1830.] 
Visit to the Siccim Mountains. 
95 
of the marches, as well as the extraordinary loads they carried, it was moderate. 
A few bottles of brandy were given to put them in good humour, for they are ex- 
travagantly fond of spirits. Nor was the ambasador or the interpreter forgotten, 
and even the worthless Raja had a royal and sufficient share assigned to him, which 
the people promised to forward. 
On the 18th we left Samdong, after breakfast, commencing with a pretty good 
ascent up a lateral ridge, where the forest seemed a little more open, and from 
which we could distinctly trace the several ramifications of the mountain Sinchul 
plainward. The road we had come had proved by no means good, but it was ob- 
jectionable, still more from the nature of the country it passed through, and the 
impediments which occurred in every part of it. Of these the principal were the 
repeated fords over the BaMsan, which could not be expected to be passable in the 
• rainy season ; or indeed in any season after a heavy fall of rain. Every one who has 
lived for any time in a mountainous country, knows the sudden impetuosity which 
even insignificant rills will acquire from the effects of a pretty heavy shower; and 
that it requires a bridge for the passage of every stream, if a road is to be kept open 
all the year rouud. But even with bridges this road could not be kept open, 
as great part of it lies in the bed of the stream, and must be under water after 
every heavy fall of rain. Add to which, that during great part of the year a consi- 
derable portion of this road must be decidedly unhealthy. But a very unexception- 
able line of road is to be traced from the ridge above Samdong. One of the rami- 
fications of the mountain above-mentioned, exhibits a uniform ascent from the 
plains to its parent ridge, without break or valley to interfere; as far at least as we 
could distinguish : and with very few windings, fewer, in fact, than are found in the 
present road. So unexceptionable did the suggested line appear to us, that we could 
not help exclaiming against the apparent perverseness of the people, who will always 
(or at least had done so here) choose the worst possible direction in which to 
carry their roads ; not adverting to the fact, that in all half settled countries like 
this, roads must pass by the villages, however circuitous and otherwise objection- 
able the line be, from the necessity of having shelter and supplies at each stage. 
We both agreed however that if Ddfjfling is ever to become a place of resort, it will 
require some other means of access than the present ; and we saw no reason to 
doubt, either then or afterwards, the great superiority of the line which had recom- 
mended itself to us. 
The ascent from S&mdong to Tikri-bong is almost continued , and so steep as to be 
very fatiguing. The first part is partially cleared, with a solitary hut in one or two 
places, and an attempt at cultivation ; but the latter half is through a thick forest, 
frequently over a bed of decayed leaves. Soon after we set out it began to rain, and 
continued more or Jess heavily till we reached our halting place. This latter was 
a spot in the forest, where water was procurable. There were no huts, but our Lep- 
cha porters who had preceded us had erected a sort of wigwam of boughs of trees, 
the roof being covered with the smaller branches, which, however, did not constitute 
a very water-proof sort of house. But by putting up blankets in tbe inside we con- 
trived to shelter ourselves from the rain, which continued to fall nearly all night, 
though far from heavily. A platform had been erected for our beds, on which we 
slept pretty comfortably, in spite of the rain and cold wind. In fact, we took tbe 
precaution of lighting a blazing fire within the hut, on the earthen flour beyond our 
sleeping platform, and with our heads directed to this excellent companion and the 
blankets over head, we passed as comfortable a night as if we had been in a palace; 
and this in a place which, on a first view, appeared the most wretched and unpromis- 
ing l ever saw. Tbe elevation of Tikri-bong is 5559 feet, and the thermometer 
had sunk the following morning to 46°. 
19th. The morning was not more promising than the evening had been ; but as 
there was no inducement to remain where we were, we determined to push on in 
spite of the thick mantle of cloud which enveloped the whole of the mountain, and 
effectually concealed from us every object. The road lay along the summit of the 
ridge, through the same kind of forest as the preceding day ; the bed of decayed leaves 
rendering the path very disagreeable, and sometimes even dangerous. We bad a good 
deal of ascent, as may be judged by the elevation we attained, 8080 feet, being up- 
wards of 2000 feet above Tikree -bong. But we had much more than this ; for the 
most tedious part of the road was a series of ascents and descents, sometimes very 
steep, and over a road so bad that I think I have never seen in any part of the hills a 
worse. Yet I must say that it could, with a very small expenditure of means, have 
been made a very good one. After reaching the highest point we began to descend 
through a thick jungle, I will not call it forest, of the small bamboo, in which the 
