The country now began- to openi;the Tehintchite ran: with less
rapidity* over a more even ted of groiand, watering;’a: most beautiful
naratiw vafey,;m whhfo imt a -spot of landiaoS'ai^pjb^^^iTIteigr;
labour merited a more grateful soil, for I never saw lands cleaner, or
tetter dressed. Heaps of manure in every field, at proper distances:,
lay ready ,to fee ,scattered amongst iMe corn; yet with all their care the.
crops were thin, running much to straw. In addition to this, the bareness
;of the hills, and the diminutive size of the pines, were evident
indications ofan unkindly soil.
The road, however, improved; and we seemed to have conquered:
the enormous mountains and craggyJs.teeps, which were now reduced
to moderate hills, with gradual and easy slopes. Traces of winter yet
remained;, and upon some of those hills that were near to us, there was
much unmelted snow.__
Leaving Wangoica, -we continued our course, on-Sunday the 1st of
June, through the same kind of verdant valley, intersected by the river,
as we had travelled through the day before; Upon our right, on .the
summit of a lofty mountain, we saw an extensive monastery above
Symtoka, and soon after, at the end of a valley, on our left, another
mountain, whose top was covered with snow. We crossed a substantial
and elevated wooden bridge over the Tehintchieu, six miles' from
Wangoka, where the bed was a rocky descent,, and the stream, of
course, extremely rapid. At the distance of two miles, Tassisudonnow
opened to our view, situated in a valley, which I compute to be about
three miles in length, and one in breadth, lying north and "south ;
the Tehintchieu running through it. We were conducted to a house
lying ^tethe^northward' ©Lthei palace* and.afeno^feat distance from it,
sièuatedk.on an emineiaee higbate^e 'di^iv^r? which unis on fbe other
side of a narrow road, *tK$s winds toundithe base of fehè^tt
" j Opposite, andnofdialf ^ bowshot pil) there. is|f^ wÊÊk goqd covered
f teidgê'aï^®, the Tehintchieu, anthhom our »qjuunent, we had an
extensive view, both up /and down the iVaHey; »which is in-a high
state of cultiyatiq^i. beasijigjyarieus kinds of grain,,, and, d-iVersifiedtbv'
clusters of‘housesT here,is-ho regular town, nor-any village, within
a mile of the palace. dUpoma fow>hi$, .laboqt a . milekdijstant from
us towards the south, is sefcn the palace^)| LamH-fi'h^s^tohvi'and^ at
- somewhat more than the same distance westwards, higHly^teJëvared
upon the ridge of a mountain, stands ^whkidsomedy^l^;bpl<mgmgiyto
Lam’ ilimbachasy. The banks of thé river are-lifted with willows,-and
the surrounding mountains have 'söme timber irê’e s intermixed- with
the fif and pine, as wfeflfa&r a great Variety of flowering shrubs-;- whilst
a number of single houses, and -somermonaxterfoS^-fwteiftg^Qrehatds
and Langingdields of corn aboufcthem, ornament dtedfinely romantic
views, with which we were delighted'froni every ^aitictfthis'-vaiibyk»