Himalayan Journals — Volume 1: Or, Notes of a Naturalist in Bengal, the Sikkim and Nepal Himalayas, the Khasia Mountains, etc.Hooker, Joseph Dalton
History
Himalayan Journals — Volume 1: Or, Notes of a Naturalist in Bengal, the Sikkim and Nepal Himalayas, the Khasia Mountains, etc.
Hooker, Joseph Dalton
Himalaya Mountains -- Description and travel; Natural history -- Himalaya Mountains
I was premature in complaining of my Wallanchoon tents, those
provided for me at Yangma being infinitely worse, mere rags, around
which I piled sods as a defence from the insidious piercing
night-wind that descended from the northern glaciers in calm, but
most keen, breezes. There was no food to be procured in the village,
except a little watery milk, and a few small watery potatos.
The latter have only very recently been introduced amongst the
Tibetans, from the English garden at the Nepalese capital, I believe,
and their culture has not spread in these regions further east than
Kinchinjunga, but they will very soon penetrate into Tibet from
Dorjiling, or eastward from Nepal. My private stock of provisions
--consisting chiefly of preserved meats from my kind friend
Mr. Hodgson--had fallen very low; and I here found to my dismay that
of four remaining two-pound cases, provided as meat, three contained
prunes, and one _"dindon aux truffes!"_ Never did luxuries come more
inopportunely; however the greasy French viand served for many a
future meal as sauce to help me to bolt my rice, and according to the
theory of chemists, to supply animal heat in these frigid regions.
As for my people, they were not accustomed to much animal food; two
pounds of rice, with ghee and chilis, forming their common diet under
cold and fatigue. The poorer Tibetans, especially, who undergo great
privation and toil, live almost wholly on barley-meal, with tea, and
a very little butter and salt: this is not only the case with those
amongst whom I mixed so much, but is also mentioned by MM. Huc and
Gabet, as having been observed by them in other parts of Tibet.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account