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Five miles further on we arrived at the tents of the Phipun, whose wife was prepared to entertain us with Tartar hospitality: magnificent tawny Tibet mastiffs were baying at the tent-door, and some yaks and ponies were grazing close by. We mustered twelve in number, and squatted cross-legged in a circle inside the tent, the Soubah and myself being placed on a pretty Chinese rug.
The Singtam Soubah, as was natural, hung back, for it was owing to him alone that the orders had been contravened, and the Phipun appealed to the bystanders for the truth of this. We took up our abode at Tungu in a wooden but under the great rock, where we were detained for several days by bad weather.
Camp on Zemu river Scenery Falling rocks Tukcham mountain Height of glaciers Botany Gigantic rhubarb Insects Storm Temperature of rivers Behaviour of Lachen Phipun Hostile conduct of Bhoteeas View from mountains above camp Descend to Zemu Samdong Vegetation Letters from Dorjiling Arrival of Singtam Soubah Presents from Rajah Parties collecting Arum-roots Insects Ascend Lachen river Thakya-zong Tallum Samdong village Cottages Mountains Plants Entomology Weather Halo Diseases Conduct of Singtam Soubah His character and illness Agrees to take me to Kongra Lama Tungu Appearance of country Houses Poisoning by arum-roots Yaks and calves Tibet ponies Journey to Kongra Lama Tibetan tents Butter, curds, and churns Hospitality Kinchinjhow and Chomiomo Magnificent Scenery Reach Kongra Lama Pass.
Near the village I found Dr. Campbell remonstrating with the Lachen Phipun on the delays and rude treatment I had received in June and July: the man, of course, answered every question with falsehoods, which is the custom of these people, and produced the Rajah's orders for my being treated with every civility, as a proof that he must have behaved as he ought!
We arrived at Tungu at 9 p.m., my pony not having stumbled once, though the path was rugged, and crossed by many rapid streams. On the 26th of July the Phipun, who waited on me every morning with milk and butter, and whose civility and attentions were now unremitting, proposed that I should accompany him to an encampment of Tibetans, at the foot of Kinchinjhow.
The villagers themselves now wanted to proceed to the pasturing-grounds on the frontier; so the Phipun sent me word that I might proceed as far as I liked up the east bank of the Zemu. A supply of food arrived from Dorjiling on the 5th of June, reduced, however, to one bag of rice, but with encouraging letters, and the assurance that more would follow at once.
On hearing of my intention, the Phipun volunteered to take me to the frontier, which he said was only two hours distant, at Zemu Samdong, where the Lachen receives the Zemu river from the westward: this I knew must be false, but I accepted his services, and we started, accompanied by a large body of villagers, who eagerly gathered plants for me along the road.
We made a fire at the top with sheep's droppings, of which the Phipun had brought up a bagfull, and with it a pair of goat-skin bellows, which worked by a slit that was opened by the hand in the act of raising; when inflated, the hole was closed, and the skin pressed down, thus forcing the air through the bamboo nozzle: this is the common form of bellows throughout Tibet and the Himalaya.
In the evenings we enjoyed the company of the Phipun and Tchebu Lama, who relished a cup of sugarless tea more than any other refreshment we could offer. From them we collected much Tibetan information: the former was an inveterate smoker, using a pale, mild tobacco, mixed largely with leaves of the small wild Tibetan Rhubarb, called "Chula."
We were suddenly startled from our repast by a noise like loud thunder, crash following crash, and echoing through the valley. The Phipun got up, and coolly said, "The rocks are falling, it is time we were off, it will rain soon."
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