having a large horn in the tail. Two species of locusts breed here; one with purple wings; by clapping the horny cases strongly together it makes a smart crack as it flies. The other is twice as large, the carcase and wings, of a yellow colour, spotted with points a little darker. High wind from the Himachal, which lasted from three to nightfall. Thermometer at seven P. M. 56'. cook their victuals, we could not march with a yellow ring on a black ground, and till 1h 50. The heat was very great.At five hundred paces a strong sulphureous smell issues from hot springs; the rocks stained yellow with sulphur, which appears in considerable quantity mixed with earth in interstices betwixt masses of rock. At two thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, the channel of the river from being broad suddenly reduced to fifty yards; road along its edge stony. Reached our ground at seven P.M., eight thousand three hundred and eighty-three paces. This has been one of the most rugged marches we have had in the Undés. As it grew dark, we fired carbines occasionally to apprise our people behind of the direction we were encamped in ; and at half past nine had the satisfaction to see them arrive without having met with any serious accident. August 18th. Thermometer 37°. March at 8h 55'. Some of the yak cows left the watercourse and went up the rock, the face of which became steeper as they advanced. One of them, finding herself separated from the great mass of her companions, without hesitation leaped from a height of about fourteen feet into the dry water-course, appa. rently without being hurt by the shock, and her example was followed by those which had taken the same path. At six thousand nine hundred paces, commence descending to a river formed of two branches, the right coming from S. 5 W. the left S. 35 W. They run N. 30 E. At seven thousand six huudred and twenty-five reach the point at which the streams just mentioned join, and breaking through a high mountain, fall into the Setlej. The bank on this side is as it were dissected, the softer parts having been washed from the harder strata the latter present a very irregular and extraordinary projecting surface. At seven thousand seven hundred, cross the river 14 feet deep. At eight thousand, descend to second river, the water of which is more clear, and its banks afford more grass and furze for fuel. At eight thousand and fifty cross and encamp at one P. M. Here we observed on the banks of the river many larva of a kind of locust, which breeds on the stony plains of Tatary, marked on the body August 19th.-Slight frost. Thermometer 37°. March at 7. At one thousand three hundred paces, observe that the two rivers which we crossed yesterday join due east about nine hundred yards. At five thousand commence ascending the gorge, and reach the summit of height which shuts the valley. At five thousand two hundred and forty, arrive at a pile of stones and descend by a tolerably good road, on which were many small fragments of different coloured jasper and white agate to the right is the river formed by two streams, and now running parallel to our line of march about 2 miles distant. At fifteen thousand seven hundred commence descending; the town of Dumpú in sight. This is built on a steep eminence forming part of a ridge stretching from the side of a mountain and sloping to a river, but rising at least three hundred feet above the bed of the latter. Some ruined buildings on another eminence are separated from the town by a deep glen, in which runs a stream of delicious water. The banks of this watercourse, cut into steps or narrow beds, are now covered by the grain called Awa jau, now in ear, and watered by cuts from the stream begun near its source. The relief afforded to the eye by dwelling upon this, after having been so long tired with the repetition of bare rocks and of plains most scantily sprinkled with verdure, is such as cannot be conceived except by those who chance to have been in such situations. The inhabitants have also been equally industrious in turning to account a shelf of gently sloping land at the foot of the ridge watered by the large river. The regularity and luxuriance of the crop shew that the soil would be very grateful if the farmer would irrigate sufficiently. August 20th.-Halt at Dúmpú. Thermometer 49o. The warmest day we have had since our arrival on the Undés. Amer Singh arrived at ten this morning. It appears that a dawk or post carried by horses regularly goes from Ghertope to Ouchong (Lassa). Each horse performs twenty kos a day; and the journey takes up twenty-two days at this rate. So that, giving the kos as two miles, the distance may be estima.ed at eight hundred and eighty miles. The intermediate country is most thinly peopled. The shawl goats are from Latákh to Lassa, where it is said there are sheep with fiuer wool than here. The Ouchong merchants buy woollen cloth at Ghertope from the Latákhí and Juárí traders. This day has been hot with the exception of about half an hour, during which we had a smart shower of hail. Thermometer at night 56°. We were obliged to halt this day, on account of our cattle being much tired, not only from the continued marching that they have had, but from their having seldom been able to fill their bellies on account of the scarcity of grass in the course of our route. August 21st Thermometer 45°. Leave Dúmpú at 8h 507. At three hundred and eighty paces cross a small river, the water from which is made use of for irrigating some steps of laud sown with Awa jau. At six thousand five hundred and fourteen reach table-land; a house of unburnt bricks about eighty yards to the left; to the S. four or five others, which constitute the village of Gengoul, formerly tolerably populous, but now nearly deserted. It bears S. 60 W. from our encampment at six thousand seven hundred and forty, at which we arrived at two P. M. The furze adjoining the Awa jau fields, with some springy land, formed a favourite resort to hares; and many Chakórs* were heard in the neighbouring hills, and taking our guns, Mr. H. and myself had good sport. Found a partridge very like that of England in plumage and size, but which had a strange gruuting call. This bird ran astonishingly swift, and I could not make it take wing. The Chakórs breed in the hill, and afforded excellent diversion, although at the same time it was very laborious and not without danger. This day three of our loaded yaks fell over a steep bank from thirty to * Perdix rufa, forty feet high into a ravine, and although they had struggled much to disentangle themselves, lay on their backs unable to get up; on the ropes being cut, they rose apparently with very little injury. Thermometer at night 55°. August 22d.-Thermometer 379. March at 8h 45. At eleven thousand nine hundred paces arrive at a pile of stones with religious inscriptions carved upon them. Dábá looks larger from hence than from the approach to it on the Niti road. We were welcomed by a croud of half-naked dirty ragged children in terms of friendship, and they were made happy for the moment by a few scraps of broken biscuit and some raisins. We proceeded to our original encampment in the town, having completed twelve thousand five hundred and seventy-five paces at 4h 40' P. M. We thought it proper to inform the Wuzir and Déba of our arrival, and to enquire when it would be agreeable to them that we should pay them a visit ; to this a reply was sent, that they should be glad to see us the following morning.About half past eight in the evening, the old pundit came to say that the moon was eclipsed, and we immediately heard the sound of trumpets and beating of drums and gongs from the temple of Narayan, and that erected on the site of the old palace of the Surjabans Raja. This I presume was intended to drive away the dragon, which during the time of an eclipse, is supposed by the Chinese to attempt to devour the moon. This eclipse was a total one; but the obscurity was much less dense than I ever before observed it. Thermometer at night 55°. August 23d.-Halt at Dábá, or as pronounced, Dhápá. Thermometer 40° at sun rise. At nine a messenger from the Wazir and Déla stated that they were ready to receive us. In an apartment on the roof of the government house, we found the Wazir and Déba, along with the brother of the Garpan, and a person whom we took for a commander of cavalry, seated in an open verandah, in front of which we placed ourselves on a cushion. The presents made this time were less costly than those on our first interview with the young Wazir and Débe. After the usual complimentary enquiries, the Garpán's brother remarked that our journey had taken up a consi derable time, and that he feared, if our return to Hindústan were much longer delayed, it might be stopped altogether by a sudden fall of snow filling all the passes a circumstance not unusual at this season of the year. In answer to this remark, it was observed, that we had been somewhat delayed by an illness which attacked me soon after I left Ghertope; and that our cattle had been so reduced by continued marching and scanty supply of food, as to be incapable of proceeding as quickly as we wished. That we were very solicitous to return to our homes, and should depart as soon as our cattle should be a little recruited, and the Wazir and Déba would assist us by hiring of cattle to enable us to carry our wool to Niti. This latter they promised to do without delay. exchanged a knife with the Wazir for a curved horn snuff box. After a sitting of two hours, during which a plate of raisins was placed before us, we took leave and made a visit to the Lama. The old man was apparently much pleased to see us and had tea prepared, of which, according to our Hindu character, we could not partake. Mr. H. brought as much orange cloth as would make him a dress, but this he refused, saying the weight of the obligation would be too great, it being out of his power to make a suitable return for such civility. I found that a knife and pair of scissars would be acceptable to him, and I sent for them. He was most highly gratified by this token of regard, and gave us some slips of gauze sent to him by the Deba Lama, along with some red comfits made of flour, water, and some red colouring matter; they were insipid, but having been made by the holy hands of the head of the church of this country, were said to possess extraordinary virtues, provided they were eaten before any other thing in the morning. These properties lay in a very small space; for the comfits were no bigger than partridge shot. Being desirous of bringing a specimen of the Unia writing, some of which had appeared to me very neat, I requested that he would give me a written paper, as also one that had been printed. In compliance with my desire he gave me three slips of blue paper, on which some prayers were written in letters of gold by a Gelum lately dead; and with his own hand he struck off from a wooden block another prayer on a piece of coarse Litbarua paper. In the latter, having placed a few grains of Awa jau, he blessed it, and wrapping it round with an orange coloured silk thread drawn out of an open stuff with loose ends apparently for this purpose, he recommended us to hang it in a particular direction, and we should find it in some respects useful to us. He caused some tea leaves in a mass to be brought to us, along with a small piece of soda, which is in this country always employed to extract more of the colouring matter and flavour of the tea than would be done by the water alone which is here hard. A cheese made of meal and milk slightly daubed over with coarse sugar, and having a few raisins stuck in it, with a cake of a sweetmeat made of sugar and butter, and a large plate of raisins, formed his present. The cheese had a very strong smell, and as well as the tea and sweetmeat was given to our servants. The old man finding that we would not take back the cloth, requested that it might be given him the following day in the presence of the Gelums. The more we have seen of this priest the more we are pleased with the simplicity of his manners and the liberality of his sentiments, as far as the stupidity of our interpreter would give us to understand his conversation. In the evening we were desired again to visit the Wazir and Déba. They were engaged in writing to the Garpan; and we requested that a letter, in general terms, informing him of our safe arrival, and expressing our thanks for his attentions, might be transmitted to him in our name; which was done. It was promised, that on the following morning some cattle should be brought, that we might select two for our own riding, at the rate of fifteen rupees nominal per head, and that others should be furnished to carry our wool and baggage. Two trays containing rice with a lump of butter secured in a piece of the skin of a yak with the hair on, were put before us as a present, along with a plate of raisins; and a written order, signed by the Wazir and Déba, for five goats was directed to be given to the steward, who would on receiving it immediately forward the animals. Ther mometer 55° in the evening. At night the Wazir sent an agate snuff-box, in exchange for that of horn. After I had the latter in my possession, I observed a small ring of gold, by means of which the bottom was capable of being taken out in order that the snuff may be put in, the mouth being too small for this purpose. I could not help thinking, that the Wazir had overlooked this circumstauce in the first instance, and now recollecting it, thought he had made a bad bargain. Under this impression, and resolving to defeat his avarice in this matter, I pretended to misunderstand his message, and returned another knife with a small silver capped glass salt muffineer that had been admired in the morning by him. The agate box was in the shape of an urn flattened at the sides, and surmounted at each shoulder by the mask of a Satyr. This appears to me an antique of Grecian workmanship; or, if it should be of Tatar fabric, the hollowing does credit to their ingenuity. The Wazir seemed pleased with his new bargain. August 24th.-Thermometer 399. This morning we went to the lodging of a Latakhi-Cashmirian merchant, who shewed us Russian leather and French woollen cloth. The Latakhi said that the Russians had latterly imported much merchandize into this part of Tatary through Yarkund, which is forty days journey from Latakh and fifteen from Bokhara. At night the Wazir and the rest of his council sent for the old pandit, and the brother of the Garpan said that they were anxious for our departure, lest some accident might occur to us, which would be a source of great uneasiness to them. That we had now passed through their country once; and as we were Firinghis, we could not be allowed to come a second time. The pandit said that they well knew he was conscious that they had it not in their power to prevent our visiting the country whenever we pleased. That whether we should do so or not depended upon the orders of our superiors; but, if we should, our dealings would always be governed by the same integrity which they had already witnessed, and which they could not but approve. He then departed. This day a well looking Juari in a clean dress, of the name of Deb or Debo Singh, came to pay his respects to` us; he was son to a man of consequence of the name of Dhamu, who had ordered him to come over, and whether we were Mahants or not, to offer his services in whatever we thought he might be useful. If he thought us not Muhants, he was directed to say that two thousand men were ready to take arms for the cause of the Rájá whenever a rallying point was furnished. He said that, as our journey had been long, and we had, he understood, been made to incur unnecessary expense, he should be happy to furnish a draft on Srinagar for a thousand rupees, if it would afford us any accommodation, and would take the amount at Haridwar either in goods or money, as might be most agreeable to us. We thanked him for the offer, which we declined, but employed him in some little offices in which he was serviceable. I sold the whole of the coral beads I had provided for ninety rupees to Amer Singh, who passed them over to Deb Singh for fifty shawl-wool goats and twenty sheep, to be delivered to him at Niti, and to be brought down to Chilkia by Harkh Deb. This, though much under their value, was the best return I could form, as, in the event of accident to our first batch of goats, the second might fill their place; and this precaution was the more necessary, as all the persons we met with said, that by far the greater part of these animals, if taken through the hills before the cold weather should have set in, would die on the march. August 25th.-Thermometer 41°. The Wazir and Déba sent word that the yaks would be ready to take our loads this morning; we returned an answer, that we should not be able to march until the following morning, and that this would depend upon their performing their contract. A messenger returned with twelve rupees from the Wazir and Déba, instead of a like number of goats which they had undertaken to supply, but now said they could not furnish; and this was soon followed by those persons who said that the people from Ghertope were extremely anxious to return, and expected we would set off this morning, as they could not depart until we had begun our march. We repeated our arguments and ordered our cattle out of the town to graze. An order was given by the Wazir, &c. to shut the gates, and we sent two resolute men to open it, and to turn out the yaks. This they effected without resistance.We then remonstrated in very strong terms with the Wazir and Deba on the impropriety and meanness of their conduct; after a little conversation they both appeared ashamed, and said they did not act from themselves, but under the authority of the Ghert pe messengers by order from the Garpan. Immediately after the Wazir and Déba returned these people learnt our intention, and without waiting for our visit, saddled their horses and went off. The Wazir and Déba sent word privately, that if we would take saffron, they would in the evening take some of our cloth. The Latákhi saffron is received by the Latákhis from the Cashmirian traders in payment for the shawl-wool furnished by the latter; and again given to the Unias in payment for the wool taken from them. It appears to me pure, but dear; however the highness of price is in some measure owing to the form of the transaction being by barter. According to our promise we went to the government house, where we were received with a cordiality calculated to efface the impression of the late transactions, and which our conduct on the occasion shewed had produced that effect. The Wazir and Déba said, that really there was much danger of our entering Hindustan being prevented altogether, if our departure were delayed; that if they followed their own inclination, they could wish us to stay longer; but the season was advanced, and it would much grieve both the Garpan and themselves if any accident were to occur to us. August 26th.-Thermometer 37°. We commenced our march from Dábá at ten A. M. following the directions by which we arrived at first, in which line we continued, and crossing the Tiltil, reached the junction of the two streams before mentioned at twelve, having come only about three miles. Here the measurement commenced as we took a new road. At 2h 30' took up our ground for encampment. Our baggage did not reach us till eight at night, in consequence of many of the loads falling off, from the ruggedness of part of the road, and from our people having kept in the direction of the former line instead of following us exactly. The road we have now taken is in the straight line for Niti; the other was circuitous, but better. Deb Singh came in the evening, and promised to send us three fat sheep for our consumption on the road. When the sun set, it became very cold; before sun-set thermometer 48°. August 27th.-As our cattle had been much reduced by their long journey from Ghertope to Mansurowar and back to' Debu, they had performed their work of yesterday but weakly, and it was therefore judged adviseable to halt, that they might have a chance of filling their bellies, although the pasturage was even here but scanty. Deb Singh was very anxious to receive a certificate of his endeavours to be useful and a recommendation that he should be permitted to enter the Company's provinces paying only the usual duties. The papers required by Deb Singh were given to him, and he took his leave highly satisfied in appearance. Much ice in the river this morning. August 28th.-Hard frost. In some places the ice was 24 inches thick. Ther mometer 28°. Marched at 9. At seven thousand three hundred paces reach our ground, and encamp at 12h 30'. Thermometer in the open air 672. Found many ammonites in iron stone, generally broken. Much iron in the mountains, which have scarcely any vegetable upon them, and are rapidly frittering into fragments. We are now about one-third of the Ghátí which separates Hindústan from Tatary. Mountains are less high and bold than those farther on in Bútán. Two yaks have been left behind from fatigue, although the march has not been long, yet parts have been very distressing. The rivulet or rather river (for when it fills its channel it well deserves this name,) is called Chang-lu. It is formed by three or four branches, which issue from the heights below the Niti Gháti, and it disembogues itself into the Setlej. (To be continued.) |