524 ROUTE FROM CATHMANDU, IN NEPAL, 



devils, and doing other good works. On the following morn, they prepare 

 to return home, but before going make up five amulets for the Chief 

 Ruler of Lahassa, and his four subordinates, next in rank to himself — ■ 

 which charms being despatched, the Lamas set out, and reach Sdkya again 

 on the fifth day from their departure. 



21st Stage, of ten cos, to Chdrung. As before noted, you deviate 

 from the high road to go to Sdkya. A retrograde movement to the left, 

 of four cos, as far as Dunga Seta, brings you into the right road again. 

 Thence is a journey of six cos to Chdrung, the halting place. Charting is 

 a large village, or rather small town, to the east of which are nine tanks, 

 parallel to each other, and having their chief extent running north and 

 south. Between each tank is a small house for bathers to dress and 

 undress in. Each of the nine tanks has a different medicinal virtue and 

 colour, so that invalids coining to bathe, use that tank which is prescribed 

 for the particular case of each. For liberty to bathe, you pay about four 

 annas to the man having local charge, who is an officer of the Lahassa 

 Court. Hundreds of sick people annually resort to these tanks, and most 

 of them with the best results. The qualities of each tank are inscribed 

 on the face of it in stone. The horses of Chdrung are famous for their 

 spirit, and docility and strength of constitution. 



22d Stage, eight cos, to Ndtdn. Two cos in advance of Charting you 

 come to a river having a depth of water up to the chest, and a width of 

 about forty paces. On either bank of this river are several water-mills, 

 (Panchaki.) Beyond the river you pass through a level and cultivated 

 plain, six cos to Ndtdn — which is a large city, containing, it is said, three 

 hundred thousand souls, who are chiefly of the Lama caste. The city is 

 walled and has two gates, one to the east, called in Bhotia, Nhoku, and 

 the other to the west, styled Charku. 



