We were awakened at daylight by the discordant
orisons of the Lama; these commenced by the boys
beating the great tambourine, then blowing the conch-
shells, and finally the trumpets and thigh-bone. Shortly
afterwards the Lama entered, clad in scarlet, shorn
and barefooted, wearing a small red silk mitre, a loose
gown girt round the middle, and an under-garment of
questionable colour, possibly once purple. He walked
along, slowly muttering his prayers, to the end of the
apartment, whence he took a brass bell and dorge, and,
sitting down cross-legged, commenced matins, counting
his beads, ringing the bell, and uttering most dismal
prayers. After various disposals of the cups, a larger
bell was violently rung for some minutes, himself snapping
his fingers and uttering most unearthly sounds.
Finally, incense was brought, of charcoal with juniper-
spiigs; it was swung about, and concluded the morning
service; to our great relief, for the noises were quite intolerable.
Fervid as the devotions appeared, to judge
by their intonation, I fear the Lama felt more curious
about us than was proper under the circumstances ;
and when I tried to sketch him, his excitement knew
no bounds; he fairly turned round on the settee,
and, continuing his prayers and bell-accompaniment,
appeared to be exorcising me, or some spirit within me.
After breakfast the Lama came to visit us, bringing
rice, a few vegetables, and a large bamboo-work bowl,
thickly varnished with india-rubber, and waterproof,
containing half-fermented millet. This mixture, called
Murwa, is invariably offered to the traveller, either in
the state of fermented grain, or more commonly in a
bamboo jug, filled up with warm water ; when thè fluid,
sucked through a reed, affords a refreshing drink; He
gratefully accepted a few rupees and trifles which we
had to spare.
Leaving Simonbong, we descended to the Little
Rungeet, where the heat of the valley was very great ;
80° at noon, and that of the stream 69°; the latter was
an agreeable temperature for the coolies, who plunged,
teeming with perspiration, into the water, catching fish
with their hands. We reached Dorjiling late in the
evening, again drenched with rain ; our people imprudently
remaining for the night in the valley. Owing
probably as much to the great exposure they had lately
gone through, as to the sudden transition from a mean
temperature of 50° in a bracing wind, to a hot close
jungly valley at 75°, no fewer than seven were laid up
with fever and ague.
I t is always interesting to roam with an aboriginal,
and especially a mountain people, through their thinly
inhabited valleys, over their grand mountains, and to
dwell alone with them in their gloomy and forbidding
forests; and no thinking man can do so without
learning much, however slender be the means at his
command for communion. A more interesting and
attractive companion than the Lepcha I never lived
with : cheerful, kind, and patient with a master to whom
he is attached ; rude but not savage, ignorant and yet
intelligent ; with the simple resource of a plain knife he
makes his house and furnishes yours, with a speed,
alacrity, and ingenuity that wile away that well-known
long hour when the weary pilgrim frets for his couch.