ROOTAN. 
131 
The castle of Wandipore, with its gilded canopy, is of equal anti¬ 
quity with the bridge; and both are said to have been erected by Lam’ 
Sobroo, about one hundred and forty years ago, when he hrst entered 
and possessed himself of Bootan. Nor did the conqueror of these re¬ 
gions, shew less judgment than good taste, in selecting Wandipore for 
the place of his principal residence: as it is a situation, both for strength 
and beauty, superior to every other that offered to his choice. Perhaps 
some objection might be made to the violent winds, which are drawn 
up the deep dells on every quarter, and urged furiously across the sur¬ 
face of the hill; but the strength of Wandipore is not lessened by the more 
lofty surrounding heights, which carry their high heads far distant, by 
• » 
gradual easy slopes, and contribute greatly to the majesty of the views. 
This is considered as one of the consecrated habitations of Bootan; 
and the Daeb Raja makes it a point to reside here some part of every 
year. It stands upon the southern extremity of the narrow end of a 
rocky hill, which is shaped like a wedge : the sides of the hill are 
washed by the Matchieu-Patchieu on the west, which runs in a swift 
smooth stream, and by the Taantchieu on the east, which rushes with 
much noise and agitation over a rocky bed; they both join at the base 
of the point, below the castle. This is an irregular, lofty building of 
stone, covering all the breadth of the rock, as far as it extends. The 
walls are high and solid: there is but one entrance in front, before 
which, there lies a large space of level ground, joined by an easy 
slope on the north-west, to the Punukka road. About an hundred 
yards in front of the castle rises a round tower, on an high eminence, 
perforated all round with loop holes, and supporting several projecting 
S 
