the Hee 

 and Pemionchi mountains in a valley with an average depth of 6,000 

 feet for twenty-four miles, when it falls into Eungeet. Every spur 

 descending from these two fine mountains has a separate name, and 

 the whole of them are cultivated up to 5,000 feet, or 1,500 feet 

 below where we stood, with rice, Indian-corn, and murrooa. 



The mountains in the valley of the Kullait are far more grand 

 and steep than any I have yet met with in the lower Himalayah. 

 Pemionchi is composed of a bright and glossy micaceous schist ; 

 Heeloo of gneiss. 



During this day's march, and as we were proceeding across a hill 

 torrent in a most orderly manner, a young merry Lepcha behind me 

 gave a loud scream, which seemed to electrify the whole of our 

 Lepchas ; down went bag and baggage from every shoulder, my 

 guide, who was dressed as a non-working man in scarlet and finery, 

 commenced most irreverently to strip off his finery, and to my hor- 

 ror almost threw my mountain Barometer into the nearest bush- 

 when he had stripped himself he dashed into the stream, and com- 

 menced diving his hands under every stone near him or thrusting a 



