188 



JOURNEY ACROSS MOUNTAINS. Chap. IX. 



Our beds and the few necessaries we had brought 

 with us being packed up, we loaded our coolies 

 and bade adieu to the temple of the Snowy Yalley. 

 I have already stated that the valley is estimated 

 at about 2000 feet above the level of the sea. 

 Leaving it by a narrow road on its northern side, 

 we began to ascend another pass, which led us 

 nearly up to the top of the highest mountain-range, 

 and which cannot be less than 3000 feet in height. 

 For several miles our view was entirely bounded 

 on all sides by hills varying in height and form. 

 Every now and then our road led us down into a 

 narrow valley, out of which we had to climb again 

 to the top of another hill of the same elevation as 

 the preceding. 



These mountains were but thinly populated ; 

 but wherever the soil was at all fertile we found 

 little clusters of farm-houses, whose inhabitants 

 seemed much surprised at our appearance as we 

 passed along. With their wonted politeness and 

 hospitality, they pressed us to enter their houses 

 and partake of the only beverage they had to offer 

 us, which was tea. The tea-bushes were noticed 

 growing plentifully on many of the hill-sides ; but 

 the produce in this part of the country is entirely 

 used by the natives themselves, and not made up 

 for the foreign market. Wheat and barley, with 

 various other green crops, are cultivated in winter 

 and reaped in spring or during the early summer 

 months. The summer crops consist of sweet pota- 

 toes, two kinds of millet, one of buckwheat, and 



