season is shorter, and the sun shines so much more
frequently between the heavy showers, that the apple
and other fruits are brought to a much better state.
The rain-gauge may show as great a fall there, but this
is no measure of the humidity of the atmosphere, and
still less so of the amount of the sun’s direct light and
heat intercepted by aqueous vapour, for that instrument
takes no account of the quantity of moisture
suspended in the air, nor of the depositions from fogs,
which are far more fatal to the perfecting of fruits than
the heaviest brief showers.
The Indian climate, where it is marked by one
season of excessive humidity and the other of excessive
drought, can never be favourable to the production
either of good European or tropical fruits. For this
reason not one of the latter is peculiar to the country,
and perhaps but one which arrives at full perfection;
namely, the mango. The plantains, oranges, and pine-
apples are less abundant, of inferior kinds, and remain
a shorter season in perfection than they do in South
America, the West Indies, or Western Africa.
CHAPTER VII.
Continue the ascent of Tonglo—Trees—Lepcha construction of hut—Simsi-
bong—Climbing-trees—Frogs—1Ticks—Leeches—Summit of Tonglo—
Rhododendrons—Yew—Rose—Aconite—Bikh poison—English genera
of plants—Ascent of tropical orders—Comparison with south temperate
zone—Heavy rain—Temperature, &c.—Descent—Simonbong temple—
Furniture therein—Praying-cyliuder—Thigh-bone trumpet—Morning
orisons—Present of Murwa beer, &c.
A bo v e Simonbong, the path up Tonglo is little
frequented, although it is one of the many routes
between Nepal and Sikkim, which cross the Singalelah
spur of Kinchinjunga at various elevations between
7000 and 15,000 feet. As usual, the track runs along
steep and narrow ridges, wherever these are to be
found, through deep humid forests of oaks and
Magnolias, many laurels, and a species of cinnamon,
ascending to 8,500 feet. Chesnut and walnut here
appeared, with some leguminous trees, which however
did not ascend to 6000 feet. Scarlet flowers of an
epiphytical Vaccinium, were strewed about, and the
great blossoms of Rhododendron Dalhousice and of a
Magnolia lay together on the ground. The latter forms
a tree, with very dense foliage, and shining deep green
leaves, a foot to eighteen inches long. Mosi of its
flowers drop unexpanded from the tree, and diffuse a
n 3