As we should not easily be able to procure food further
on, I laid in a full stock here, and distributed blankets,
etc., sufficient for temporary use for all the
people, dividing them into groups or messes.
CHAPTER IX.
Leave Mywa — Suspension bridge — Landslips — Vegetation — Slope
of riverbed — Bees’ nests — Glacial phenomena — Tibetans,
clothing, ornaments, amulets, salutation, children, dogs — Last
Limboo village, Taptiatok — Beautiful scenery — Tibet village of
Lelyp — Opuntia — Edgeworthia — Crab-apple — Chameleon and
porcupine — Praying machine — Abies Brunoniana — European plants
— Grand scenery — Arrive at Wallanchoon — Scenery around — Trees
— Tibet houses — Manis and Mendongs — Tibet household — Food —
Tea-soup — Hospitality — Yaks and Zobo, uses and habits of —
Bhoteeas — Yak-hair tents — Guobah of Walloong — Jhatamansi —
Obstacles to proceeding — Climate and weather — Proceed —
Rhododendrons, etc. — Lichens — Poa annua and Shepherd’s purse —
Tibet camp — Tuquoroma — Scenery of pass — Glaciers and snow —
Summit — Plants, woolly, etc.
On the 18th November, we left Mywa Guola, and continued
up the river to the village of Wallanchoon or Walloong,
which was reached in six marches. The snowy peak
of Junnoo (alt. 25,312 feet.) forms a magnificent
feature from this point, seen up the narrow gorge of
the river, bearing N.N.E. about thirty miles.
I crossed the Mewa, an affluent from the north, by
another excellent suspension bridge. In these
bridges, the principal chains are clamped to rocks
on either shore, and the suspended loops occur at
intervals of eight to ten feet; the single sal-plank
laid on these loops swings terrifically, and the handrails
not being four feet high, the sense of insecurity
is very great.
The Wallanchoon road follows the west bank, but the
bridge above having been carried away, we crossed
by a plank, and proceeded along very steep banks of
decomposed chlorite schist, much contorted, and very
soapy, affording an insecure footing, especially where
great landslips had occurred, which were numerous,
exposing acres of a reddish and white soil of felspathic
clay, sloping at an angle of 30 degrees. Where
the angle was less than 15 degrees, rice was cultivated,
and partially irrigated. The lateral streams (of
a muddy opal green) had cut beds 200 feet deep in
the soft earth, and were very troublesome to cross,
from the crumbling cliffs on either side, and their
broad swampy channels.
