266 S. C. Das— Travels on the Shores of Lake Yamdo-Croft. [No. 3, 
filled with scattered blocks of rock and boulders. The way, which 
threaded sometimes along the edge of the mountains and sometimes 
through the middle of the plain, was very rough. I therefore rode 
very carefully. The village of Talung (country of ponies), which has 
a hillock in its middle, from a distance presented a very imposing 
appearance. We arrived at this at 5 p.m. A castle-like monastery with 
painted windows and corner towers adorns its top. The village is large, 
containing upwards of two hundred houses, scattered over the flat. At 
the foot of the central hill there is another monastery belong¬ 
ing to Sakya. The barley-fields were all stony and evidently sterile. 
Far behind were the dok-pa sheds. The yaks of the place appeared 
to be of good breed and large size. The people, from the way 
they had cultivated the lands, seemed very industrious. This 
year’s crop had been much damaged by the frost and hailstorm of Sep¬ 
tember. The villagers refused us shelter in their houses, suspecting 
Phurchung to be a Duk-pa (Bhutanese). The Bhutanese are called 
Lhopa (the Southern) at this place, and are very much dreaded, 
as they often make raids on this place for plundering the villagers of 
their cattle and grain. The skies were filled with rain clouds, and a 
slight shower fell. After making fruitless negotiations for securing our 
night’s shelter under a roofed house, at last we came to the gate of the 
Sakvapa monastery, where many monks, the elders of the villages, 
and the villagers, including children and women, were standing in 
anxious expectation of the arrival of Je-tsun kusho of Sakya, who 
was just returning from a pilgrimage to Mon-chho-nag and other 
places of the South. The band was playing hautboys, drums, and 
the gigantic trumpets (called Dung-chhen) . Gopon (our guide) winked 
at us not to speak, so we kept quiet, while he conversed with 
the villagers and succeeded in convincing them that we were not 
Dukpas. A kind-hearted Gelong (monk) conducted us to the interior of 
the monastery compound through a lofty doorway. The hall through 
which we passed was about 18 feet wide and about 15 feet high. Here 
the spectators were drawn up in two rows, and the Lamas of the 
monastery, dressed in their church costumes, were present to receive 
their revered lady, Je-tsun kusho. The Gelong agreed to accommodate 
ns in the house of one of his friends. The namo (hostess), though very 
good-natured, still suspected us of being bad men from Bhutan, but 
being repeatedly assured by Gopon that we were not Bhutanese, she 
accommodated us in an out-house where ponies are halted, and furnished 
ns with good chhang (malt beer). The stall was far from being com¬ 
fortable ; but since leaving Gyan-tse I had been a stranger to comfort. 
Phurchung gave me a wretched meal. I slept well amidst the clamour 
of the religious service occasioned by the arrival of Je-tsun kusho. 
