Page:Narratives of the mission of George Bogle to Tibet.djvu/196

20 tumbling over large stones; another embosomed in a fine grove, with arches formed by the trees and rocks. There were wooden bridges over all the rivulets which ran from them.

We arrived at Muri-jong as they were beating the evening tom-tom. It consists of twenty houses, some of them stone; many inscribed banners; and a good deal of arable land and cattle. I planted fifteen potatoes.

To Chúka a long stage, and difficult road; a good deal of rain—it does not fall from the clouds, but comes upwards. The villages increase in number. There is a grand cascade on the opposite side of the river. We climbed a rock that hangs over Pachu-Chinchu by steps, almost perpendicular; the horses scrambled up too. We passed through a passage cut in a small rock near the top, and came in sight of Chúka, with its iron bridge, situated in a valley—the first we had seen. This village is in a different district from Buxa-Dúar.

From Chúka for the rest of the way to Tassisudon the country opens gradually. The mountains are still very high, but being more sloped have more arable land, and being at a greater distance from one another, leave room for villages in the hollows between them. On the former part of the journey there were nothing but glens, now there are valleys. But the sides of the mountains are more bare ; there are few large trees, mostly fir; the road is more level, except at two or three places; and we can ride the greatest part. The country seems populous, and well cultivated; houses, stone and clay, two and three stories high; temples; and on the two last stages rice fields.

It would be tedious to mention every stage. A list of them is subjoined. There are about ten, fifteen, or twenty large houses at each.

It grew colder every stage till we reached Kepta. There the