hery: that
a new one had been permanently appointed: but that the usurper did not
wish us to come on. Tongsa, however, said that after we have come so
far, we should advance, and that we may settle our plans at his place.

_February 5th_.--Left: descended immediately from the town to the
bridge over the Monass. The descent is steep but winding, the face of
the hill being nearly precipitous. Close to the river we passed a small
field of Cajanus, used for feeding the lac insect. The bridge is a
suspension one, the chains, one on either side, being of iron in square
links; the curve is considerable, in the form of the letter V, the sides
being of mat. Hence it is difficult to cross, and this is increased by
the bridge swinging about considerably: it is seventy yards in span, and
about thirty above the Monass.

The Monass is 1,300 feet below Benka, it is a large river, the banks
being about eighty yards apart, but this space is not generally filled
with water. Its violence is extreme.

We continued along this river some time, gradually rising from its bed
until we ascended nearly 1,000 feet. We continued at this elevation
until we reached Nulka, to which place we descended a little. The whole
march was through a barren, rocky, burnt-up country. The Monass was in
sight nearly the whole distance. Passed two villages, both small, one on
the right and one on the left bank of the river. No change in vegetation
occurred except that we came upon pines, P. longifolia about a mile and a
half from Nulka, coming into flower. I am almost inclined to think this
is different from the Khasya species, Kurrimia, Indigofera pulchra,
Desmodium, Buddleia sp., were the only plants of a novel nature that
occurred. The hills are chiefly clothed with Andropogoneous grasses,
very little cultivation was observed, but there seemed to be more on high
hills to the east.

[Gradient Benka to Nulka: g229.jpg]

CHAPTER XII.

_Continuation of the journey in Bootan_.

The following table affords the result of observations made with the view
to determine the relation between temperature and altitude, in these
parts.

Difference of Difference of Value in height of
Temperature Elevation 1 degrees of Temperature

Benka and Monass, 13 degrees Fahr. 1,222 feet 94 feet

Benka and Nulka, 4 = 406 = 01-5/10

Benka and Khumna, 13 =