22 
CLIMATE AND VEGETATION OF THE HIMALAYAS. 
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tlie village buried in snow, and its inhabitants fled to the nearest villages in Nepal. It was impossible 
to cross Singalelah from here, as this could only be done at a height of 18,000 feet, so that no choice 
remained but to go down the valley S. W., and to seek the first village, which we reached on the 
third day in great need. 
My object was now to find the way back to Sikkim. We went on southward, crossing eveiy 
lateral branch of the Singalelah, at last to Derr (?), where we found a long deserted road by which 
the Ghoorkhas had penetrated many years before in then’ devastating inroad into Sikkim. Provisions 
were very scanty, but we managed to obtain Pice for five days. A road opening through the jungle, 
we reached with great difficulty on the third day the summit of the chain, at a height of 11,000 feet, 
and descended in a mighty snow-storm to the western tributaries of the Teesta, or Great Punjeet 
river. From here I went over the Great Punjeet, (3,000 feet,) and the south eastern spur of the 
Kanchain to the Teesta, where the bed of this river is about 2.000 feet high, and where I met the 
Pajah and my good friend Dr. Campbell, the political resident in Daijeeling. It was a real pleasure 
to chat with him after so long an absence. He had come here by a way never before traversed. 
The Pajah did not receive us very civilly; and he had thrown every possible obstacle in the way 
of Dr. CampbelTs affairs. His poor court was altogether Lhassaic, and aped the Chinese dignity; 
though in a very contemptible manner. 
I heard much that was new about the plains of Thibet from his followers. Poutes toward Lhassa, 
and from there to the north, north-west, and west, all agree to show that the Yarou (Dzangbo) is the 
Brahmaputra. The Vine actually grows at Lhassa, and that is warm for a Thibet climate. Pice is cul¬ 
tivated in the eastern provinces of Thibet; the Mulberry, with the silkworm, and a species of Tea 
plant, is certainly found on this side of the Peling chain. 
Dr. Campbell returned with me to the Great Punjeet Paver; we were two days on mountains of 
12,000 feet, during the journey. On the Great Punjeet we visited the Lama monastery, drew, and des¬ 
cribed all that was remarkable about it, and obtained much interesting information from the Lamas, 
who were hospitable and polite, and much venerated by all people, they possess large property inland.* 
Dr. Campbell was obliged to return from here, southward to Darjeeling, while I, full of the desire to 
visit the south side of Kanchain, turned toward the north. 
After many days difficult travelling, through an almost impassable country, I pitched my tent at an 
elevation of 14,000 feet, on a steep and naked ridge, on the slopes of the great mountain covered with 
snow, and everywhere exhibiting abundant evidences of great glacial floods, which had once washed 
all before them. The earth was frozen to a depth of sixteen inches ; but a thermometer which was 
sunk to a depth of two feet six inches, stood considerably higher (than the freezing point.) I hoped to 
be able to stay here a week; but, after three days’ observations, the snow fell so powerfully that we 
were obliged to prepare hastily for a return ; this was in the middle of January; it required two days 
of great effort to descend into the valley at the foot of the mountain. 
Then, returning by a different route, I visited the sacred Lake of Sikkim, and had the testimony of 
my own eyes, of the simple worship of the Buddhists. From there I proceeded to the oldest monastery 
in Sikkim, where I passed some days in the society of the monks, and finally returned to Darjeeling. 
This entire journey was through a land which has never been explored before; and, though I am a 
capital walker, I did not advance daily 5 on an average, more than five miles in a straight line, i. e., not 
much more than an horn’s journey, though three miles were passed over every horn, and I was five 
or six hours on the road every day. 
I made meteorological observations hourly from sun-rise to 9 or 10 A.M., and from sun-set to 10 
p.m. During my days of rest they correspond, with the exception of a few interpolations, with simul¬ 
taneous observations in Calcutta and Darjeeling. Two barometers that I had with me proved excellent, 
and some of the results of the warmth of the air and the temperature of the mountain streams, as well 
as of a thermometer, which was sunk two feet six inches into the soil at many stations, at the level of 
* The entire population consists of Bhotliias; but we find a 
great distinction between races of Bhot; for they are, I. Proper 
Thibetians—Trans-Himalayan—in numerous races; and II. Cis- 
Himalayans—Bhothias, who recognise their trans-Himalayan 
origin; and there are 1. Salt merchants of Nepal, living at ele¬ 
vations of from 7 to 1-4,000 feet; 2. Sikkim Bhothias, who are 
agriculturists, and never reside above 6,000 feet; and 3. Lamas, 
who immigrate from Thibet, and furnish the sacerdotal order of 
Sikkim. Beyond these, the Bhotan nations towards the west 
(Bhotan is “Lho” or “Lhop”), are ignorant of the name Bho¬ 
tan, (end of Bhote.) “ Durma people ” is the usual denomina¬ 
tion. These are totallv different in character from all the 
others; and, bad as my Coolies (bearers) were, many of the 
former were the most unmanageable, base, and selfish cowards 
I have ever met with. 
We have also in Sikkim a population of Mongolian derivation : 
in the first place 1. Lepchas, a charming, simple, and attractive 
people, who dwell at elevations of from 3,000 to 6,000 feet, but 
never remain long in one place; and, who, worse than the Bho- 
tians, are devoted to demon-worship, and speak a wholly peculiar 
dialect; then 2. Covehs, and 3. Mechi, both in Terai, who bid 
defiance to the fever of this district; further, 4. Huioos, 5. Ge- 
roings, 6. Murmis, and 7. Limbos, who properly belong to 
Nepal. 
