An Embassy to the Court of the Teshoo Lama in Tibet - Prajna Quest

;18 4 BOOTAN.the valley, and when we rose in the morning, the tops of the mountainswere covered with it. The harvest had been gathered in here,and we saw them thrashing out the grain, but not after the activeexample of the maids of Paro ; for the straw was spread upon theground, and a couple of oxen, driven round in a circle, trod it out.We travelled up a narrow valley, on Friday the l^th of September,between the mountains, near the river, which poured a perfect torrent,foaming violently among the huge masses of stone thatobstructed itscourse. It was augmented by the way with many currents, flowingfrom the mountains on the right and left : the road was rocky, witha moderate but perccpiible ascent.In our progress this day, we were presented with many beautiful andhighly romantic views. The sides of the mountains thinly cloathedwith unthrifty pines, the rapid How, and hollow roar of the river,partly concealed by clustering trees, enclosed in high verdant banks,which rose,as they receded, into bold bare rocks, with here and therea fir starting from a crevice, while other ridges appeared completelycovered with them, served altogether to combine the most striking featuresof wild naturein her barren^ as well as her most luxuiiant dress.It was past noon when we arrived at Sana, eleven miles from Dukkajeung,and the last village in Bootan.It consisted of about ten housesand we were welcomed to the best of them, by a brisk landlady, witha round fat fiicc and little black eyes, who suffered no want to remainunsatisfied, which her interest and activity could gratify.Our room washung with military accoutrements, martial caps, and the cane-coiledshield, with quivers, bows and arrou s ; all of which seemed to have