36 
B O O TA N. 
chess, cards, and backgammon. He introduced a paper divided into 
squares, and played upon it with one of his people at a game appa¬ 
rently not very intricate. He then produced another paper, with a 
number of variously coloured circles filled with writing; but the de¬ 
sign of this, was not clear. Before he left us, I mentioned to him my 
great anxiety to proceed on my journey, and my disappointment at 
being subjected to so much delay; I urged also my apprehensions that 
we should experience much difficulty and inconvenience from the ap¬ 
proaching rains. He said a great deal, to justify himself from the sus¬ 
picion of wilfully detaining us : he said that the Daeb would be highly 
displeased with him, if he did not obey my commands, and do every 
thing in his power to accommodate us; that in the mountains near 
Buxadewar there were but few villages, and those utterly unable to fur¬ 
nish the number of people I required; he added, that the inhabitants in 
the valley on the Bengal side were unable to carry burdens, and travel 
up such steep ascents : in fine, he preached up patience to me; telling 
me he had written to the Raja on the subject, and expected his answer 
within four or five days. 
I ascended a very steep hill on Friday the 16 th ol May, (for the 
country exhibits nothing else) the south side of which was cleared of 
trees for cultivation: there was a good deal of black mould upon it, sus¬ 
tained by the stumps of trees and projecting roots. We saw many 
spots of land cleared in the same manner, on the surrounding emi¬ 
nences; which, in general, seemed to produce thriving crops of barley 
and wheat, and a small grain of which they make a fermented liquor 
to drink. In the afternoon we penetrated into the thickest part of the 
