The castle is an ill-built, and worse arranged building, the windows and loopholes being so placed as to afford every facility for shooting into the air.  In a court-yard, several tiger skins brought from the plains, are suspended.

It now appears that this Pillo, who said previously that the new Deb was never installed, is himself an usurper, previously handing the old Deb from the throne.  This latter personage appears to be by far the more popular of the two.  The Pillo must now have great influence, as all the posts in his division, are either held by his own sons, or by his more influential servants.  The sons by the bye are, so long as they remain in the presence, treated like ordinary servants.  Joongar is held by one of his sons, a lad of about eighteen, of plain but pleasing appearance and of good manners.  He visited us yesterday, and his newly acquired rank sat easily on him.  The old Pillo no doubt owes his rank to his having been the father of the lad chosen to be Dhurma Rajah, he is himself very evidently low-born and low-bred, and compared with the former one, so poor a specimen, that the greater popularity of the former is not to be wondered at.  From all we have heard, they are contemptible rulers, as they appear to do nothing but intrigue for power among themselves.  Changes are hence excessively frequent, and were they attended with much bloodshed, the country would be depopulated.

This evening we had ample proof that the Bhootea houses are not water-proof.  Heavy showers occurred with thunder and dense clouds from the south-west.

March 23rd.—­We left Tongsa, proceeding through the castle, and thence struck down to the river Mateesun.  The descent was very steep, and amounted to about 1,200 feet.  The river is crossed by an ordinary bridge, it is a large and violent stream and contains fish, some of which, seen by Blake, were of large size.  Crossing this, we continued throughout the remainder of the march, gradually rising along the ridges bounding the Tongsa river.  We continued rising until we reached our halting place, Taseeling.  In one or two places, the road was completely built up; ascending by zig-zags up, in some degree, perpendicular cliffs.  The distance was seven miles.

Proceeding to the bridge, observed Rubus deltoideus, Pomacea, Quercus tomentosa, Artemisia major, Cycnium, Gaultheria arborea and fruticosa, Buddlaea, Quercus altera, Indigofera cana, Gaylussacia serratoides, Hedera, Thibaudia myrtifolia, Pomacea sauraugifolia, Viburnum caerulescens, Quercus robur budding, Pterogonium, Fragaria, Duchesnia.

The remaining hills were much similar, generally very bare, clothed with partial woods of Q. tomentosa, Rhododendron minus; the oak changing to Q. robur, as we increased our elevation.  Near the bridge noticed Bucklandia, Erythrina, which is likewise found at Tongsa, Maesa salicifolia, Urena lobata, Cnicus, Mimosea!  Arbuscula inermis, Senecio scandens in flower, Araliacea subscandens, Didymocarp. contort., a Solenia, Betuloideus, Panax curcifolia, Alnus, Arundo, Anthistiria arundinacea, Cerasus, Tricerta unisexualis, at 6,000 feet.