FIKST OBSTEUCTION 293 
offering the choice of two roads. Hooker, all politeness, asked 
for the coolest, and at every obstruction, assured him that as 
he had volunteered to show the road, it was clear he meant to 
removal all obstacles, ' and accordingly I put him to all the 
trouble I possibly could, which he took with a very indifferent 
grace,' until fully discomfited by the arrival of the faithful 
Meepo with the Eajah's authority to proceed. Unfortunately 
the latter had never travelled the road, so that they were at 
the mercy of the guide he had brought with him, who was but 
a spy on both. 
At Singtam, where he reduced his party by sending back 
the escort, he was delayed a day by the Soubah or governor, of 
whom he was to have much experience later, on the pretext 
of collecting food, which never arrived, and at Choongtam, 
where the Lachen and Lachoong join to form the Teesta, a 
full week. The motive was clear. 
The Rajah hopes, by throwing his Guide and party 
upon my resources, that he shall starve me into going away, 
and he has also followed up this scheme by sending a foolish 
old ofi&cial to frighten my people ; but the poor man cannot 
bear any degree of ridicule, and between laughing at his 
menaces and treating him with all kindness, I have fairly 
won his heart. I pay most liberally for everything I 
get; I give large presents to the Authorities and to the 
Ck)nvents ; every day I heal the sick who come to me for 
advice and medicine ; and nobody has received even a 
hard word from me, except in reply to the insolence of the 
Rajah. 
It was more serious that the convoys bringing the promised 
supplies from Darjiling for the men, who required no less 
than 80 lbs, of rice per diem, were very late in coming, and 
when they arrived, brought only enough for eight days. That 
Campbell should not have fulfilled his promise of sending 
supphes regularly seemed at first incomprehensible, but it 
turned out that after the rains had begun on the 10th, the 
Dewan had taken care to leave the roads unrepaired ; the 
journey was lengthened and the carriers had to consume part 
of Hooker's supplies as well as their own. Here, then, he stayed 
VOL. I u 
