4S 
BOOTAN. 
thirteen miles, by a rough and rocky road, the ascents and descents of 
which, in general, were too sudden to admit of a regular slope; but 
theTangun horses are accustomed to stone steps, and scramble with 
wonderful facility over disjointed rocks, and up the steepest precipices. 
On these, as well as the preceding mountains, the traveller frequently 
finds water conducted to the road side, from distant springs through 
hollow bamboos, with which he will seldom fail to allay his thirst; 
but the Booteea generally adopts the precaution of previously straining 
the water, for fear of meeting with leeches, or with any other of the 
various kinds of insects that harbour among trees, or are generated by 
the putrescent vegetable matter, which covers the surface of the rock 
beneath their shade. Nor must I omit to mention the safer and more 
delicious fountain, to which the wary Booteea most commonly has 
recourse. This is a hollow buffalo’s horn, adapted by straps to be slung 
across the shoulder, and of considerable capacity, which the prudent tra¬ 
veller takes daily care to fill with a new and fiery spirit, such as is here 
promiscuously extracted from any sort of grain, and called an a. I could 
never partake with them in their ardent draughts ; but when I became 
accustomed to travelling among these mountains, 1 learnt to replenish 
my horn with chong , which, being slightly acid, was a grateful liquor; 
and when wearied with struggling against acclivities, and panting for 
breath, it not unfrequently gave gladness to the parched palate of many 
a thirsty passenger. 
In the course of this day’s march, we passed by a wooden bridge 
across a large stream, which came tumbling down, fataract over cata¬ 
ract, from the top of a lofty mountain. We stopped at the village 
