descent to the river. They were about a quarter of a
mile broad at the widest, and often narrower, and a
mile or so long; some parts of their surfaces and sides
were quite flat, and occasionally occupied by marshes
or ponds. Cultivation is almost confined to these spurs,
and is carried on both on their summits and steep
flanks: between every two is a very steep gulley and
water-course. The timber has long since been cleared
from the tops, but, to a great extent, still clothes their
flanks and the intervening gorges. I have been particular
in describing these spurs, because it is impossible
to survey them without ascribing their comparative
uniformity of level to the action of water. Similar
ones are characteristic features of the valleys of Sikkim
between 2000 and 8000 feet, and are rendered conspicuous
by being always chosen as sites for villages
and cultivation : the soil is a vegetable mould, over a
deep stratum of red clay.
I am far from supposing that any geologically recent
action of the sea has levelled these spurs; but as the
great chain of the Himalaya has risen from the ocean,
and as every part of it has been subjected to sea-action,
it is quite conceivable that intervals of rest during the
periods of elevation or submergence would effect their
levelling. In a mountain mass so tumbled as is that
of Sikkim, any level surface, or approach to it, demands
study; and when, as in the Kulhait valley, we find
several similar spurs with comparatively flat tops, occupying
about the same elevation, it is necessary to look
for some levelling cause. The action of denudation is
still progressing with astonishing rapidity, under an
annual fall of upwards of 100 inches of ra in ; but its
tendency is to obliterate all such phenomena, and to
give sharp, rugged outlines to these spurs, in spite of
the conservative effects of vegetation.
A letter from Dr. Campbell reached me three days
after my arrival, begging me to cross the country to
the Teesta river, and meet him at Bhomsong, on its
west bank : I therefore left on the 20th of December,
accompanied by my friend the Kajee, who was going to
pay his respects to the Rajah. He was followed by a
lad, carrying a bamboo of Murwa beer slung round his
neck, with which he kept himself always groggy. His
dress was thoroughly Lepcha, and highly picturesque,
consisting of a very broad-brimmed round-crowned
bamboo-platted hat, scarlet jacket, and blue-striped
cloth shirt, bare feet, long knife, bow and quiver, rings
and earrings, and a long pigtail. He spoke no Hin-
doostanee, but was very communicative through my
interpreters.
Crossing a torrent, we came to the next village, where
I was met by a deputation of women, sent by the Lamas
of Changachelling, bearing enormous loads of oranges,
rice, milk, butter, ghee, and the everflowing Murwa
beer.
The villagers had erected a shady bower for me of
leaves and branches, and had fitted up a little bamboo
stage, on which to squat cross-legged, or to hang my
legs from, if I preferred: after conducting me to this,
the parties advanced and piled their cumbrous presents
on the ground, bowed, and retired; they were succeeded
by the beer-carrier, who plunged a clean drinking-tube