516 ROUTE FROM CATHMANDU, IN NEPAL, 



the river is erected a stone pillar, upon which is inscribed, in Nagri, " This 

 is the end of the Nepal territory ;" and upon the Bhote side of the stream 

 is a similar erection bearing the intimation, in Bhotiah, " Here begins 

 the territory of Bhote." From this river to Dum is seven cos, consisting 

 of continual ascents and descents as before. Dum is a village, contain- 

 ing about one hundred and fifty straw-built huts, tenanted by Bhotiahs. 

 At Dum, you can procure several sorts of woollen cloths, " punkhi," &c, 

 and yak-tails, and the wood called Zabiah, which is beautifully veined, 

 and used for making the little round cups out of which the people of 

 Bhote drink tea. 



9th Stage, of three cos, to ChocJesMng, half a cos from Dum. Travel- 

 ling along the shoulder of a mountain you come to a fearful spot, where 

 a passage of forty paces is effected by planks, only half a foot wide, laid 

 upon iron spikes, which are driven horizontally into the rock of a sheer 

 precipice — and which precipice is thus passed. This passage is called 

 " the Lamas iron road/' Thence proceeding a cos, you come to a village 

 called Sitdng and Kamshu. It consists of about twenty houses, tenanted 

 by Bhotiahs and a few Newdrs. At this place it rains more or less almost 

 constantly, (besides the periodical rains,) for which the following reason 

 is assigned. A Lama, called Kungla Tuba-lcu, had attained to such wis- 

 dom and moral excellence, that whatever he wished was instantly accom- 

 plished. Coming once to Sitdng, he could procure no water there, when he 

 betook himself to prayer — upon which a fount of water immediately sprang 

 upon the dry rock. There is now a tank at the spot, full offish. At the 

 Lama's intercession, it also began to rain — nor from that time to this has 

 the efficacy of the Lama's prayer failed to afford the place a perennial sup- 

 ply of rain and spring water. From Sitdng to Ckukshdm is another cos. 



10th Stage, of two cos, to Kutti. From Chukshdm, the road is level 

 all the way till you come to a small round mountain, which looks over 





