518 ROUTE FROM CATHMANDU, IN NEPAL, 



12th Stage, often and a half cos, to Yelum-thungla. Half a cos in 

 advance of Yir-lib, you arrive at the base of a. huge mountain called 

 Yelum-thungla, the ascent of which is five cos, and the descent as much. 

 The snow never melts on this mountain, and the wind is so violent that the 

 IBhotias are wont to say, that ' he who never wept for his father would 

 weep here.' Yaks, and mules, and sheep, alone can pass this mountain, 

 and they only by having the snow strewn with ashes to prevent their 

 slipping. To pass the mountain costs a long day's march, and you reach 

 the base of it late at night, and there halt. 



13th Stage, of five cos, to Tingri. From Yelum-thungla forwards, a 

 fine verdant plain, enamelled with beautiful flowers, extends for the length 

 of two cos. Over the above noted plain scour vast numbers of fleet ani- 

 mals resembling the mule, and called by the Bhotias, King. At the 

 extremity of the plain lies the village Langur, tenanted by Bhotias, and 

 consisting of seven or eight houses. Without the village is a river with 

 depth of water up to a man's chest, and about twenty paces wide. It 

 flows from the direction of Zung-shehar, which is towards the east, and 

 then taking a northern direction to Kerung, at length reaches Digarchi. 



The traveller's passports are examined at Langur. Passing out of the 

 village across the river, the country is equally level and verdant, as on the 

 hither side of it — and like it is well peopled and cultivated— a character 

 which the road maintains to the end of the stage at Tingri. Tingri is a 

 respectable town of Bhotias — and in the centre of it is an elevated and 

 detached spot, wherein dwell a considerable number of Chinese. At 

 Tingri commences a line of post, maintained by horses, and stretching via 

 Digarchi and Lahassa to China. The winter is intensely cold at Tingri. 

 The periodical rains extend there, and are sometimes unusually severe, so 

 that it rains incessantly for a week. The common food of the people is a 

 mixture composed of iSatu of barley, and butter, and tea. It is eaten in a 



