1898.] S. C. Das — Travels on the Shores of Lake Yamdo-Croft. 
265 
Large numbers of swans, the largest species of the crane kind, come 
here in summer and autumn and lay eggs, some of which are as large 
as a turkey’s egg, in the sands and in the crevices of rocks near the 
banks. During the rainy season sounds resembling those of a falling 
avalanche, or what are called “ Barisal guns,” are heard from Samding 
and the neighbouring places to come out of the smaller lake in conse¬ 
quence of which it is called Dumo-tsho—the lake of the demon. 
2. Journey on the shores of Lake Yamdo-Croft (Palti). 
On the 23rd of October (1882) on my way to the ancient monastery 
of Sam-yea, I revisited the place called Dsara tsan-chhur (the nook 
of the genii), so called on account of its being a hiding place of robbers 
who waylay travellers. Passing it with feelings of dread and danger, 
we entered into the tortuous winding of a rugged and gloomy valley, 
which passed, we began to see light as the glen widened. We then got 
a peep into the table-land of Nangar-tse and descried the famous 
monastery of Samding, the late scene of my sufferings. Its white 
walls and sombre roofs could be distinctly seen At about 10 a m., we 
arrived at the solitary village of "Rhingla. Formerly when Rhingla 
was prosperous, a branch monastery of Samding existed here. It 
is now in ruins with the exception of a chhorten. There are two or 
three families here who make pottery. We cooked our breakfast in the 
house of an old potter of 70 whose two sons were engaged in turning 
pots. They employed a concave wooden pan, on which pots were 
turned by being twirled with the hand. During the rotation of the 
pan with the pot the potter shaped the latter with a wooden knife, and 
sometimes with his fingers. After breakfast we resumed our journey. 
Crossing the Dsara chhur which rising from Kharula empties itself in 
the Yamdo lake we ascended along the gentle slopes of a hill to take 
the road to Talung. 
The contrast between the elevated and the lower platform of this 
lake country is most striking. The latter, which extended up to the 
margin of the lake, being covered with an extensive carpet of deep 
verdure, afforded refreshment to the eye, while the former, the abodes 
only of vultures and kites, was of a most repulsive and inhospitable 
aspect. The inlets of the Yamdo lake from this side were also 
numerous. We passed by a walled enclosure, adjoining which there 
were some ruins. We were told that this enclosure was solely used as 
a pony market, and that the annual pony fair of Talung formerly used 
to be held here. There were many dok sheds, now deserted, probably 
owing to the shepherds and herdsmen having retired to more fertile 
parts of the country. We now found ourselves in a gravelly plain 
J. i. 34 
