» 7 apartment, I, co^4 :|sei |ja, |i-Qnt, the road that leads to Bootau
and Bengal; on my right, the roads to JLuddauk and (Jashpieer; to the
wi|^s of load, copper, eimiabar, and gold; and also .by Tingri Meidah.
to Nipal left^aiMbe mads to Lassa andChina; on the noifh
is situated the territory of Taranaut Lama, - bordering upon Russia,
and Siberia, and whose influence more especially extends over the
Kihnauks,or hordes of Qabnuc.-TartaKs,
, gjj&§ abruptness with which the hills rise 'from tbfeplain 1« very m s
markable; they are-all of a rocky teature, of the ^^^rioCrMyriron ,
and are easily shivered by the efiectsof the weather, into little riibfoi;
pieces, small enough to be moved about by. strong winds, whjtcfr co n sequently
spread them abroad, and soon produce a level at their/bases.
Their summits have the appearance of being scarped, or surrounded
by a perpendicular parapet. No vegetation seems at'this season, to
contribute to clothe them-
.Their singular conformation gives rise, to an inconvenience, which,
during .the dry months of the year, from October to May, or the
greatest paid of that time, must prove an extreme annoyance Ip . the neighbouring
inhabitants. These are vortexes] of wind, that are incessantly
elevating large columns of dust from the surface of the ground, in different
parts of the plain, which circling in lofty spires, till they attain
the altitude, of the hills, then seem-to dissipate, and disperse, themselves
in the. air. Nothing else obscures the extreme purity of the atmosphere;
from the dawn of light till darkness, not a vapour intercepts the sight,
to the most distant edge of the horizon. It is a clearness bordering
upon brilliancy, which dazzles and fatigues the. eye.
, The! rockfef rTelhfeP’Loorfl|3^©t ispjy-dar the! loftiest ‘of all tha-t?ape*in
its neighbourhood.. - In ‘the ^dde^^|Bsisofi•’of, the, “year, the mofiastegy,
which is «tinted near.its basepisj^ski^end'd'' by^lfrotn tthe violence .of
the nprth-west winds £ though at die same tune, as, the sun has southern
declination, it enjoys ,ad1tbe'|l|ngflts d^iteygeniaLwarmth, Upon this
ro,ckf at feast on rffese parts of it which ^(e^the, most favourable
aspect-,, I found the spaptyfirethainss of 5o$J.et [weakly,1 vegetation, and a.
little low brufhwqod,'sufift®ije^t'tO(;tempt.g’few.vagi^^tjdeSrj WbichT
occasionally saw bounding about its, spmtoit. i
I took an opportunity to^s^end^ho.^o.tfebuftm^oxpectat-iofn« Were
by no means realized by the view I-had from.it. Bare,narrow;v alley, s,
naked hills,, Mid a biting frosty .ah,-, impressed my senses, with 3 picture
inhospitable, bleak, and sterile in tMex-treme.'! $t- ;aH®tfrer »season Ahp
impression might probably have'been! different. At'the period which
I describe, the whole face of nature in Tibet, had decidedly-assumed the
-character and habit of deep winter: the-treestwere bare offeli^ge; and
the tops of the loftiest hills, clothed with snow-
From the Summit of thi$ rooky the ’eye.commands' a very «^tensive
prospect, aS it towers high above all the ^hm-eminences, jin'it§ vicinity.
Yet no -striking fraces of -population can be distinguished, though, I
am informed that there are conside^abffef^ettlemcnts,. and.. thaLth?
inhabitants crowd into hollow recesses^-and'place ttemsefyes upon the
sidesTSfhllhy in IshutitioBs, attractive frOm'Bhe^shdtfj-jdiey afford*-as
well as from their advantageous aspect. .
From hence, I had the satisfaction to observe, ofljthe northern side,
at the base of the Irdofc, rrivef;