CHAPTER XIII.
Raklang pass Uses of nettles—Edible plants—Lepcha war—Do-mani
stone—Neongong—Teesta valley—Pony, saddle, &c.—Meet Campbell
—Vegetation and scenery—Presents—Visit of Dewan—Characters of
Rajah and Dewan—Accounts of Tibet—Lhassa—Siling—1Tricks of
Dewan—Walk np Teesta—Audience of Rajah—Lamas— Kajees—
Tchebu Lama, his character and position—Effects of interview Heirapparent—
Dewan’s house—Guitar—Tibet officers—Gigantic trees—
Neongong lake—Mainom, ascent of—Vegetation—Camp on snow—
View from top—Kinchin, &c.—Vapours—Sunset effect—Temperature,
&c.—Lamas of Neongong—Temples—Religious festival—Bamboo,
flowering Recross pass of Raklang—Numerous temples, villages, &c.
—Domestic animals—Descent to Great Rungeet.
O n the following morning, after receiving the usual
presents from the Lamas of Dholing, and from a large
posse of women belonging to the village close by, I
ascended the Raklang pass, which crosses the range
dividing tke waters of the Teesta from those of the
Great Rungeet. The Kajee still kept beside me, and
proved a lively companion: seeing me continually
plucking and noting plants, he gave me much local
information about them. He told me the uses made of
the fibres of the various nettles; some being twisted for
bowstrings, others as thread for sewing and weaving ;
while many are eaten raw and in soups, especially the
numerous little succulent species. The great yellowflowered
Begonia was abundant, and he cut its juicy
stalks to make sauce (as we do apple-sauce) for some
pork which he expected to get at Bhomsong.; the taste
is acid and very pleasant. A large succulent fern,
called Botrychium, grew here plentifully; it is boiled
and eaten, both here and in New Zealand. Ferns are
more commonly used for food than is supposed. In
Calcutta the Hindoos boil the young tops of a Polypodium
with their shrimp curries; and both in Sikkim
and Nepal the watery tubers of an Aspidium are abundantly
eaten. So also the pulp of one tree-fern affords
food, but only in times of scarcity, as does that of another
species in New Zealand: the pith of all is composed of
a coarse sago.
A thick forest covers the summit, which is only 6,800
feet above the sea; it is a saddle, connecting the lofty
mountain of Mainom (alt. 11,000 feet) to the north,
with Tendong (alt. 8,663 feet) to the south. Both
these mountains are on a range continuous with Kin-
chinjunga, projecting from it down into the very heart
of * Sikkim. A considerable stand was made here by
the Lepchas during the Nepal war in 1787 ; they
defended the pass for some hours, and then retired
towards the Teesta, making a second stand lower down,
where rocks on either side gave them the same
advantages. The Nepalese, however, advanced to the
Teesta, and then retired with little loss.
Unfortunately a thick mist and heavy rain cut off all
view of the Teesta valley, and the mountains of Chola
to the eastward; which I much regretted.
Descending by a very steep, slippery path, I came