the general features of which closely resemble those of
the narrow Swiss valleys. The west flank was lofty
and precipitous, with narrow gulleys still retaining the
winter’s snow; the east gradually sloped up to the two
snowy domes seen from Lachoong; the bed of the
valley was alternately a flat lake-bed, in which the river
meandered at the rate of three and a half miles an hour,
and a sudden descent, cumbered with old moraines,
over which it rushed in sheets of foam. Up the valley
Chango - Khang was visible, with a superb glacier
descending to about 14,000 feet on its south flank.
Enormous masses of rock were continually precipitated
from the west side, close to the shed in which I had
taken up my quarters, keeping my people in constant
alarm, and causing a great commotion among the yaks,
dogs, and ponies. On the opposite side of the river was
a deep gorge ; in which an immense glacier descended
lower than any I have seen in Sikkim. I made several
attempts to reach it by the gulley of its discharging
stream, but was always foiled by the rocks, and the
dense jungle of pines, rhododendron, and dwarf holly.
Some hot-springs burst from the bank of the Lachen
a mile below the village: they are used as baths, the
patient remaining three days at a time in them, only
retiring to eat in a little shed close by. The discharge
amounts to a few gallons per minute; the temperature
at the source is 112^°, and in the bath 106°. The
water has a slightly saline ta s te ; it is colourless, but
emits bubbles of sulphuretted hydrogen gas, blackening
silver. A cold spring (temperature 42°) emerged close
by, and the Lachoong, not ten yards off, was 47°.
The Singtam Soubah had been very sulky since
leaving Choongtam, and I could scarcely get a drop of
millc or a slice of curd here. I had to take him
to task severely for sanctioning the flogging of one of
my m en ; a huntsman, who had offered me his services
at Choongtam, and who was a civil, industrious fellow,
though he had procured me little besides a huge
monkey, which had nearly bitten off the head of his
best dog. I had made a point of consulting the
Soubah before hiring him, for fear of accidents; but
this did not screen him from the jealousy of the
Choongtam Lama, who twice flogged him. in the
Groompa with rattans (with the Soubah’s consent),
alleging that he had quitted his service for mine. My
people knew of this, but were afraid to tell me, which
the poor fellow did himself.
The Lachoong Phipun visited me on the 7th of
September : he had officiously been into Tibet to
hear what the Tibetan people would say to my going
to Donkia, and finding them supremely indifferent,
returned to be my guide. A month’s provision for ten
men having arrived from Dorjiling, I left Yeumtong
the following day for Momay Samdong, the loftiest
yak-grazing station in Sikkim, and within a few hours’
journey of the Donkia pass.
The valley was almost level for several miles, the
road continuing along the east bank of the Lachen.
Shoots of stones had descended from the ravines, all of
a white fine-grained granite, stained red with a minute
conferva, which has been taken by Himalayan travellers
for red snow; a phenomenon X never saw in Sikkim .