ABORS AND GALONGS. 105 



We are now in a position to gauge the value of much of Kinthup's narrative, 

 and review it on the ground . 



On his journey down from Tibet in 1882 Kinthup reached the Tsanpo, in desper- 

 ately bad country, at Dorjiyu Dzong, where he found a monastery of 10 or 15 Lamas. 

 He then crossed to the left bank and went to Pango. "Here is the Tsenchuk Gompa 

 with 30 priests and an incarnate Lama." One mile on took him to Pangshing on its 

 plateau; after visiting Khing-Khing monastery (25 priests) he again crossed the 

 Tsanpo, to reach the considerable village of Tambu. A stiff climb brought him to 

 Richenpung whence he ascended to the pass. Returning to Tambu he again crossed 

 the Tsanpo cane bridge and reached Hora — a " 7 mile ' ' march from Tambu. Thence 

 to Marpung " 4 miles ' ' where he found a monastery with 30 Lamas and 15 nuns 

 living together. After certain adventures, not fond but prosaic, he came into Yar- 

 dong (Yortong), 30 houses and a monastery. There are now 19 dwelling houses exclud- 

 ing the monastic settlement on the top of the hill. He then crossed the stream l from 

 the Doshung La "about 2 miles," and ascended the hill to Pateng, crossed to Bi- 

 pung and Geling and then came back and returned to Lha-sa by the Doshung La. 



It was on his further wanderings that he returned to Bi-pung and travelled 

 down river through Dongsar, Pangodung, Korbo and Mayum towards the Abor 

 country. It appears from the second-hand account of his explorations that, alone, 

 is available that Korbo was a mixed village in the eighties. Allowing for lack 

 of education and the time that elapsed between his journeys and his narration of 

 them, Kinthup's account is accurate enough to warrant the belief that he got down 

 into the Simong Abor country, as he maintains. The question of course is how far 

 south did he actually get. The powerful Simong people bar the trade route down 

 the valley constituting themselves the middlemen for the trade, such as it is, that 

 filters through them ; and this is not a new policy. Travellers from Tibet are so few 

 and far between that one such visitor to Dalbuing about 30 years ago is still 

 remembered there, so I was told by the party that visited theMilang country. It is 

 within the bounds of possibility that this was Kinthup himself. As I have not my- 

 self visited the left bank above Geku it is not possible to express an opinion on the 

 southern portion of his itinery. The description down to Angging is accurate. That 

 the number of houses should be absurdly exaggerated, or that he should give 

 both Angi and Hanging (20 houses approximately for the latter being correct) ought 

 not to outweigh the credibility of his evidence as a whole. Jido and Ngamying we 

 know were established after his journey. I should not personally be able to recount 

 in their correct order with the number of the houses such hill villages as I have 

 visited during the last three years ; but Kinthup was exploring steadily for a longer 

 period and saw many villages. 



I do not think I have noted that chhortens, springs and trees near a village 

 are in this part of the valley decorated with bits of cotton wool and festooned with 



' The Pemasiri; formed by the four streams Pemasiri, Doshung, Budhatsiphak and Tangong, the Pemasiri being 

 the most northern and the Doshung the biggest of the four. 



