Himalayan Journals, vol 1 by J. D. Hooker (best thriller books to read txt) 📕

Ging — Boodhist remains — Tropical vegetation — Pines — Lepcha clearances — Forest fires — Boodhist monuments — Fig —

Cane-bridge and raft over Rungeet — Sago-palm — India-rubber — Yel Pote — Butterflies and other insects — Snakes — Camp —

Temperature and humidity of atmosphere — Junction of Teesta and Rungeet — Return to Dorjiling — Tonglo, excursion to — Bamboo, flowering — Oaks — Gordonia — Maize, hermaphrodite flowered — Figs — Nettles — Peepsa — Simonbong, cultivation at — European fruits at Dorjiling-Plains of India.

CHAPTER VII.

Continue the ascent of Tonglo — Trees — Lepcha construction of hut — Simsibong — Climbing-trees — Frogs — Magnolias, etc. — Ticks — Leeches — Cattle, murrain amongst — Summit of Tonglo —

Rhododendrons — Skimmia — Yew — Rose — Aconite — Bikh poison — English genera of plants — Ascent of tropical orders —

Comparison with south temperate zone — Heavy rain — Temperature, etc. — Descent — Simonbong temple — Furniture therein —

Praying-cylinder — Thigh-bone trumpet — Morning orisons — Present of Murwa beer, etc.

CHAPTER VIII.

Difficulty in procuring leave to enter Sikkim — Obtain permission to travel in East Nepal — Arrangements — Coolies — Stores — Servants — Personal equipment — Mode of travelling — Leave Dorjiling —

Goong ridge — Behaviour of Bhotan coolies — Nepal frontier — Myong valley — Ilam — Sikkim massacre — Cultivation — Nettles — Camp at Nanki on Tonglo — Bhotan coolies run away — View of Chumulari —

Nepal peaks to west — Sakkiazong — Buceros — Road to Wallanchoon — Oaks — Scarcity of water — Singular view of mountain-valleys — Encampment — My tent and its furniture —

Evening occupations — Dunkotah-Cross ridge of Sakkiazong — Yews —

Silver-firs-View of Tambur valley — Pemmi river — Pebbly terraces — Geology — Holy springs — Enormous trees — Luculia gratissima — Khawa river, rocks of — Arrive at Tambur —

Shingle and gravel terraces — Natives, indolence of — Canoe ferry — Votive offerings — Bad road — Temperature, etc. — Chingtam village, view from — Mywa river and Guola — House — Boulders —

Chain-bridge — Meepo, arrival of — Fevers.

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 — Jatamansi —

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.

CHAPTER X.

Return from Wallanchoon pass — Procure a bazaar at village — Dance of Lamas — Blackening face, Tibetan custom of — Temple and convent — Leave for Kanglachem pass — Send part of party back to Dorjiling — Yangma Guola — Drunken Tibetans — Guobah of Wallanchoon — Camp at foot of Great Moraine — View from top — Geological speculations — Height of moraines — Cross dry lake-bed — Glaciers — More moraines — Terraces — Yangma temples — Jos, books and furniture —

Peak of Nango — Lake — Arrive at village — Cultivation — Scenery — Potatos — State of my provisions — Pass through village —

Gigantic boulders — Terraces — Wild sheep — Lake-beds — Sun’s power — Piles of gravel and detritus — Glaciers and moraines —

Pabuk, elevation of — Moonlight scene — Return to Yangma —

Temperature, etc. — Geological causes of phenomena in valley —

Scenery of valley on descent.

CHAPTER XI.

Ascend to Nango mountain — Moraines — Glaciers — Vegetation —

Rhododendron Hodgsoni — Rocks — Honeycombed surface of snow — Perpetual snow — Top of pass — View — Elevation — Geology —

Distance of sound — Plants — Temperature — Scenery — Cliffs of granite and hurled boulders — Camp — Descent — Pheasants — Larch — Himalayan pines — Distribution of Deodar, note on —

Tassichooding temples — Kambachen village — Cultivation — Moraines in valley, distribution of — Picturesque lake-beds, and their vegetation — Tibetan sheep and goats — Cryptogramma crispa

— Ascent to Choonjerma pass — View of Junnoo — Rocks of its summit — Misty ocean — Nepal peaks — Top of pass — Temperature, and observations — Gorgeous sunset — Descent to Yalloong valley —

Loose path — Night scenes — Musk deer.

CHAPTER XII.

Yalloong valley — Find Kanglanamo pass closed — Change route for the southward — Picrorhiza — View of Kubra —

Rhododendron Falconeri — Yalloong river — Junction of gneiss and clay-slate — Cross Yalloong range — Yiew — Descent — Yew —

Vegetation — Misty weather — Tongdam village — Khabang — Tropical vegetation — Sidingbah mountain — View of Kinchinjunga —

Yangyading village — Slopes of hills, and courses of rivers —

Khabili valley — Ghorkha Havildar’s bad conduct — Ascend Singalelah — Plague of ticks — Short commons — Cross Islumbo pass — Boundary of Sikkim — Kulhait valley — Lingcham — Reception by Kajee — Hear of Dr. Campbell’s going to meet Rajah — Views in valley — Leave for Teesta river — Tipsy Kajee — Hospitality — Murwa beer — Temples — Acorus Calamus — Long Mendong — Burning of dead —

Superstitions — Cross Great Rungeet — Boulders, origin of —

Purchase of a dog — Marshes — Lamas — Dismiss Ghorkhas — Bhoteea house — Murwa beer.

CHAPTER XIII.

Raklang pass — Uses of nettles — Edible plants — Lepcha war —

Do-mani stone — Neongong — Teesta valley — Pony, saddle, etc. —

Meet Campbell — Vegetation and scenery — Presents — Visit of Dewan — Characters of Rajah and Dewan — Accounts of Tibet — Lhassa —

Siling — Tricks of Dewan — Walk up Teesta — Audience of Rajah —

Lamas — Kajees — Tchebu Lama, his character and position — Effects of interview — Heir-apparent — Dewan’s house — Guitar — Weather — Fall of river — Tibet officers — Gigantic trees — Neongong lake — Mainom, ascent of — Vegetation — Camp on snow — Silver-firs —

View from top — Kinchin, etc. — Geology — Vapours — Sunset effect — Elevation — Temperature, etc. — Lamas of Neongong — Temples —

Religious festival Bamboo, flowering — Recross pass of Raklang —

Numerous temples, villages, etc. — Domestic animals — Descent to Great Rungeet.

CHAPTER XIV.

Tassiding, view of and from — Funereal cypress — Camp at Sunnook —

Hot vapours — Lama’s house — Temples, decorations, altars, idols, general effect — Chaits — Date of erection — Plundered by Ghorkas — Cross Ratong — Ascend to Pemiongehi — Relation of riverbeds to strike of rocks — Slopes of ravines — Pemiongehi, view of —

Vegetation — Elevation — Temple, decorations, etc. — Former capital of Sikkim — History of Sikkim — Nightingales — Campbell departs — Tchonpong — Edgeworthia — Cross Rungbee and Ratong — Hoar-frost on plantains — Yoksun — Walnuts — View —

Funereal cypresses — Doobdi — Gigantic cypresses — Temples —

Snow-fall — Sikkim, etc. — Toys.

CHAPTER XV.

Leave Yoksun for Kinchinjunga — Ascend Ratong valley —

Salt-smuggling over Ratong — Landslips — Plants — Buckeem —

Blocks of gneiss — Mon Lepcha — View — Weather — View from Gubroo — Kinchinjunga, tops of — Pundimcliff — Nursing — Vegetation of Himalaya — Coup d’oeil of Jongri — Route to Yalloong — Arduous route of salt-traders from Tibet — Kinchin, ascent of — Lichens —

Surfaces sculptured by snow and ice — Weather at Jongri — Snow —

Shades for eyes.

CHAPTER XVI.

Ratong river below Mon Lepcha — Ferns — Vegetation of Yoksun, tropical — Araliaceae, fodder for cattle — Rice-paper plant — Geology of Yoksun — Lake — Old temples — Funereal cypresses —

Gigantic chart — Altars — Songboom — Weather — Catsuperri —

Velocity of Ratong — Worship at Catsuperri lake — Scenery — Willow — Lamas and ecclesiastical establishments of Sikkim — Tengling —

Changachelling temples and monks — Portrait of myself on walls —

Block of mica-schist — Lingcham Kajee asks for spectacles —

Hee-hill — Arrive at Little Rungeet — At Dorjiling — Its deserted and wintry appearance.

CHAPTER XVII.

Dispatch collections — Acorns — Heat — Punkabaree — Bees —

Vegetation — Haze — Titalya — Earthquake — Proceed to Nepal frontier — Terai, geology of — Physical features of Himalayan valleys — Elephants, purchase of, etc. — Riverbeds — Mechi river — Return to Titalya — Leave for Teesta — Climate of plains —

Jeelpigoree — Cooches — Alteration in the appearance of country by fires, etc. — Grasses — Bamboos — Cottages — Rajah of Cooch Behar — Condition of people — Hooli festival — Ascend Teesta — Canoes — Cranes — Forest — Baikant-pore — Rummai — Religion — Plants at foot of mountains — Exit of Teesta — Canoe voyage down to Rangamally — English genera of plants — Birds — Beautiful scenery — Botanizing on elephants — Willow — Siligoree — Cross Terai —

Geology — Iron — Lohar-ghur — Coal and sandstone beds — Mechi fisherman — Hailstorm — Ascent to Kursiong — To Dorjiling —

Vegetation — Geology — Folded quartz-beds — Spheres of feldspar —

Lime deposits.

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

LITHOGRAPHIC VIEWS.

Fig. I. The Dhak, Butea frondosa, and Cochlospermum gossypium, with the Kymore Hills in the background. p.53

Fig. II. View of Kinchinjunga from Mr. Hodgson’s bungalow at Dorjiling, from a sketch by W. Tayler, Esq., B.C.S. Frontispiece.

Fig. III. From Chingtam, looking up the Tambur Valley. p.196

Fig. VI. Nango mountain, from the summit of the great moraine in Yangma Valley, looking eastward. p.232

Fig. V. Junnoo mountain from the Choonjerma Pass. p.264

WOOD ENGRAVINGS.

Fig. 1. Old tamarind trees. p.17

Fig. 2. Crossing the Soane River above Tura, with the Kymore Hills in the background. p.47

Fig. 3. Equatorial sun-dial, Benares Observatory. p.74

Fig. 4. Equinoctial sun-dial, Benares Observatory. p.75

Fig. 5. Azimuth circle, Benares Observatory. p.76

Fig. 6. Monghyr on the Ganges. p.88

Fig. 7. Punkabaree, Sikkim Terai, and Balasun River. The trees in the foreground are Araliaceae. p.105

Fig. 8. Lepcha girl and Boodhist priest. From a sketch by Miss Colvile. p.129

Fig. 9. Pinus longifolia, in the great Rungeet Valley. p.148

Fig. 10. Construction of a cane suspension-bridge. p.149

Fig. 11. Lepcha boy carrying a bamboo water-vessel. From a sketch by Miss Colvile. p.156

Fig. 12. Amulet usually worn by Lepchas. p.161

Fig. 13. Trunk-like root of Wightia gigantea, ascending a tree, which its stout rootlets clasp. p.164

Fig. 14. Interior of Boodhist temple at Simonbong. p.172

Fig. 15. Trumpet made of a human thigh-bone. p.173

Fig. 16. Tibetan amulet set with turquoises. p.176

Fig. 17. Head of Tibet Mastiff. From a sketch taken in the zoological gardens by C. Jenyns, Esq. p.203

Fig. 18. View on the Tambur River, with Ambies brunoniana.

p.207

Fig. 19. Wallanchoon village, East Nepal. p.210

Fig. 20. Head of a Tibetan demon. From a model