Although the elevation is but 4,840 feet, the weather
was cold and raw, with rain at noon, followed by thunder
and lightning. These electrical disturbances are
frequent about midsummer and midwinter, prevailing
over many parts of India.
January 1 si, 1849.—The morning of the new year
was bright and beautiful, though much snow had fallen
on the mountains; and we left Sunnook for Pemiongchi,
situated on the summit of a lofty spur on the opposite
side of the Ratong.
The ascent to Pemiongchi was very steep, through
woods of oaks, chesnuts, and magnolias, but no tree-
fern, palms, Pothos, or plantain, which abound at this
elevation on the moister outer ranges of Sikkim. The
temple is large, eighty feet long, and in excellent order,
built upon the lofty terminal point of the great east
and west spur, that divides the Kulhait from the
Ratong and Rungbee rivers; and the great Changa-
ehelling temple and monastery stand on another eminence
of the same ridge, two miles further west.
The view of the snowy range from this temple is one
of the finest in Sikkim; the eye surveying at one glance
the vegetation of the Tropics and the Poles. Deep in
the valleys the river-beds are but 3000 feet above the
sea, and are choked with fig-trees, plantains, and
palms; to these succeed laurels and magnolias, and
still higher up, oaks, cheSnuts, birches, &c.; there is,
however, no marked line between the limits of these
two last forests, which form the prevailing arboreous
vegetation between 4000 and 10,000 feet, and give a
lurid hue to the mountains. Fir forests succeed for
2000 feet higher, when they give place to a skirting
of rhododendron and berberry. Among these appear
black naked rocks, between which are gulleys, down
which the snow now descended to 12,000 feet. The
mountain flanks are much more steep and rocky than
those at similar heights on the outer ranges, and cataracts
are very numerous, and of considerable height,
though small in volume.
Pemiongchi temple,* the most ancient in Sikkim, is
said to be 400 years old; it stands on a paved platform,
and is of the same form and general character
as those of Tassiding. Inside, it is most beautifully
decorated, especially the beams, columns, capitals and
architraves, but the designs are coarser than those of
Tassiding. The square end of every beam in the roof
is ornamented either with a lotus flower or with a
Tibetan character, in endless diversity of colour and
form, and the walls are completely covered with allegorical
paintings of Lamas and saints with glories round
their heads, mitred, and holding the doije and jewel.
The principal image is a large and hideous figure of
Sakya-thoba, in a recess under a blue silk canopy,
contrasting with a calm figure of the late Rajah, wearing
a cap and coronet.
Pemiongchi was once the capital of Sikkim, and
called the Sikkim Durbar: the Rajah’s residence was
on a curious flat to the south of the temple, and a few
hundred feet below it, where are the remains of (for
this country) extensive walls and buildings. During
the Nepal war, the Rajah was driven east across the
* See Frontispiece to this volume.