too bad, för üs to atteinpt'to it; After the usual compliments
of tea, trays of fruit Were introduced, and among them abundance of
ripe peadies.
r'Taking an early- dinner, we proposed'1 a! dong walk towards the
north. The hill of Wandipore is -completely cövèéèdwith a fitie even
turf: iAas a moderate acclivity; as it • increases in about
a mile and a half from the castle, where it joins the side of a very lofty
mountain. We istru^ledwsmne way -up itj hdt found the task'too
arduoustto attempt to reach its summit. It was-totally Vöidtof la%e
trees, but crowded with clusters of barberry bushes.
We discovered snowj oh Sunday the 6th of July, upon theahost
distant mountains towards the north; but the clouds hung about them,
and they were only a-short time visible. -In thé holloW below the
castle;1 on the eastern side, was a large garden ; a situation judiciously
chosen for its uncommonly fine shelter. We found' orange, citron,
pomegranate, peach, apple, and even mango® trees, thriving extremely
well. Of culinary vegetables, it boasted no great variety .' there were,
however*' cucumbers, banguna, chili ® ;* and it was much overrun: with
weeds. Though we varied our evenings walk, we saw few objects that
were not familiar to us. Having been so long accustomed to the noise
of rapid currents, and the view of lofty mountains, diversified with
populous villages, groves, and hermitages, the repetition of such-scenes
could impart to us no pleasure, which we had not already experienced.
On the north-east end of Wandipore hill, grew a cluster of tall fir
trees, that had ah extremely singular appearance not a single branch
e Mangifera. Solatium. e Capsicum annuum ; Linnai.
B O O T A N. 1SS
©j£ ttem(point^l)tawa?ds JSiieséast'j on,which stdefjaffit/getaidtllotpossibly
have rendered them, rypre eh^res; i,bta$*©:n tthh._c|i®%j^side, 11 ho-1 nan'dte'-#
grew with great vigom,;and^w.^:eha^bfihixuriaméiófihg'b!ii[1 Thivcurioirt
efFyctrespltedj.fijpm the peculiar pohfo,pnationicHïthöihi’lls; whijtti teowsi
a( ponstap.Jj jcurrent ofiwind with .great furyta’erass Aattfeörüè#. ' A pérJ
petual* hurricane , seems, to. prevail a t Wafeidipbfe; ’J'his 'Oharaqtbr'of
the situation; Would h a,\e loiccd it,sell uporitjoitt nbtrcL,> li.ul wSi-been'
less.particular anydur observations*; Wtconse^udttcdtoWJf^'dife^want
of shutters, or amybther provisioM.made'to-cxchid'e'it-fei'óiii'dur'apaft^
Orents. Toj supply this capital defectv'WeharnCaded't|^}^ri’dcw's<MnS'
bgkpniesof,our house,-with,coarse mats; iy@titt'#as with dilfiUrh w ?
could, keep a candle buining The wind still whistled jll'dolyTfhroN!gK,
■ qpiy malted fence,; andy aidedtby the,roaring pfthe ra-pi’dj^ivëiflbèlow,'
riyc^ledj injjipise^ the uproar and turbulence; °.C?iwind;lor^wafermdl,
whfetVigpjng in fullfotcfed vi
y-i^he; Raja, perceiving; that,his-business was likèlyi'tpddetain himi
longer than he had foreseen, and that, in consequence, he should BiM
obliged tp drop his design ofjyjUitmgTun&kka with ev lduat^ihUtiidc!
for our entertainment,; proposed to usi to go alone. We joy f fitly® closed
with the offer. It would haye -been, i acceptably, had we donsjdéred-it'
as affording an,e§§gpe< from the .multiplied evils ol our present uiioour-i
fortable quarters ; but it was particularly sotdj.mo,' as being, at* the;
same time, the^n^gst pleasing testimony*of,the Raja’s having totally?
thrown aside thatjealopsy and distrust,, winch Wejihac&beenjtaught
invariably to expect. As another instance of his'Libei al oonhdonGc;-
supposing that J plight not have,been,pr4pared, for:so long an absence.