her to the base of
the walls, while beneath the Bhagmutty wound its tortuous course to the
romantic gorge in the mountains, through which it leaves this favoured
valley to traverse lazily the uninteresting plains of upper India.

A peak of the gigantic Himaleh, bursting through the bank of clouds which
had hitherto obscured it, reared its snow-capped summit far up towards
the skies, and completed this noble prospect.

Crossing the river, we proceeded to visit the temple sacred to Bhood, the
resort of the numerous tribes of Bhootiyas, or inhabitants of the
highlands of Thibet and Chinese Tartary, who perform annual pilgrimages
hither in the winter, but are obliged to return to their homes early in
the spring, being unable to endure the heat of a Nepaulese summer.

This remarkable building was visible some time before we reached it, and
is of the form peculiar to Bhuddist places of worship in other parts of
the world, but more particularly in Anuradhupoora and the ancient cities
of Ceylon, the ruins of which bear testimony to the existence of larger
Dagobas than that before which the followers of the Bhuddist faith
worship in the valley of Katmandu.

The pyramidal summit was gorgeously gilt, and terminated in a huge bell
adorned in the same glittering manner, producing a brilliant effect as it
brightly reflected the rays of the noonday sun. The massive stone
platform on which the Dagoba stood was square; the ascent to it on each
side was by a broad flight of steps, but, on the lower part of the
pyramid, staring Chinese-looking eyes, painted in brilliant colours,
detracted considerably from the imposing effect which a massive pile of
stone and brick, not less than 120 feet high, would otherwise have
produced.

We rode round it in a sort of court-yard, enclosed by small two-storied
houses, which were very filthy, and out of which emerged men, women, and
children, very filthy also; we were soon encompassed by a crowd of the
most disreputable, dissolute-looking wretches imaginable. The women were
dressed in thick woollen gowns, which had once been red, and reached a
little below the knee; these were loosely fastened round the waist,
remaining open or closed above as the case might be. The children,
notwithstanding the inclement temperature, were in the cool and airy
costume common to the rising generation in the East. The men were
dressed exactly like the women; their matted hair and beard, flat noses,
and wide eyes,