[[1]]
Momay Samdong,
Lachoong [Lachung] river
Thibet [Tibet] frontier
Sept 13 1849. (received Nov 26)
My dear Father,
I wrote to you the other day from Yeumtong, a march below this place, & since then I have been into Thibet [Tibet], by a fourth wall[?], the Donkiah Pass. This is N.W. of Chumalari, about 30 miles, &(like Lama--Kongra), far beyond the main range of the Himalayah [Himalaya].
The Pass is about 18,000 ft, quite unlike the Nepal ones, being a very narrow wall--like ridge between the two great mts [mountains], Donkiah--Lah & Kinchin--jhow --On either side the Pass (N.& S.) & at nearly equal elevation, on lofty plains, 17,000 ft, out of which these grand mts rise. On this side, the Lachoong river springsissues from lakes at the foot of Donkiah; from the opposite (Thibet sides) the Lachen rises, also from lakes, on the plains of Cholamoo. The Lachoong flows South to Choongtam, the Lachen in Thibet N.W. to Kongra Lama where I visited it, then it turns South & enters Sikkim, between Kinchin jhow & Chomiomo, & then[?] flows South to Choongtam, where
[[2]] this meets& the Lachoong unite. From the top of the Pass I had a most splendid view, for 60 miles north, into Thibet -- first ofcame extreme plains, dunes & low rocky hills eminences, utterly barren & red from the quantity of the quartz, tinged with oxide[sic] of iron, which I found to form the hills, north of Kongra--Lama: beyond that again, & as far as the eye could scan, were ranges of rocky mts, sprinkled with snow & of comparatively moderate elevation. From Kongra Lama, at 16,000 ft the viewprospect was wretched enough, that from hence no language can convey an idea of the horrible desolation & sterility of the scene.-- "a howling wilderness" is the only meet term; there was neither grandeur in the mts, nor beauty in the valleys to invite the traveller*1 In coloring, form of the land & mountains, & then composition & stratification, it strangely reminded me of the Egyptian desert. -- The rocks were disposed in horizontal strata, cropping out on the M't [mountain] faces, & broken into low crags, along their tops; not even lending fantastic shapes to relieve the eye. Range after range
[[3]] was like its fellow, untill[sic] in the far distance, one rangeloftier than the rest, black, rugged & heavily snowed in some places, shut out any more distant horizon. The whole landscape sloped N.W., & the ranges were East & West, so that I docan not doubt the truth of the unanimous assertion of the people, that all the waters, from north of my position & west of the Painomchoo, are feeders of the Arun, which enters Nipal [Nepal] far west of Kinchinjunga [Kanchenjunga] The water--shed of the Yarrow (Tsampo) is, I presume, the lofty distant range I beheld; but any such general features are far beyond the grasp of a Bhottan's intellect. The people do not distinguish these ranges at all,: they are so uniform & the few roads wind amongst & over them in so tortuous a manner, that they tellassure me, that all the way, between the Himal[aya]. & Yarrow, you see neither one nor other of these grand geographical features until each is the terminus of your
[[4]][a sketched map of the mountain ranges discussed in the letter appears at the top of the page. Labelled: Thibet, lat 28 N. Mountains, rivers and geological features are indicated with some elevations included: Chomiomo 20000, Plains 16000, Kinchin jhow 22000, Cholamo plains 17000, Donkiah Lah 23000 ft, Chumalari 24000, very lofty snowy mts, very lofty Snows, a noeud of Snowy mts., Tunkra, Lachen [river], Choongtan [river], Lachoong [river], Machoo [river], Bhotan]
*2 Cultivation of Turnips is carried on by the migratory Thibetans on the South flank of Kinchin jhow at 16000ft.
day's march -- flat-floored valleys & rocky mt ranges of moderate elevation art the daily marches from Sikkim to Digarchi. The Cholamo lakes & plains, which have been so long the objects of my ambition, are much exaggerated, features; the lakes being absolutely inferior in size & number to those of Lachoong on this side, & the plains less extreme
[[5]] than I expected. The plains I did not think it worth while to descend to the plain at the risk of breaking my instruments; for it beingis continuous with Kongra Lama which I measured, & there was no mistaking the average level from the top of the Pass to be otherwisethan identical with that of the similar plains on the south face ie.about 17,000 ft. (I have no comparative observations from Darjiling [Darjeeling], yet to work by). It is moreover [1 word crossed out, illeg.] quite impossible to [1 word crossed out, illeg.] form an estimate of a surface so uneven by one or two measurements: in short, I saw nothing to be gained by the precipitous approach, but great hazard to my instruments & a dreadful accession of my already tormenting headaches.
The snow--line is about 17,500 ft. on the S. slope of the barren--range, & 18,000 on the North (i.e. Thibetan) slope. I consider it not above 14,700 on the south face of Kinchin junga, which you know is far South of this.; & at Tunkra, (which is at about the middle parallel of the Snows) it is also about 14,700. As to the height
[[6]] of the Thibetan plateau, it was 16000 ft at Kongra Lama & 17000 at Cholamo, the latter station is however close up to the mts, & hence 16000 is perhaps the average, whence the slope is not continuous to the Yarrow, but broken up by so infinite a number of ranges & valleys, that I do not see what results can be deduced from any thing short of a journey the whole way. That is out of the question, at present the Sikkim opposition to visiting the Passes at all is bad enough, & beyond our Chinese outposts, travelling off the main roads is impracticable & there is neither fire wood any where nor pasturage for Yaks except in frequented places -- even these cis Thibetan marches are difficult, where I now am, about 2000 feet above the top of Mt Blanc, we have many miles to send for our scanty supply of Rhododendron twigs for firewood. it is very cold & we have constant headaches & sickness, which though not real evils are great impediments. I am completely cut off now from
[[7]] Dorjiling & have not had a bit of drink[?] for a month & a half, whence I have recourse to soda from Thibet --A dog stole all my fresh meat the other night & I have but 3 candles remaining. Roads & bridges are all swept away & the last coolies that came were 23 days from Dorjiling. -- The Singtam Soubah accompanies me to the Pass & being unable to move me from this profitable position for my pursuits, was obliged from cold & headache to leave me yesterday, to my great relief & his unspeakable annoyance. --
What keeps me here is the very curious Flora though not so much in species as Kongra Lama & the Thibetan plains, where however, I am getting a set of most curious new things from between 17& 19000 ft. woolly Lactuceae & Senecioneae like Culcitium Gentians, Chrysanthemum, Saxifrage of course Cyananthi & some very odd things indeed. They are extremely scarce & require a great deal of hunting for, sometimes a set but one or two specimens of a kind & poking with a headache is very disagreeable.
The mountain scenery is indescribably grand, there is an amphitheatre of rocks & snow at the foot of Kinchin jhow that I cannotshould not attempt to describe, on two sides scarped cliffs of gneiss with Eurite veins <rise abruptly, capped with snow, which> *3
[[8]] streams in glaciers down every gulley. In front the wall of Kinchin jhow rises as a glacier 4000 ft nearly perpendicular to the appearance, a grand blue curtain it is, reaching from heaven to earth except where a little black rock appears & there icicles 50 feet long run along in lines like organ pipes; the lower part of the valley in 4th side of the area, is shut off by a sharp ridge of debris swept down from the glacier above, 500 ft high, & all within is a maze of cones of snow coveredladen with masses of rocks rising about 50 or 80 feet from the floor of the snow -- This valley is about 2 miles broad each way & I can compare it to nothing but the crater of a stupendous volcano, where little enclosed cones of fire have been suddenly turned to ice. Today I went up the flanks of Donkiah to 18000 ft -- Each amongst the knot of snowy peaks west of Chumalari & such gulfs, craters, plains & mountains of Snow are surely not where else to be found without the Polar circles. Of course I have seen nothing to compare for mass & continuity with Victoria Land. but the mountains especially Kinchin jhow are beyond all description beautiful -- from which ever
[[9]] side you view this latter mountain it is a castle of pure blue glacier ice, 4,000 ft high, & 6 or 8 miles long. I do wish I were not the only person, who has ever seen it, or dwelt amongst its wonders. I have now been north, South, East & west of it, up it & down it, to 16,000, 17,000 & 18,000 ft,; & every view enchants me more than another.
Today I had a most dismal accident with my instruments, which being howeverthough the only [1 word crossed out, illeg.] mishap of any importance since I left England, I should not much complain of. I went up ascended to 17,500 ft. & set up the tripod with Barometer, & the wet & dry bulb thermometers all hanging to it, & was busy trying to make a Panorama of the frontier mts for you, especially of Kinchin jhow & Donkiah, which were in all their grandeur on either side, with the broad plains & blue Lakes of Lachoong at my feet, & the rugged crested rocks & intermediate peaked mts of the Pass in front, all backed by the blue sky of Thibet. I had taken but a few observations, when a snow storm came on [1 word crossed out, illeg.]sudden as a Thunder clap, & sent tripod & all flying! As this is my only Barometer for measuring great heights, I really could have cried with vexation; I have carried it two years nearly on my own back & the thermometers were the identical& only ones with which, since leaving
[[10]] England I have taken several thousand observations. -- down hill I went & there was the tripod lying with the Barometer on its back between its legs, like a free--mason's--sign, the thermometers so smashed that my curious Lepchas could not find a scrap of the glass, & the Barometer, the most fragile in mostinstances of all, uninjured! I could not believe my senses until I re--hung it up found it read to a thousandth of an inch to what it did before & now in my tent I cannot find a particleof injury -- This is the instrument Henslow gave me, -- it was fairly pitched down, it fell headlong down hill & on hard rock. --The wet & dry bulb therm[ometer] Sabine sent me will just come in on time. I am also very glad of the Barometer tubes from Newman, whose instruments for accuracy portability & durability are unrivalled.
I do not know how long I shall be here, the Rhododendrons will fruit in October & November, before which I shall have descended to their level. I was greatly pleased with finding my most Antarctic plant, Lecanora miniata, at the top of the Pass, & today I saw stony hills at 19000 ft stained wholly orange red
[[11]] with it, exactly as the rocks of Cockburn Island were in 64 South, is this not most curious & interesting; -- to find the identical plant the forming the only vegetation at the two extreme limits of vegetable life is always interesting, but to find it absolutely in both instances painting a landscape so as to berender its color conspicuous, in each case 5 miles off is wonderful. L[ecidea?]. geographica also ascends to 18000 ft but I miss Usnea melaxantha of which I have a but a dubious variety. We have both rangiferina & Islandica chysoleucaor something like it, a few Gyrophoras, Gelida[?] I think & others also coccifera & stereocaulon -- vermicularis is as common as in the Falkland Islands[.]
Usnea weep in all the webbiana woods, pendulous for 12 & 15 feet from the branches, the pale yellow coma forms a curious contrast to the black green of the Pine foliage.
I forget whether I told you that I ascended the Perp[etual] Snow from Yeumtang, at about 15500 ft & gathered a good many curious & some new plants. I also visited the hot springs at 11000 ft, which are slightly Sulph. Hydr. Temp[aratue] 112o -- oneconferva grows in them -- the stream flows from low[?]masses of Gneiss in a thick wood of webbiana -- Here are 16000 ft there is a
[[12]]much larger hot spring of similar properties & temperature, it rises from the broad mossy floor of a valley close to a bed of perpetual snow. I shot the Thibet marmot close by & caught a great Cormorant on his way from Lhassa to the Ganges -- This is the migratory season & we have Larks, finches, wagtails & the Hoopoe --of insects very few, two butterflies, a small blue Polyommatus & an Argynnis very Scotchy like as all the Geometrae. Aphodius Staphyleas & a very few Curculionideaeare all the beetles I have bottled. I lost a splendid bottle full of Kinchin jhow beetles the other day, collected in August. both species & specimens are extremely rare above 12000 ft.
I send two more packets of seeds I got seeds of the 4thsp[ecies]. of Meconopsiswhich grows at 18000 ft. I will send it next opportunity it is not dry yet: -- I have sent seeds of all the others -- splendid things they are[.]
Best love to my mother Bessy & all from your most affectionate & |grateful son| Jos D Hooker [signature]
ENDNOTES
1. The text which runs from here to 'Egyptian desert' is written vertically up the left margin of page 2.
2. This note is written vertically up the left margin of page 4.
3. The last line of page 7 is obscured by tape, the 'transcription' is taken from a quote in a published extract of the letter in "A fourth Excursion to the Passes into Thibet by the Donkiah Lah." By J.D. Hooker. Journal of the Royal Geographical Society of London, 1851, pp49-52
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