thickness; We; were conducted hither, on. our Entrance-, and
lodged by the commandant in a large and lofty apartment, in which
there were two or three loop holes towards the river, and on the other
side,'a projecting balcony: the flopr was boarded with thick planks
that were pretty well joined together.
, In a nation where no records are kept to perpetuate the memory of-
the achievements of genius, and in which the-minds of the people- are
remarkably prone to superstition, perhaps more than a century may
not be necessary, to. deify the author ofa great work. Thus it is, that
the bridge of Chuka is reckoned, to be of more than mortal production.
No less a being than the dewta’Tehuptehup could possibly have contrived
so curious a piece, of mechanism. Neither the origin nor the
history of this renowned Tehuptehup, can be traced with any degree of
certainty; but the works they assign to him, the road up the mountain
we lately passed, (many parts of which are held, it may be said, upon
- a precipice, by pins and cramps of iron uniting together, the stones
that form lit,): and the bridge at Chuka, do credit to a genius, who
deservedly ranks high upon the rolls of fame, and justly claims from
the inhabitants, decided tokens of respect and gratitude.-.;.: :.
At twelve o’clock, on Monday the 26th of May;.;we departed from
Chuka- The mountains in our way to Punugga, for .the distance of
about ten miles, were in some parts not so completely covered with
trees, as those we had passed, and we observed a'material change in
• the face of them, as well as in .the climate. The road side was covered
with strawberries, which ripen, and decay, unnoticed by the plodding '
peasant of Bootan, I could hot view them with the same apathy, but
dismountedj frdmnm^skSr&e', ’2nd, loitered*-away :tilfing:
the fepest from the-'banks.* T was m^h^pleased with.AenfecogtlitioA
o&jaahy well' known ;EBgIisftpl^tS,4nch:as-'dbdk,s;i'rfett^es,i primrose^
andsddg^bje,^t|sthe's'i';i w e r i d - full|btdp AJt.vTh^^j^bV'S
calf, brdught strongly to my- iniagin^tiibn^f.h’e^sbason: • an'd^'sifdaticaasi
in (Which I had formerly listen,edK,td^tha|^S^rj!ijffl.geri|p£Jsp®ing; and
thel -frarmonyfc,(||*• Variou» 1 wther biidsf*gavl3fe,additional force t0^th&
impression. W eriiow passed) onfe.‘o^th^numh,erIe^s|Ga«jqadesr,i wliioli}
rolling oYenmpssy* stones, se&k^Gonee^men^ihifthef-gf^^p^b'eJow. The
mountains here began to wear some inarksrof husbandwi .imt fcitilitgtj»
and many laige spaces ol grouud vvuccdrcssed loffif.'ultiv.ilibn,’.being
sesym.with different kinds of^grairt.. .
-Near Punugga -there was !a.^e?y fine crop ^barfey ialmostdk
ing: hdre too were the first'pine;ta^psJf^ 2 ^ seenfin,B(3bf)an;^soife^shcS^
and peach trees. The summits bf tfieUftmantains thp^/day ts> journey
were constantly conce'aiedi by themlouds? ’’ W & tPayeHed,the(%featest
part of.t|l(e,.way through tfiesh'dbu^aridi felt* the
It* was-five o’clock wheriJ we.'fc2foe^td^P{i^gga, *aSrytflkgbrM&^S^|^ a
hollow, and surrounded with., mountains for. the! ifidsfcpart; covered
with pines, along whose ;$ide&&l4pds. were^'etpetualfy (SMfeiSig.tv.a^t.er
the'sun had withdrawn it- became1 v^ryteold, and we Were* all»glad to
have recourse to a lively fire, made of theftiirpfentTn^>fi^?^Mhhte
ders of'this village, were many large ‘hettpsS I
was told, for the purpose of manuring e»-“:g r ' d r e ! heaped
together as they fall from the-fr^fesj and left>!to>Terrii,en't;'a,n‘d
which state they atfe d&teemed excellent-manure.-! •