Books: Himalayan Journals (Complete)

J >> J. D. Hooker >> Himalayan Journals (Complete)

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Illustration--DO-MANI STONE.

The rocks and peaks of Mainom are said to overhang the descent here
with grandeur; but the continued rain hid everything but a curious
shivered peak, apparently of chlorite schist, which was close by, and
reflected a green colour it is of course reported to be of turquoise,
and inaccessible. Descending, the rocks became more micaceous, with
broad seams of pipe-clay, originating in decomposed beds of
felspathic gneiss: the natives used this to whitewash and mortar
their temples.

I passed the monastery of Neongong, the monks of which were building
a new temple; and came to bring me a large present. Below it is a
pretty little lake, about 100 yards across, fringed with brushwood.
We camped at the village of Nampok, 4,370 feet above the sea; all
thoroughly sodden with rain.

During the night much snow had fallen at and above 9000 feet, but the
weather cleared on the following morning, and disclosed the top of
Mainom, rising close above my camp, in a series of rugged shivered
peaks, crested with pines, which looked like statues of snow: to all
other quarters this mountain presents a very gently sloping outline.
Up the Teesta valley there was a pretty peep of snowy mountains,
bearing north 35 degrees east, of no great height.

I was met by a messenger from Dr. Campbell who told me he was waiting
breakfast; so I left my party, and, accompanied by the Kajee and
Meepo, hurried down to the valley of the Rungoon (which flows east to
the Teesta), through a fine forest of tropical trees; passing the
villages of Broom* [On the top of the ridge above Broom, a tall stone
is erected by the side of the path, covered with private marks,
indicating the height of various individuals who are accustomed to
measure themselves thus; there was but one mark above 5 feet 7
inches, and that was 6 inches higher. It turned out to be Campbell's,
who had passed a few days before, and was thus proved to top the
natives of Sikkim by a long way.] and Lingo, to the spur of that
name; where I was met by a servant of the Sikkim Dewan's, with a pony
for my use. I stared at the animal, and felt inclined to ask what he
had to do here, where it was difficult enough to walk up and down
slippery slopes, amongst boulders of rock, heavy forest, and foaming
torrents; but I was little aware of what these beasts could
accomplish. The Tartar saddle was imported from Tibet, and certainly
a curiosity; once--but a long time ago--it must have been very
handsome; it was high-peaked, covered with shagreen and silvered
ornaments, wretchedly girthed, and with great stirrups attached to
short leathers. The bridle and head-gear were much too complicated
for description; there were good leather, raw hide, hair-rope, and
scarlet worsted all brought into use; the bit was the ordinary
Asiatic one, jointed, and with two rings. I mounted on one side, and
at once rolled over, saddle and all, to the other; the pony standing
quite still. I preferred walking; but Dr. Campbell had begged of me
to use the pony, as the Dewan had procured and sent it at great
trouble: I, however, had it led till I was close to Bhomsong, when I
was hoisted into the saddle and balanced on it, with my toes in the
stirrups and my knees up to my breast; twice, on the steep descent to
the river, my saddle and I were thrown on the pony's neck; in these
awkward emergencies I was assisted by a man on each side, who
supported my weight on my elbows: they seemed well accustomed to
easing mounted ponies down hill without giving the rider the trouble
of dismounting. Thus I entered Dr. Campbell's camp at Bhomsong, to
the pride and delight of my attendants; and received a hearty welcome
from my old friend, who covered me with congratulations on the
successful issue of a journey which, at this season, and under such
difficulties and discouragements, he had hardly thought feasible.

Dr. Campbell's tent was pitched in an orange-grove, occupying a flat
on the west bank of the Teesta, close to a small enclosure of
pine-apples, with a pomegranate tree in the middle. The valley is
very narrow, and the vegetation wholly tropical, consisting of two
species of oak, several palms, rattan-cane (screw-pine), _Pandanus,_
tall grasses, and all the natives of dense hot jungles. The river is
a grand feature, broad, rocky, deep, swift, and broken by enormous
boulders of rock; its waters were of a pale opal green, probably from
the materials of the soft micaceous rocks through which it flows.

A cane bridge crosses it,* [Whence the name of Bhomsong Samdong, the
latter word meaning bridge.] but had been cut away (in feigned
distrust of us), and the long canes were streaming from their
attachments on either shore down the stream, and a triangular raft
of bamboo was plying instead, drawn to and fro by means of a
strong cane.

Soon after arriving I received a present from the Rajah, consisting
of a brick of Tibet tea, eighty pounds of rancid yak butter, in large
squares, done up in yak-hair cloth, three loads of rice, and one of
Murwa for beer; rolls of bread,* [These rolls, or rather, sticks of
bread, are made in Tibet, of fine wheaten flour, and keep for a long
time: they are sweet and good, but very dirtily prepared.] fowls,
eggs, dried plums, apricots, jujubes, currants, and Sultana raisins,
the latter fruits purchased at Lhassa, but imported thither from
western Tibet; also some trays of coarse milk-white crystallised
salt, as dug in Tibet.

In the evening we were visited by the Dewan, the head and front of
all our Sikkim difficulties, whose influence was paramount with the
Rajah, owing to the age and infirmities of the latter, and his
devotion to religion, which absorbed all his time and thoughts.
The Dewan was a good-looking Tibetan, very robust, fair, muscular and
well fleshed; he had a very broad Tartar face, quite free of hair; a
small and beautifully formed mouth and chin, very broad cheekbones,
and a low, contracted forehead: his manners were courteous and
polite, but evidently affected, in assumption of better breeding than
he could in reality lay claim to. The Rajah himself was a Tibetan of
just respectable extraction, a native of the Sokpo province, north of
Lhassa: his Dewan was related to one of his wives, and I believe a
Lhassan by birth as well as extraction, having probably also Kashmir
blood in him.* [The Tibetans court promiscuous intercourse between
their families and the Kashmir merchants who traverse their country.]
Though minister, he was neither financier nor politician, but a mere
plunderer of Sikkim, introducing his relations, and those whom he
calls so, into the best estates in the country, and trading in great
and small wares, from a Tibet pony to a tobacco pipe, wholesale and
retail. Neither he nor the Rajah are considered worthy of notice by
the best Tibet families or priests, or by the Chinese commissioners
settled in Lhassa and Jigatzi. The latter regard Sikkim as virtually
English, and are contented with knowing that its ruler has no army,
and with believing that its protectors, the English, could not march
an army across the Himalaya if they would.

The Dewan, trading in wares which we could supply better and cheaper,
naturally regarded us with repugnance, and did everything in his
power to thwart Dr. Campbell's attempts to open a friendly
communication between the Sikkim and English governments. The Rajah
owed everything to us, and was, I believe, really grateful; but he
was a mere cipher in the hands of his minister. The priests again,
while rejoicing in our proximity, were apathetic, and dreaded the
more active Dewan; and the people had long given evidence of their
confidence in the English. Under these circumstances it was in the
hope of gaining the Rajah's own ear, and representing to him the
advantages of promoting an intercourse with us, and the danger of
continuing to violate the terms of our treaty, that Dr. Campbell had
been authorised by government to seek an interview with His Highness.
At present our relations were singularly infelicitous. There was no
agent on the Sikkim Rajah's part to conduct business at Dorjiling,
and the Dewan insisted on sending a creature of his own, who had
before been dismissed for insolence. Malefactors who escaped into
Sikkim were protected, and our police interrupted in the discharge of
their duties; slavery was practised; and government communications
were detained for weeks and months under false pretences.

In his interviews with us the Dewan appeared to advantage: he was
fond of horses and shooting, and prided himself on his hospitality.
We gained much information from many conversations with him, during
which politics were never touched upon. Our queries naturally
referred to Tibet and its geography, especially its great feature the
Yarou Tsampoo river; this he assured us was the Burrampooter of
Assam, and that no one doubted it in that country. Lhassa he
described as a city in the bottom of a flat-floored valley,
surrounded by lofty snowy mountains: neither grapes, tea, silk, or
cotton are produced near it, but in the Tartchi province of Tibet,
one month's journey east of Lhassa, rice, and a coarse kind of tea
are both grown. Two months' journey north-east of Lhassa is Siling,
the well-known great commercial entrepot* [The entrepot is now
removed to Tang-Keou-Eul.--See Huc and Gabet.] in west China; and
there coarse silk is produced. All Tibet he described as mountainous,
and an inconceivably poor country: there are no plains, save flats in
the bottoms of the valleys, and the paths lead over lofty mountains.
Sometimes, when the inhabitants are obliged from famine to change
their habitations in winter, the old and feeble are frozen to death,
standing and resting their chins on their staves; remaining as
pillars of ice, to fall only when the thaw of the ensuing
spring commences.

We remained several days at Bhomsong, awaiting an interview with the
Rajah, whose movements the Dewan kept shrouded in mystery. On Dr.
Campbell's arrival at this river a week before, he found messengers
waiting to inform him that the Rajah would meet him here; this being
half way between Dorjiling and Tumloong. Thenceforward every
subterfuge was resorted to by the Dewan to frustrate the meeting; and
even after the arrival of the Rajah on the east bank, the Dewan
communicated with Dr. Campbell by shooting across the river arrows to
which were attached letters, containing every possible argument to
induce him to return to Dorjiling; such as that the Rajah was sick at
Tumloong, that he was gone to Tibet, that he had a religious fast and
rites to perform, etc. etc.

One day we walked up the Teesta to the Rumphiup river, a torrent from
Mainom mountain to the west; the path led amongst thick jungle of
_Wallichia_ palm, prickly rattan canes, and the _Pandanus,_ or
screw-pine, called "Borr," which has a straight, often forked,
palm-like trunk, and an immense crown of grassy saw-edged leaves four
feet long: it bears clusters of uneatable fruit as large as a man's
fist, and their similarity to the pine-apple has suggested the name
of "Borr" for the latter fruit also, which has for many years been
cultivated in Sikkim, and yields indifferent produce. Beautiful pink
balsams covered the ground, but at this season few other showy plants
were in flower: the rocks were chlorite, very soft and silvery, and
so curiously crumpled and contorted as to appear as though formed of
scaled of mica crushed together, and confusedly arranged in layers:
the strike was north-west, and dip north-east from 60 degrees to
70 degrees.

Messengers from the Dewan overtook us at the river to announce that
the Rajah was prepared and waiting to give us a reception; so we
returned, and I borrowed a coat from Dr. Campbell instead of my
tattered shooting-jacket; and we crossed the river on the
bamboo-raft. As it is the custom on these occasions to exchange
presents, I was officially supplied with some red cloth and beads:
these, as well as Dr. Campbell's present, should only have been
delivered during or after the audience; but our wily friend the Dewan
here played us a very shabby trick; for he managed that our presents
should be stealthily brought in before our appearance, thus giving to
the by-standers the impression of our being tributaries to
his Highness!

The audience chamber was a mere roofed shed of neat bamboo wattle,
about twenty feet long: two Bhoteeas in scarlet. jackets, and with
bows in their hands, stood on each side of the door, and our own
chairs were carried before us for our accommodation. Within was a
square wicker throne, six feet high, covered with purple silk,
brocaded with dragons in white and gold, and overhung by a canopy of
tattered blue silk, with which material part of the walls also was
covered. An oblong box (containing papers) with gilded dragons on it,
was placed on the stage or throne, and behind it was perched
cross-legged, an odd, black, insignificant looking old man, with
twinkling upturned eyes: he was swathed in yellow silk, and wore on
his head a pink silk hat with a flat broad crown, from all sides of
which hung floss silk. This was the Rajah, a genuine Tibetan, about
seventy years old. On some steps close by, and ranged down the
apartment, were his relations, all in brocaded silk robes reaching
from the throat to the ground, and girded about the waist; and
wearing caps similar to that of the Rajah. Kajees, counsellors, and
shaven mitred Lamas were there, to the number of twenty, all planted
with their backs to the wall, mute and motionless as statues. A few
spectators were huddled together at the lower end of the room, and a
monk waved about an incense pot containing burning juniper and other
odoriferous plants. Altogether the scene was solemn and impressive:
as Campbell well expressed it, the genius of Lamaism reigned supreme.

We saluted, but received no complimentary return; our chairs were
then placed, and we seated ourselves, when the Dewan came in, clad in
a superb purple silk robe, worked with circular gold figures, and
formally presented us. The Dewan then stood; and as the Rajah did not
understand Hindoostanee, our conversation was carried on through the
medium of a little bare-headed rosy-cheeked Lama, named "Tchebu,"
clad in a scarlet gown, who acted as interpreter. The conversation
was short and constrained: Tchebu was known as a devoted servant of
the Rajah and of the heir apparent; and in common with all the Lamas
he hates the Dewan, and desires a friendly intercourse between Sikkim
and Dorjiling. He is, further, the only servant of the Rajah capable
of conversing both in Hindoo and Tibetan, and the uneasy distrustful
look of the Dewan, who understands the latter language only, was very
evident. He was as anxious to hurry over the interview, as Dr.
Campbell and Tchebu were to protract it; it was clear, therefore,
that nothing satisfactory could be done under such auspices.

As a signal for departure white silk scarfs were thrown over our
shoulders, according to the established custom in Tibet, Sikkim, and
Bhotan; and presents were made to us of China silks, bricks of tea,
woollen cloths, yaks, ponies, and salt, with worked silk purses and
fans for Mrs. Campbell; after which we left. The whole scene was
novel and very curious. We had had no previous idea of the extreme
poverty of the Rajah, of his utter ignorance of the usages of
Oriental life, and of his not having anyone near to instruct him.
The neglect of our salutation, and the conversion of our presents
into tribute, did not arise from any ill-will: it was owing to the
craft of the Dewan in taking advantage of the Rajah's ignorance of
his own position and of good manners. Miserably poor, without any
retinue, taking no interest in what passes in his own kingdom,
subsisting on the plainest and coarsest food, passing his time in
effectually abstracting his mind from the consideration of earthly
things, and wrapt in contemplation, the Sikkim Rajah has arrived at
great sanctity, and is all but prepared for that absorption into the
essence of Boodh, which is the end and aim of all good Boodhists.
The mute conduct of his Court, who looked like attendants at an
inquisition, and the profound veneration expressed in every word and
gesture of those who did move and speak, recalled a Pekin reception.
His attendants treated him as a being of a very different nature from
themselves; and well might they do so, since they believe that he
will never die, but retire from the world only to re-appear under
some equally sainted form.

Though productive of no immediate good, our interview had a very
favourable effect on the Lamas and people, who had long wished it;
and the congratulations we received thereon during the remainder of
our stay in Sikkim were many and sincere. The Lamas we found
universally in high spirits; they having just effected the marriage
of the heir apparent, himself a Lama, said to possess much ability
and prudence, and hence being very obnoxious to the Dewan, who
vehemently opposed the marriage. As, however, the minister had
established his influence over the youngest, and estranged the Rajah
from his eldest son, and was moreover in a fair way for ruling Sikkim
himself, the Church rose in a body, procured a dispensation from
Lhassa for the marriage of a priest, and thus hoped to undermine the
influence of the violent and greedy stranger.

In the evening, we paid a farewell visit to the Dewan, whom we found
in a bamboo wicker-work hut, neatly hung with bows, arrows, and round
Lepcha shields of cane, each with a scarlet tuft of yak-hair in the
middle; there were also muskets, Tibetan arms, and much horse gear;
and at one end was a little altar, with cups, bells, pastiles, and
images. He was robed in a fawn-coloured silk gown, lined with the
softest of wool, that taken from unborn lambs: like most Tibetans, he
extracts all his beard with tweezers; an operation he civilly
recommended to me, accompanying the advice with the present of a neat
pair of steel forceps. He aspires to be considered a man of taste,
and plays the Tibetan guitar, on which he performed some airs for our
amusement: the instrument is round-bodied and long-armed, with six
strings placed in pairs, and probably comes from Kashmir: the Tibetan
airs were simple and quite pretty, with the time well marked.

During our stay at Bhomsong, the weather was cool, considering the
low elevation (1,500 feet), and very steady; the mean temperature was
52.25 degrees, the maximum 71.25 degrees, the minimum 42.75 degrees.
The sun set behind the lofty mountains at 3 p.m., and in the morning
a thick, wet, white, dripping fog settled in the bottom of the
valley, and extended to 800 or 1000 feet above the river-bed; this
was probably caused by the descent of cold currents into the humid
gorge: it was dissipated soon after sunrise, but formed again at
sunset for a few minutes, giving place to clear starlight nights.

A thermometer sunk two feet seven inches, stood at 64 degrees.
The temperature of the water was pretty constant at 51 degrees: from
here to the plains of India the river has a nearly uniform fall of
1000 feet in sixty-nine miles, or sixteen feet to a mile: were its
course straight for the same distance, the fall would be 1000 feet in
forty miles, or twenty-five feet to a mile.

Dr. Campbell's object being accomplished, he was anxious to make the
best use of the few days that remained before his return to
Dorjiling, and we therefore arranged to ascend Mainom, and visit the
principal convents in Sikkim together, after which he was to return
south, whilst I should proceed north to explore the south flank of
Kinchinjunga. For the first day our route was that by which I had
arrived. We left on Christmas-day, accompanied by two of the Rajah's,
or rather Dewan's officers, of the ranks of Dingpun and Soupun,
answering to those of captain and lieutenant; the titles were,
however, nominal, the Rajah having no soldiers, and these men being
profoundly ignorant of the mysteries of war or drill. They were
splendid specimens of Sikkim Bhoteeas (i.e. Tibetans, born in Sikkim,
sometimes called Arrhats), tall, powerful, and well built, but
insolent and bullying: the Dingpun wore the Lepcha knife, ornamented
with turquoises, together with Chinese chopsticks. Near Bhomsong,
Campbell pointed out a hot bath to me, which he had seen employed: it
consisted of a hollowed prostrate tree trunk, the water in which was
heated by throwing in hot stones with bamboo tongs. The temperature
is thus raised to 114 degrees, to which the patient submits at
repeated intervals for several days, never leaving till wholly
exhausted. These baths are called "Sa-choo," literally "hot-water,"
in Tibetan.

We stopped to measure some splendid trees in the valley, and found
the trunk of one to be forty-five feet round the buttresses, and
thirty feet above them, a large size for the Himalaya: they were a
species of _Terminalia (Pentaptera),_ and called by the Lepchas
"Sillok-Kun," "Kun" meaning tree.

We slept at Nampok, and the following morning commenced the ascent.
On the way we passed the temple and lake of Neongong; the latter is
about 400 yards round, and has no outlet. It contained two English
plants, the common duckweed (_Lemna minor_), and _Potamogeton
natans_: some coots were swimming in it, and having flushed a
woodcock, I sent for my gun, but the Lamas implored us not to shoot,
it being contrary to their creed to take life wantonly.

We left a great part of our baggage at Neongong, as we intended to
return there; and took up with us bedding, food, etc., for two days.
A path hence up the mountain is frequented once a year by the Lamas,
who make a pilgrimage to the top for worship. The ascent was very
gradual for 4000 feet. We met with snow at the level of Dorjiling
(7000 feet), indicating a colder climate than at that station, where
none had fallen; the vegetation was, however, similar, but not so
rich, and at 8000 feet trees common also to the top of Sinchul
appeared, with _R. Hodgsoni,_ and the beautiful little
winter-flowering primrose, _P. petiolaris,_ whose stemless flowers
spread like broad purple stars on the deep green foliage. Above, the
path runs along the ridge of the precipices facing the south-east,
and here we caught a glimpse of the great valley of the Ryott, beyond
the Teesta, with Tumloong, the Rajah's residence, on its north flank,
and the superb snowy peak of Chola at its head.

One of our coolies, loaded with crockery and various indispensables,
had here a severe fall, and was much bruised; he however recovered
himself, but not our goods.

The rocks were all of chlorite slate, which is not usual at this
elevation; the strike was north-west, and dip north-east. At 9000
feet various shrubby rhododendrons prevailed, with mountain-ash,
birch, and dwarf-bamboo; also _R. Falconeri,_ which grew from forty
to fifty feet high. The snow was deep and troublesome, so we encamped
at 9,800 feet, or 800 feet below the top, in a wood of _Pyrus,
Magnolia, Rhododendron,_ and bamboo. As the ground was deeply covered
with snow, we laid our beds on a thick layer of rhododendron twigs,
bamboo, and masses of a pendent moss.

We passed a very cold night, chiefly owing to damp, the temperature
falling to 24 degrees. On the following morning we scrambled through
the snow, reaching the summit after an hour's very laborious ascent,
and took up our quarters in a large wooden barn-like temple
(_goompa_), built on a stone platform. The summit was very broad, but
the depth of the snow prevented our exploring much, and the silver
firs (_Abies Webbiana_) were so tall, that no view could be obtained,
except from the temple. The great peak of Kinchinjunga is in part
hidden by those of Pundim and Nursing, but the panorama of snowy
mountains is very grand indeed. The effect is quite deceptive; the
mountains assuming the appearance of a continued chain, the distant
snowy peaks being seemingly at little further distance than the
nearer ones. The whole range (about twenty-two miles nearer than at
Dorjiling) appeared to rise uniformly and steeply out of black pine
forests, which were succeeded by the russet-brown of the rhododendron
shrubs, and that again by tremendous precipices and gulleys, into
which descended mighty glaciers and perpetual snows. This excessive
steepness is however only apparent, being due to foreshortening.

The upper 10,000 feet of Kinchin, and the tops of Pundim, Kubra, and
Junnoo, are evidently of granite, and are rounded in outline: the
lower peaks again, as those of Nursing, etc., present rugged
pinnacles of black and red stratified rocks, in many cases resting on
white granite, to which they present a remarkable contrast. The
general appearance was as if Kinchin and the whole mass of mountains
clustered around it, had been up-heaved by white granite, which still
forms the loftiest summits, and has raised the black stratified rocks
in some places to 20,000 feet in numerous peaks and ridges. One range
presented on every summit a cap of black stratified rocks of uniform
inclination and dip, striking north-west, with precipitous faces to
the south-west: this was clear to the naked eye, and more evident
with the telescope, the range in question being only fifteen miles
distant, running between Pundim and Nursing. The fact of the granite
forming the greatest elevation must not be hastily attributed to that
igneous rock having burst through the stratified, and been protruded
beyond the latter: it is much more probable that the upheaval of the
granite took place at a vast depth, and beneath an enormous pressure
of stratified rocks and perhaps of the ocean; since which period the
elevation of the whole mountain chain, and the denudation of the
stratified rocks, has been slowly proceeding.