1855.] Notes on Eastern Thibet. 225 



Seasons. 



The year is divided into four Seasons. First Chid, or early Spring, 

 February, March and April. Second Teuh, or Spring proper, May, 

 June and July. Third Tirrh, or Rains, August, September and 

 October. Fourth Grunh, or Winter, November, December and Janu- 

 ary. Some showers and southerly winds occur in Chid. In Teuh, 

 it is temperate and dry, but showers, thunder and lightning* occa- 

 sionally prevail. In Tirrh, there is constant but not heavy rain and 

 hail in September and October. Frost begins early in November 

 and increases all through the winter. Heavy falls of snow are 

 rare except on the mountains. 



Soils. 



Only three kinds of soil are recognized ; a blackish one, a reddish 

 one which is described as rather clayey, and a greyish coloured one, 

 which is also clayey and contains a good deal of sand. The last 

 is found along the beds of streams and yields good crops. The 

 reddish soil is also fertile ; it frequently contains gravel and stones ; 

 it is the prevailing soil in the tract called Dingcham, which extends 

 along the northern face of the great Himalayan chain from Tawang 

 to Keroong, but this region is quite barren. Mean elevation 16,000 

 feet at least. The blackish soil most abounds in the districts or 

 provinces of IT and Chang ; it is the most fertile of all, but also con- 

 tains stones and gravel. 



The fertility of the culturable soil is highly spoken of, and 40 to 

 50 fold in wheat is considered the average. Crops are generally 

 very certain, and blights or other accidents rare. Early frost some- 

 times overtakes the harvest and spoils the grain, when the grass is 

 at the same time burnt up, and this causes scarcity and famine. It 

 is then the granaries are opened, and the corn-merchants make their 

 fortunes. There is no interference with the price of grain. It is 

 always dear compared with India, but varies considerably ; and the 

 principal cause of scarcity appears to be the early setting in of 



* In 1845, a great earthquake was experienced in the Province of Kham north- 

 east of Lassa. It was most severe in the district of the Dirgi Raja. About 3,000 

 men were killed, and a Goomba destroyed by the opening of the earth. 



About 20 years ago, the district of Kompo in the Province of Kham was visited 

 by a severe shock ; one village was destroyed by the opening of the ground. 



2 G 2 



