of carriage for our baggage, and our servants also began to require
rest, after travelling over a country so difficult and rugged as that we
had passed.
Murichom consists.of about twenty houses, in their structure much
superior to any I had yet seen in Bootan. They ace huHf of stone,
with day as cement, of a square form; and the walls narrotving from
the foundations to the top. The roof is supported clear of the walls,
has a very low pitch, and is composed of fir boards, placed depgtlH
ways on cross beams and joists of hr, and confined, by-large ^ca3f |
laid upon the top. The lower part of the house ac<jfTOW?date^;hogSi
cows?»- and Other animals. The family occupies
they ascend by a ladder, composed of one hdf of a split fir tree; into
the, flat side pf which, rude holes are cut at properdistaacestuserve
afcsteps,, . ,
The flpojs are boarded and the doors double * they turn <pvpiyp»,s< •
and shut against ah upright post in the middle .pf the dooiTvay- f Tbo
rooms are lofty, and there is commonly, on one or two sides,& projecting
balcony for the admission oflight and air, whicjh.aJlards also a pleasant
place to sit gya The space between the cqiling of the upper apartmeh^and
the roof, is used for a granary or store-room, and selves fin: a,repository,
of fire wood, and other lumber. The village is situated op the top oCthe
mountain, crowned with an.extensive space of level ground. This was.
covered with a rich verdure; and on its borders were many ancient
spreading pepul0 trees., peaches, and willows. From our windows we
could behold much cultivated land, covered with different softs of
c Ficus ipdjca, L in n a i.
grain; rising-with, an Casy,§sfm#jrtand bounded! by thick, woods;
Several cottages .were in^rspersed .oyerithe coFi^fl^ds. It is, to he
remarked, that the hhsbandrncn 'herd- leye-hihe ground fho^Xultivate
on the sides of the hills,' by*i^u£|;i^ig}ijtj.ip shelves, .and, forming,beds of
such a size as th&.jslope will admit;- and :th|$e',beds being -bordered
with a low mound of earth, the waier^may be* rein ed on .them, or let
off, i& will. Having heard that - there was cinnamon growing in-this
f neighbourhood,,, f-sent a native into the wopd's to;\ea>reft*after the tree;
he returned to me within half ...an hour, with a'great quabfifey both of
its roots, and ■ Branches.,.,Jfsfyalne, is^ell ktapw-njn.fthis ‘TOuritry, and
df is used both for culinary and medicinal. pTafppses.. ■ Its. leaves ar'e
much’used in cookery in Bengal, and knownjfoy the .-denomination of
Teezpaut. It appears urfoe, that ‘the jejimamton-fin tthis" species' is .the
.rind-ofthe root .only,, the bark .of the-tree h'avingyditffo for she.'spicy
flavour; but the plant being neither .in |%^®m.mor* bearing^fruit, it
was, impossible, to. pronounce'",, whether it-were the true cinnamon,: or
that inferior kind termed' ellsiari f L leaf,"however,' corresponded
with the description given, o£;the, true cinnairfoa^iy Jannaeus.
We, gathered^ strawberries .a^dyraspberrie^ ,in th.#^ds#iqre,. and
%spd peach trees in-great abundance^ all laden .with firaik$,(y
T cannot quit JNfurichom, without. taking^Uotice ,of{one' remarkable
antiquity.;, if. was an old woman; who wa^almpst ^deprived of; all
her strength and faculties, by,age. I never ^heldfin ,a human being
marks of age so strong:, she sat in,the sum all day'; dbe.'skin of/her
face was drawn-inte^innumerable wrinkles/;! her arms, were almost
iirely devoid ©Mesh, the bones", being covered with a skin, which by B R