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

BOOTAN. 57dismounted from my horse, and loitered away much time in cullingthe ripest from the banks. 1 was much pleased with the recognitionof many well known English plants, such as docks, nettles, primroses,and dog-rose bushes, which were now in full bloom. The cuckoo'scall, brought strongly to my imagination, the season and situations,in which I had formerly listened to that harbinger of spring; andthe harmony of various other birds gave additional force to theimpression.We now passed one of the numberless cascades, which,rolling over mossy stones, seek concealment in the groves below.Themountains here began to wear some marks of husbandry and fertility,and many large spaces of ground were dressed for cultivation, beingsown with different kinds of grain.NearPunugga there was a very fine crop of barley almost fitfor reaping:here too were the first pine trees I had seen in Bootan, some ashes,and peach trees.The summits of the mountains in this day's journeywere constantly concealed by the clouds. We travelled the greatestpart of the way through these clouds, and feltthe air extremely chillv.It was five o'clock when we came to Punugga, a village situated inahollow, and surrounded with mountains for tiie most part coveredwith pines, along whose sides clouds were perpetually flitting.Afterthe sun had withdrawn it became very cold, and we ^vere all glad tohave recourse to a lively fire, made of the turpentine fir.On the bordersof this village, were many large heaps of fir leaves, collected, Iwas told, for the purpose of manuring the ground.They are heapedtogether as they fall from the trees, and left to ferment and rot, inwhich state they are esteemed excellent manure.