477 
1862 .] Journal of a trip in the SiJcIcim Himalaya. 
them. Dr. S. had inadvertently left behind a portion of his photo¬ 
graphic apparatus, this had been picked up by one of the monks 
who declined to restore it, unless he received a remuneration of 2 
Rs. Under the circumstances this demand was refused, and the man 
of holy orders peremptorily ordered to give it up, which he did, and 
never shewed his face again. This avariciousness was probably caused 
by seeing us pay liberally for every thing we required, a policy we 
strictly adopted from the commencement, and which secured us a 
ready and ample supply of every thing. The prices paid were—rice 
12 seers per rupee, fowls 8 annas each, milk 4 annas per bottle, eggs 
2 for an anna. 
Pemionchee is about 7000 feet high. The thermometer at sunrise 
stood at 45°. The weather was close and cloudy. Left at 9.30 A. M. 
and after a very rapid descent passed Gazing at 10.15, stopping a 
short time to photograph “ the Great Mendong” at that place. 
Reached the Kullait river at noon. After a long, rapid and fatiguing 
descent, we found the villagers and fishermen had erected a substan¬ 
tial bridge of bamboos about a mile below the weir since our former 
visit. Here we enjoyed a refreshing bathe in the clear cold waters of 
the Kullait, and washed clothes, and at 1 p. M. continued our journey 
up the northern spur of the Rinchingpoong hill, which has a much 
milder gradient than we had been accustomed to for some time past. 
At 2.15. halted for a quarter of an hour for luncheon at Soomtong, 
and reached Rinchingpoong at 4 p. M. ; but the coolies did not arrive 
until after dark, the march being fifteen or sixteen miles, and very 
fatiguing—the descent from Pemionchee to the Kullait being not 
less than 5,000 feet, and the ascent to Rinchingpoong about 3,600 
feet. We put up in the Llama’s house on the ridge of the hill, situ¬ 
ated in the midst of barley cultivation. The dwelling consists of one 
spacious room, in which was a miscellaneous family of men, women, 
maidens and children, none of whom were at all put out by our pre¬ 
sence, but sat round a large fire drinking tea, &c. Some sugar given 
to a man was handed round the family circle for each to taste, and 
some hot,brandy and water given to another man in the palm of his 
hand was in like manner handed round to each member to take a sip, 
after they had retired to rest. The hill tribes are particularly liberal 
and friendly towards each other, always sharing with their friends 
anything they may become possessed of. 
