Himalayan Journals, vol 2 by J. D. Hooker (great reads TXT) 📖
- Author: J. D. Hooker
- Performer: -
Book online «Himalayan Journals, vol 2 by J. D. Hooker (great reads TXT) 📖». Author J. D. Hooker
Climate of Ganges -- Pubna -- Jummul river -- Altered course of
Burrampooter and Megna -- Dacca -- Conch shells -- Saws -- Cotton
muslins -- Fruit -- Vegetation -- Elevation -- Rose of Bengal --
Burrampooter -- Delta of Soormah river -- Jheels -- Soil --
Vegetation -- Navigation -- Mosquitos -- Atmospheric pressure --
Effects of geological changes -- Imbedding of plants -- Teelas or
islets -- Chattuc -- Salubrious climate -- Rains -- Canoes -- Pundua -- Mr. Harry Inglis -- Terrya Ghat -- Ascent to Churra -- Scenery and vegetation at foot of mountains -- Cascades.
CHAPTER XXVIII.
Churra, English station of -- Khasia people -- Garrow people --
Houses -- Habits -- Dress -- Arms -- Dialects -- Marriages -- Food --
Funerals -- Superstitions -- Flat of Churra -- Scenery -- Lime and
coal -- Mamloo -- Cliffs -- Cascades -- Chamaerops palm --
Jasper-rocks -- Flora of Churra -- Orchids -- Rhododendrons -- Pine -- Climate -- Extraordinaiy rain-fall -- Its effects -- Gardens of
Lieuts. Raban and Cave -- Leave Churra to cross the mountain range --
Coal, shale, and under-clay -- Kala-panee river -- Lailangkot --
Luculia Pinceana -- Conglomerate -- Surureem wood -- Boga-panee
river -- View of Himalaya -- Greenstone -- Age of pine-cones --
Moflong plants -- Coix -- Chillong mountain -- Extensive view --
Road to Syong -- Broad valleys -- Geology -- Plants -- Myrung --
Granite blocks -- Kollong rock -- Pine-woods -- Features of country -- Orchids -- Iron forges.
CHAPTER XXIX.
View of Himalaya from the Khasia -- Great masses of snow -- Chumulari -- Donkia -- Grasses -- Nunklow -- Assam valley and Burrampooter --
Tropical forest -- Bor-panee -- Rhododendrons -- Wild elephants --
Blocks of Syenite -- Return to Churra -- Coal -- August temperature -- Leave for Chela -- Jasper hill -- Birds -- Arundina -- Habits of leaf-insects -- Curious village -- Houses -- Canoes -- Boga-panee
river -- Jheels -- Chattuc -- Churra -- Leave for Jyntea hills --
Trading parties -- Dried fish -- Cherries -- Cinnamon -- Fraud --
Pea-violet -- Nonkreem -- Sandstone -- Pines -- Granite boulders --
Iron washing -- Forges -- Tanks -- Siberian Nymphaea -- Barren
country -- Pomrang -- Podostemon -- Patchouli plant -- Mooshye --
Enormous stone slabs -- Pitcher-plant -- Joowye -- Cultivation and
vegetation -- Hydropeltis -- Sulky hostess -- Nurtiung --
Hamamelis chinensis -- Bor-panee river -- Sacred grove and gigantic stone structures -- Altars -- Pyramids, etc. -- Origin of names --
Yandaca coerulea -- Collections -- November vegetation -- Geology of Khasia -- Sandstone -- Coal -- Lime -- Gneiss -- Greenstone --
Tidal action -- Strike of rocks -- Comparison with Rajmahal hills and the Himalaya.
CHAPTER XXX.
Best voyage to Silhet -- River -- Palms -- Teelas -- Botany -- Fish weirs -- Forests of Cachar -- Sandal-wood, etc. -- Porpoises --
Alligators -- Silchar -- Tigers -- Rice crops -- Cookies --
Munniporees -- Hockey -- Varnish -- Dance -- Nagas -- Excursion to
Munnipore frontier -- Elephant bogged -- Bamboos -- Cardiopteris --
Climate, etc., of Cachar -- Mosquitos -- Fall of banks -- Silhet --
Oaks -- Stylidium -- Tree-ferns -- Chattuc -- Megna -- Meteorology -- Palms -- Noa-colly -- Salt-smuggling -- Delta of Ganges and Megna -- Westward progress of Megna -- Peat -- Tide -- Waves -- Earthquakes -- Dangerous navigation -- Moonlight scenes -- Mud island --
Chittagong -- Mug tribes -- Views -- Trees -- Churs -- Flagstaff hill -- Coffee -- Pepper -- Tea, etc. -- Excursions from Chittagong --
Dipterocarpi or Gurjun oil trees -- Earthquake -- Birds -- Papaw --
Bleeding of stems -- Poppy and Sun fields -- -- Seetakoond --
Bungalow and hill -- Perpetual flame -- Falconeria -- Cycas --
Climate -- Leave for Calcutta -- Hattiah island -- Plants --
8underbunds -- Steamer -- Tides -- Nipa fruticans -- Fishing --
Otters -- Crocodiles -- Phoenix paludosa -- Departure from India.
APPENDIX
=====================
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
LITHOGRAPHIC VIEWS.
Fig. VI. View of Kinchinjunga from Singtam, looking north-westward.
p.14
Fig. VII. Kinchinjunga from the Thlonok river, with rhododendrons in flower. Frontispiece
Fig. VIII. Tibet and Cholamoo lake from the summit of the Donkia
pass, looking north-west. p.124
Fig. IX. Kinchinjhow, Donkia, and Cholamoo lake, from the summit of Bhomtso, looking south; the summit of Chumulari is introduced in the extreme left of the view. p.166
Fig. X. The table-land and station of Churra, with the Jheels, course of the Soormah river, and Tipperah hills in the extreme distance,
looking south. p.277
Fig. XI. The Bhotan Himalaya, Assam valley, and Burrampooter river, from Nunklow, looking north. p.300
Fig. XII. Seetakoond hill. p.352
WOOD ENGRAVINGS.
Fig. 1. Pandanus in the Teesta valley. p.9
Fig. 2. Cane-bridge over the Lachen-Lachoong river, below Choongtam.
Tukcham mountain is brought into the view, as seen from a higher
elevation. p.21
Fig. 3. Juniperus recurva, the weeping juniper. p.28
Fig. 4. Lamteng village, with Tukcham in the distance. p.35
Fig. 5. Black juniper and young larch. p.55
Fig. 6. Tungu village, with yaks in the foreground. p.73
Fig. 7. Women's head-dresses--the two outer, Lepcha girls; the two
inner, Tibetan women. p.86
Fig. 8. Tibet marmot. Sketched by J. E. Winterbottom, Esq. p.93
Fig. 9. Lachoong valley (looking south), larch tree in the
foreground. p.103
Fig. 10. Conical ancient moraines in the Lachoong valley, with Abies brunoniana and smithiana. p.104
Fig. 11. Head and legs of Tibet marmot. Sketched by J. E.
Winterbottom, Esq. p.106
Fig. 12. Block of gneiss with granite bands, on the Kinchinjhow
glacier. p.135
Fig. 13. Summit of forked Donkia mountain, with Goa antelopes in the foreground; from 17,500 feet elevation. p.139
Fig. 14. View of the eastern top of Kinchinjhow, and Tibet in the
distance, with wild sheep in the foreground; from an elevation of
18,000 feet. p.140
Fig. 15. Head of Chiru antelope, the unicorn of Tibet. From a sketch by Lieut. H. Maxwell. p.158
Fig. 16. A Phud, or Tibetan mendicant. Sketched at Dorjiling by Miss Colvile. p.187
Fig. 17. Tea (brick of), tea-pot, wooden cup, etc. p.189
Fig. 18. Portrait of Aden Tchebu Lama. Sketched by Lieut. H. Maxwell.
p.193
Fig. 19. Silver chain and hooks, ornamented with turquoises, used to fasten women's cloaks. p.195
Fig. 20. Horns of the Showa stag of Tibet (Cervus wallichii).
Sketched by Lieut. H. Maxwell. p.214
Fig. 21. Rajah's house at Tumloong, in the foreground the cottage in which Dr. Campbell was confined, with the Dewan's retinue passing.
This is partly executed from memory. p.217
Fig. 22. Tibetan tobacco-pipe and tinder-pouch, with steel attached.
p.219
Fig. 23. Lepcha sepoys, the right hand figures, and Tibetan ones on the left. p.235
Fig. 24. Dr. Falconer's residence, Calcutta Botanic Gardens; from Sir L. Peel's grounds, looking across the Hoogly. p.243
Fig. 25. View in the Jheels of Bengal, with Khasia mountains in the distance. p.261
Fig. 26. Living bridge, formed of the aerial roots of figs. p.269
Fig. 27. Dewan's ear-ring of pearl and turquoises. p.271
Fig. 28. Waterfalls at Mamloo, with fan-palms. p.279
Fig. 29. Kollong rock. p.295
Fig. 30. Chela, on the Boga-panee river. p.307
Fig. 31. Nonkreem village, with boulders of denudation. p.311
Fig. 32. Bellows of iron smelters in the Khasia mountains. p.312
Fig. 33. Old bridge at Amwee. p.315
Fig. 34. Stones at Nurtiung. p.320
Fig. 35. Dipterocarpus turbinatus, gurjun or wood-oil tree. p.349
HIMALAYAN JOURNALS.
CHAPTER XVIII.
Arrangements for second journey into Sikkim -- Opposition of Dewan --
Lassoo Kajee -- Tendong -- Legend of flood -- Lama of Sillok-foke --
Namtchi -- Tcbebu Lama -- Top of Tendong -- Gigantic oak -- Plants --
Teesta valley -- Commencement of rains -- Bhomsong -- Ascent to
Lathiang -- View -- Bad road -- Orcbids -- Gorh -- Opposition of Lama -- Arrival of Meepo -- Cross Teesta -- Difficulties of travelling --
Lepchas swimming -- Moxa for sprains -- Singtam -- Grandeur of view of Kinchinjunga -- Wild men -- Singtam Soubah -- Landslips --
Bees'-nests and honey-seekers -- Leeches, etc. -- Cbakoong --
Vegetation -- Gravel terraces -- Unpleasant effects of wormwood --
Choongtam, scenery and vegetation of -- Inhabitants -- Tibetan salute -- Lamas -- Difficulty of procuring food -- Contrast of vegetation of inner and outer Himalaya -- Rhododendrons -- Yew -- _Abies
Brunoniana_ -- Venomous snakes -- Hornets and other insects --
Choongtam temple -- Pictures of Lhassa -- Minerals -- Scenery.
After my return from the Terai, I was occupied during the month of
April in preparations for an expedition to the loftier parts of
Sikkim. The arrangements were the same as for my former journey,
except with regard to food, which it was necessary should be sent out to me at intervals; for we had had ample proof that the resources of the country were not equal to provisioning a party of from forty to fifty men, even had the Dewan been favourable to my travelling, which was clearly not the case.
Dr. Campbell communicated to the Rajah my intention of starting early in May for the upper Teesta valley, and, in the Governor-General's name, requested that he would facilitate my visiting the frontier of Sikkim, north-east of Kinchinjunga. The desired permission was, after a little delay, received; which appeared to rouse the Dewan to
institute a series of obstructions to my progress, which caused so
many delays that my exploration of the country was not concluded till October, and I was prevented returning to Dorjiling before the
following Christmas.
Since our visit to the Rajah in December, no Vakeel (agent) had been sent by the Durbar to Dorjiling, and consequently we could only
communicate indirectly with his Highness, while we found it
impossible to ascertain the truth of various reports promulgated by the Dewan, and meant to deter me from entering the country. In April, the Lassoo Kajee was sent as Vakeel, but, having on a previous
occasion been dismissed for insolence and incapacity, and again
rejected when proposed by the Dewan at Bhomsong, he was refused an
audience; and he encamped at the bottom of the Great Rungeet valley, where he lost some of his party through fever. He retired into
Sikkim, exasperated, pretending that he had orders to delay my
starting, in consequence of the death of the heir apparent; and that he was prepared to use strong measures should I cross the frontier.
No notice was taken of these threats: the Rajah was again informed of my intended departure, unless his own orders to the contrary were
received through a proper accredited agent, and I left Dorjiling on the 3rd of May, accompanied by Dr. Campbell, who insisted on seeing me fairly over the frontier at the Great Rungeet river.
Arrangements were made for supplies of rice following me by
instalments; our daily consumption being 80 lbs., a man's load.
After crossing into Sikkim, I mustered my party at the Great Rungeet river. I had forty-two in all, of whom the majority were young
Lepchas, or Sikkim-born people of Tibetan races: all were active and cheerful looking follows; only one was goitred, and he had been a
salt-trader. I was accompanied by a guard of five Sepoys, and had a Lepcha and Tibetan interpreter. I took but one personal servant, a
Portuguese half-caste (John Hoffman by name), who cooked for me: he was a native of Calcutta, and though hardy, patient, and
long-suffering, and far better-tempered, was, in other respects, very inferior to Clamanze, who had been my servant the previous year, and who, having been bred to the sea, was as handy as he was clever; but who, like all other natives of the plains, grew intolerably weary of the hills, and left me.
The first part of my route lay over
Comments (0)