meet either with a guide, or with some further obstruction
here, hut as none appeared, I proceeded onwards
as soon as the weather moderated.
Higher up, the banks are so steep as to allow of no
road, and the path ascends from the river, for nearly
4000 feet, to Lathiang village, up a wild, rocky torrent
that descends from Mainom.
From the village the view was superb, embracing the
tropical gulley, with the flat of Bhomsong deep in the
gorge, its bright rice-fields gleaming like an emerald
amid the dark vegetation that surrounded it; the Teesta
winding to the southward; the pine-clad rocky top of
Mainom to the south-west; the cone of Tendong far to
the so u th ; to the north, black mountains tipped with
snow; and to the east the magnificent snowy range of
~ Ohola, crowning the valley of the Ryott with a diadem
of frosted silver.
Descending to Grorh (4,100 feet), I was met by the
Lama of that district, a tall, disagreeable-looking fellow,
who informed me that the road ahead was impassable.
The day being spent, I was obliged to camp at any
r a te ; after which he visited me in full canonicals,
bringing me a handsome present, but assuring me that
he had no authority to let me advance. I treated him
with civility, and regretted my objects being so imperative,
and my orders so clear, that I was obliged
to proceed on the following morning ; on which he
abruptly decamped, as I suspected, in order to damage
the road and bridges. He came again at daylight,
and expostulated fu rth er; but finding it of no use, he
volunteered to accompany me, officiously offering me
the choice of two roads. I asked for the coolest,
knowing that it was useless to try and outwit him in
such matters. At the first stream the bridge was
destroyed, but seeing the planks peeping through the
bushes in which they had been concealed, I desired
the Lama to repair it, which he did without hesitation.
So it was at every point : the path was cumbered
with limbs of trees, crossing-stones were removed from
the streams, and all natural difficulties were increased.
I kept constantly telling the Lama that as he had
volunteered to show me the road, I felt sure he
intended to remove all obstacles, and accordingly I put
him to all the trouble I possibly could, which he took
with a very indifferent grace. When I arrived at the
swinging bridge across the Teesta, I found the canes
were loosened, and slips of bamboo, so small as nearly
to escape observation, were ingeniously placed low
down over the single bamboo that formed the footing,
intended to trip up the unwary passenger, and overturn
him into the river, which was deep, and with a
violent current. Whilst the Lama was cutting these,
one of my party found a charcoal writing on a tree,
announcing the speedy arrival from the Rajah of my
old guide, Meepo; and he shortly afterwards appeared,
with instructions to proceed with me, though not to
the Tibetan frontier. The lateness of the season, the
violence of the rains, and the fears, on the Rajah’s
part, of my coming to mischief through fever or
accident, were all urged to induce me to return, or at
least only to follow the west branch of the Teesta to
Kinchinjunga. These reasons failing, I was threatened