296 THE SECOND HIMALAYAN JOUENEY 
valley to the drying sheds and rescued the plants from the 
marauders. Next morning, he tells Sir William (July 5) : 
Sure enough, as I was sitting drawing on my bed, with 
a cup of tea on one side, it was ' Jenny Lass wha's coming ! ' 
and all the ' wild Macraws ' were wending up the glen. 
Twenty of the most uncouth barbarians you ever set eyes 
on gathered at the mouth of my tent, dressed in scanty, 
tattered blanket kirtles, with long knives, long brass pipes, 
and long matted hair, bare-legged and bare-headed ; they 
reminded me most forcibly of Scott's tales. I scarcely 
deigned to lift my head and look at them, but let them 
gather as they pleased, and then sent to ask what they 
wanted here. ' To speak to the Sahib.' I said they must 
report to me who they individually were, which they refused 
to do yesterday, and only gave insolence to my Sirdars. 
It tm'ned out that every man was a Sikkim Bhotea and the 
Thibetans had all run away the previous night ! I then 
sent word to the head man, that he must send every one 
of his rag-tag and bobtail away, or I would not speak to 
him either. This he did with some trouble, as a few were 
contumacious, and when he came to my tent I took him 
roundly to task for frightening my people, detaining my 
things, and giving insolence. Having rated him soundly, 
and taken all his answers down on a big sheet of paper, I 
sent him about his business, and have seen no more of the 
Bhoteas since ! Can you fancy such fools ! If you give 
in an inch it is all up ; if you get the upper hand an inch, 
you may bully and swagger and knock them down like 
ninepins. 
Intimidation having failed, dilatoiy tactics were renewed. 
On the return to the bridge at Zemu Sandong on July 1 
letters arrived from Campbell and from the Tchebu Lama; 
conveying the Eajah's orders to the Phipmi that he should 
aid the party. Three days later the Singtam Soubah arrived 
as conductor, with more commendatory letters and presents 
for Hooker from the Eajah. His secret business, however, 
was to starve the white man out, and though, after certain 
supplies arrived on the 11th, he led Hooker the following 
day one more march up the Lachen to the village of Tallum, 
