184 
BOOTAN. 
the valley, and when we rose in the morning, the tops of the moun¬ 
tains were covered with it. The harvest had been gathered in here, 
and we saw them thrashing out the grain, but not after the active 
example of the maids of Paro; for the straw was spread upon the 
ground, and a couple of oxen, driven round in a circle, trod it out. 
We travelled up a narrow valley, on Friday the 12th of September, 
between the mountains, near the river, which poured a perfect torrent, 
foaming violently among the huge masses of stone that obstructed its 
course. It was augmented by the way with many currents, flowing 
from the mountains on the right and left : the road was rocky, with 
a moderate but perceptible ascent. 
In our progress this day, we were presented with many beautiful and 
highly romantic views. The sides of the mountains thinly cloathed 
with unthrifty pines, the rapid flow, and hollow roar of the river, 
partly concealed by clustering trees, enclosed in high verdant banks, 
which rose, as they receded, into bold bare rocks, with here and there 
a hr starting from a crevice, while other ridges appeared completely 
covered with them, served altogether to combine the most striking fea¬ 
tures of wild nature, in her barren, as well as her most luxuriant dress. 
It was past noon when we arrived at Sana, eleven miles from Bukka- 
jeung, and the last village in Bootan. It consisted of about ten houses ; 
and we were welcomed to the best of them, by a brisk landlady, with 
a round fat face and little black eyes, who suffered no want to remain 
unsatisfied, which her interest and activity could gratify. Our room was 
hung with military accoutrements, martial caps, and the cane-coiled 
shield, with quivers, bows and arrows; all ol which seemed to have 
