OF SOUTH-EAST SIKKIM, 
839 
over for a time. Besides food, rugs and the specimens our only baggage 
was the small tent which I offered to abandon. But the men were in 
good heart and took everything, carrying the loads however without 
' kokuns ^ (side shoulder lines) and not using the ' numlor * (head-strap) . 
We went slowly over our pegs and notches of the previous day, the 
loads having to be passed piecemeal at * the more awkward places. By, 
noon we reached our ridge and still faced a dense mist and heard no 
sound of the northern Chakung Chu. Four of us climbed into a tall 
Rhododendron Hodgsoni and sat for nearly an hour waiting for a 
temporary clearing of the mist. Then for a few minutes we had a view 
which was both cheering and magnificent. Magnificent because in a 
terrific gorge was the junction of the two Chus and the united river 
going west, the whole shut in by three tremendous cliffs. Cheering 
because the belt of forest between us and the upper (north-east) Chakung 
Chu looked to be traversible as indeed it proved to be. The men ran 
down the steep forest slopes and camped quite happily a long way above 
the junction of the two streams. Before nightfall one of the men 
crossed on a fallen tree and found the remains of an old path on the 
other side. 
In the morning we had to wait some time to get the tent suflSciently 
thawed to fold up but got across the stream by 9 a. m. The slender 
path took us up to 18,000 feet where we lost it in the snow but not 
before we reached a peak where we could see the Tista river and 
Cheungtong bungalow as well as the whole country from Chakung Chu 
to Sandakphu. Two other paths were tried, both evidently tracks of the 
kustorah (muskdeer) hunters, but these also ended in a blank. As we 
were surrounded by snow and precipices we followed a small watercourse 
till we got clear of the snow and some time after dark found a rock 
which gave no shelter but was dry at the base. Here we piled up dead 
bamboos (Maling) for fuel and in the morning continued our way down. 
Another tract ended abruptly but by now we were near enough the 
Tista to cut our way to Tong bungalow. The forest here is full of leeches 
but a good botanizing ground. 
The men throughout behaved admirably and no permanent ill-effects 
resulted from their exertions.” 
Aspect of Alpine Flora in October. 
** The chief impression received during a tour in late October and 
early November along the Cho-La range was the rapidity with which 
the alpine vegetation prepared for winter.” 
Frost had already "scorched” the grass and most of the herbage. 
Annual plants were mere dry sticks. Almost the only green leaf was 
