precipices rendered it impossible to proceed: but
though exposed to the north, there was no perpetual
snow in the ordinary acceptation of the term, and an
arctic European lichen (Lecidea oreina) grew on the top,
so faintly discolouring the rocks as hardly to be
detected without a magnifying-glass.
I descended obliquely, down a very steep slope, over
upwards of a thousand feet of débris, the blocks
on which were so loosely poised on one another, that it
was necessary to proceed with the utmost circumspection,
for I was alone, and a false step would almost
certainly have been followed by breaking a leg. The
alternate freezing and thawing of rain amongst these
masses, must produce a constant downward motion in
the whole pile of débris (which was upwards of 2000
feet high), and may account for the otherwise unexplained
phenomenon of continuous shoots of angular
rocks reposing on very gentle slopes in other places.
The north ascent to the Donkia pass is by a path
well selected amongst immense angular masses of
rock, and over vast piles of débris. I arrived at the
top at 3 p .m ., thoroughly fatigued, and found two of
my faithful Lepcha lads nestling under a rock with my
theodolite and barometers, having been awaiting my
arrival in the biting wind for three hours. My pony
stood there too, the picture of patience, and laden with
minerals. After repeating my observations, I proceeded
to Momay Samdong, where I arrived after dusk. I
left a small bottle of brandy and some biscuits with
the lads, and it was well I did so, for the pony knocked
up before reaching Momay, and rather than leave
my bags of stones, they passed the night by the warm
flank of the beast, under a rock at 18,000 feet elevation,
without other food, fire, or shelter.
I found my companion encamped at Momay, on the
spot I had occupied in September; he had had the
utmost difficulty in getting his coolies on, as they
threw down their light loads in despair, and lying with
their faces to the ground, had to be roused from a
lethargy that would soon have been followed by death.
We rested for a day at Momay, and on the 20th/
attempted to ascend to the Donkia glacier, but were
driven back by a heavy snow-storm. The scenery
presented a wide difference to that we had le ft; snow
lying at 16,500 feet, whereas immediately to the
north of the same mountain there was none at 19,000
feet.W
e descended to Yeumtong in a cold drizzle,
arriving by sunset and remained through the following
day, hoping to explore the lower glacier, on the
opposite side of the valley; which, however, the
weather entirely prevented. I have before mentioned
that in descending in autumn from the drier and more
sunny rearward Sikkim valleys, the vegetation is found
to be most backward in the lowest and dampest
regions. On this occasion, I found asters, grasses,
polygonums, and other plants that were withered,
brown, and seeding at Momay (14,000 to 15,000 feet),
at Yeumtong (12,000 feet) green and unripe; and
2000 feet lower still, at Lachoong, the contrast was
even more marked. Thus the short backward spring
and summer of the Arctic zone are overtaken by an