abundant crops of ripe com, and iexceedingly populous. The? nH£
merous clustering villages, consisting of front four to ten.neat square
bouses, their whitened walls, interspersed here and there with willows,
and the river • winding, amongst them, were all together happily contrasted
with the stiff sterility of the adjacent hills. The weather was
clear and serene; and, although-the sun shone with its brightest lustre,
its warmtb, even at noon, was not uncomfortable. ,
About this time we had arrived at Dongzee, a large village, under
the jurisdiction of an officer from Lassa; and we halted in an extensive
grove-upon its borders, where we found some tents already pitched.
While we waited here to refresh Our cattle, we made an ample repast;
that gave us fresh spirits to pursue our journey, which we continued,
without any remarkable occurrence, until near sunset, when we arrived
at Dukque, sixteen miles from Tehukku, and pitched ourtentsufer
the night.
Our next day’s journey lay within sight of the river» all the way?
which ran in a smooth stream, sometimes round- the foot of the- hills,
and sometimes through the centre of the valley, but it was now no
longer fordable. I saw a boat, placed on its end, in one of th£f villages,
for occasional use, which might easily be carried on the back of the
passenger. It was composed chiefly of leather, and consisted of a rude
skeleton of wood, with thwarts and ribs, over which a bull’s hide was
stretched. It appeared to be exactly similar to that kind of boat, which,
under the name of coricle*, still continues in .use on the Wye, and perhaps
on some other, of our.English rivers; and it brought forcibly to
* See Beloe’s Herodotus, Vol. I . p. 195. .
my' recollesrionytthe Sp^pWant use’to dhidhr applied this
'rude’Jand simple dnV&ntion bftour’Bi*tisht'anceSt6ri^jM
Hav-hagi travelled^ abdtttiterif miles^t we rteasmHMU/, ^yv^bf Paindm
Gasfcle, with its square*' &dt?fomi^wwersj lofliJyysituated. upon -a’ per-
ijpiendic\daW-rocic,' washedubpthe'i rive;», whichiflowst at* its? faotrv^he
Tibetians’iinvariably .place. their ,s6rong»building^ upon teljfeksthese
constitutetHfee base of; everyv fortress,* andSutLOstffojipMft monasteries
rest upon the same foundation. I dcfenotrufaTiie'mb'cUfUv Ifhe- scent a*
single edifice ol sliuigth or importance, that was not situated Upon-
as rock. - ;
yo A t the 1 (foot 4 of Painom, oVecttHe brQades1iV'pa,ri< 6^the t river*,pwas
constructed. &;idng‘ bridge, upon nine piers of v^rjft rude juncture*.
Thet press were Composed of rough-,'staqe^,i)vuthout^esmen;t'^but;Ho
hold tKemktogether, l'arge'trees,,:with .their.'roots- and; branches,> had
beeir. inserted ;f and, some'of them weres vegetatiri‘ga-,,Slight»,bea®ialof
timberiwe're laid from pier to; piter; and upon! them large-flat’‘„stlinosi.
were lQoSdy..pIycedj that.tiltdd and'rattled vyhen;trodfiapq^l and this;
I ftai, is a specimen of theii best biidges iruTl ibet-' r Many ot - them
were extremely dangerous to pass oyer. The, town lay, top; the s'oiitb-
Wpm of the;.castle, ati theubasef of'the rock, and dome of the houses
extended even tefcthe foot, of the»bridgea&-,’$
As we turned shore to the left, trailing, due West,, upon our.',right»,
was1 seen; under-1 as range of! rocks*,i >a. very, Gdnriderable;;’ mmrasteryi.,
endowed by Bajai Lama; and, about two.milesifarthfertoq“; was'just
visible^ peeping through the midst of some fall’ trees,,1 aykrgo,white
11 De Bello ciYiltyft livs»