BO O T A N .
A little beyond Gassa We were struck with a Wry singMar appearance.
A'breaffeh ^ ’tE fe^^site isotinMn di§e6veiM'd ihbst Bdaehlful
valley, which at once Surprised me hy its sudden hurst upon the view,
and forcibly diateS% dfesifewSpSpSI exarfiinafFon/ But the iintodgSh
chasm between prohibited the attempt ; yet 5 dOuid pbinly tfcaete the
practicability of climbing to it by a zig-zag narrow path. TligffleSm-
tains rose with steep aides, towering tb a prodigious altitude, arid
branching Into many heads. This, in particular, as if compressed,
and flattened about a third part of its height-, displayed a plain of
wide extent, covered with the finest turf, and intersected, as the
Booteeas informed-me, by a large brookand here, they. ;said, was
the favourite resort of the herdsmen with their droves, at this season
of the year. The PatchieU was now seen to shape its contorted course,
deep in the division between the-mountains, dashing from one sMeuf
the rock to -the other; sometimes pouring a smooth transparent body
over huge stones that lie across its course, and sometimes dashing a perfect
cataract. It seemed greatly diminished in size; but the numerous
currents that -flow down-every division of the mountain, and j oirii t in
its way, swell it, before it finds the bottom, into an immense torrent.
Travelling on, we inclined towards die right, and came to a sort
of break in the ascent; a hollow, formed by the coinciding slopes of
many heads of the mountain. We were met -here by the Lama of
Phari, who had advanced thus far, and pitched some tents for our
accommodation, which we entered about four o’clock; after a long and
tiresome ascent of: ten hours, though the distance we had travelled
was little more than twelve miles.
195
-Carpets and Cushions were* rpi^ced ('.tfeady; and we wore n o fe s
happy to meet .aur old aGquainthne'erthe 4ia®n;ai,-.'tha®i.i(feo ofithe
refreshments he. afforded us. We were presented with a profusion of
feesh riph milk, and >al*prepar abionu cailed, in :the..iangua'ge pf: India,
Dhy,. which isi miJk,lacidulated --by meaiijs! of buttermilk boiled,ia it, ,
and *kept,'till. dtps slightlyteo^alafted. ,^Ple^Munmtelofiithe>Ta(rtars is
mare’s milk'^pf spared -by. theisame^prooess ':' ('this.: is. sometimesidraedin
masses till tit resembles chalk; 'and>is u s e d ;gi¥&j^iralishfc-the water
which they drink;iby solution with it. Lhas/e bcen^tkil^hat^he operation.
qf dryiqgdVis sometimes performed’,by jtyihg tfj^dDhyrpiglrl:1 i®
'bags of doth, .and suspending it' under..their horses’-»bellies.,LtWe iiad
also; dried Suits,consisting, -of dates and sap^^ats^efeflittered'itea^as
not omittedln this repast, nor was.it indeed the'least a seep table part
ofiitpdor habif-Jiad.mot .only itendered this «composition^agraeaMe -to
our tastes, but experience mbit fully" proved; thay;warn®diq mds^aig all
times/ contribute to alleviate the*scnsatioh*of!fetigile. i was ftevorrmoip'
disposed to praise the .comfortable {practice oftihe- icbtmtoy, having
constantly-observed, that the first objeot-setf attention with' every man/
alihe end ofa long journey, is d^pi^ure^himsplf a-dasLiefifeyt
If you are expected, it is always prepared,'1 and*) Hfou^it^'tbtyou, the
moment y<lm arrive;,
While we were assembled in dh&'-tehts^-wb rdebat^''* 6nb@yr! futilite '
plan of proceeding: it W%s ^ length determini^%h^t^^lSm%*shoui4
proceed immediately to- Phari, to -prepare fforadur -a-rfiy^Ity -that Pbd-
rugnheer, with some others of tliej pai^y, should accompany him; (and
that we ourselves should move, on the following afternoon.'