Himalayan Journals, vol 2 | Page 9

that the Rajah had sent me a guide, and
now attempted to pass himself off as my friend, pompously charging
Meepo with the care of me, and bidding me a very polite farewell. I
could not help telling him civilly, but plainly, what I thought of him;
and so we parted.
Meepo was very glad to join my party again: he is a thorough Lepcha
in heart, a great friend of his Rajah and of Tchebu Lama, and one who
both fears and hates the Dewan. He assured me of the Rajah's good
wishes and intentions, but spoke with great doubt as to the probability
of a successful issue to my journey: he was himself ignorant of the road,
but had brought a guide, whose appearance, however, was against him,
and who turned out to be sent as a spy on us both.
Instead of crossing the Teesta here, we kept on for two days up its west

bank, to a cane bridge at Lingo, where the bed of the river is still only
2000 feet above the sea, though 45 miles distant from the plains, and
flowing in a valley bounded by mountains 12,000 to 16,000 feet high.
The heat was oppressive, from the closeness of the atmosphere, the
great power of the sun, now high at noon-day, and the reflection from
the rocks. Leeches began to swarm as the damp increased, and stinging
flies of various kinds. My clothes were drenched with perspiration
during five hours of every day, and the crystallising salt irritated the
skin. On sitting down to rest, I was overcome with languor and sleep,
and, but for the copious supply of fresh water everywhere, travelling
would have been intolerable. The Coolies were all but naked, and were
constantly plunging into the pools of the rivers; for, though filthy in
their persons, they revel in cold water in summer. They are powerful
swimmers, and will stem a very strong current, striking out with each
arm alternately. It is an animated sight when twenty or thirty of these
swarthy children of nature are disporting their muscular figures in the
water, diving after large fish, and sometimes catching them by tickling
them under the stones.
Of plants I found few not common at similar elevations below
Dorjiling, except another kind of Tree-fern,* [_Alsophila spinulosa,_
the "Pugjik" of the Lepchas, who eat the soft watery pith: it is abundant
in East Bengal and the Peninsula of India. The other Sikkim Tree-fern,
_A. gigantea,_ is far more common from the level of the plains to 6,500
elevation, and is found as far south as Java.] whose pith is eaten in
times of scarcity. The India-rubber fig penetrates thus far amongst the
mountains, but is of small size. A Gentian, _Arenaria,_ and some
sub-alpine plants are met with, though the elevation is only 2000 feet,
and the whole climate thoroughly tropical: they were annuals usually
found at 7000 to 10,000 feet elevation, and were growing here on
mossy rocks, cooled by the spray of the river, whose temperature was
only 56.3 degrees. My servant having severely sprained his wrist by a
fall, the Lepchas wanted to apply a moxa, which they do by lighting a
piece of puff-ball, or Nepal paper that burns like tinder, laying it on the
skin, and blowing it till a large open sore is produced: they shook their
heads at my treatment, which consisted in transferring some of the
leeches from our persons to the inflamed part.

After crossing the Teesta by the cane bridge of Lingo, our route lay
over a steep and lofty spur, round which the river makes a great sweep.
On the ascent of this ridge we passed large villages on flats cultivated
with buckwheat. The saddle is 5,500 feet high, and thence a rapid
descent leads to the village of Singtam, which faces the north, and is
300 feet lower, and 3000 feet above the river, which is here no longer
called the Teesta, but is known as the Lachen-Lachoong, from its
double origin in the rivers of these names, which unite at Choongtam,
twenty miles higher up. Of these, the source of the Lachen is in the
Cholamoo lakes in Tibet; while the Lachoong rises on the south flank
of Donkia mountain, both many marches north of my present position.
At Singtam the Lacben-Lachoong runs westward, till joined by the Rihi
from the north, and the Rinoong from the west, after receiving which it
assumes the name of Teesta: of these affluents, the Rinoong is the
largest, and drains the south-east face of Kinchinjunga and Pundim, and
the north of Nursing: all which mountains are seen to the
north-north-west of Singtam. The Rinoong valley is cultivated for
several miles up, and has amongst others the village and Lamasery of
Bah. Beyond