Part 107 - Gifts from the Maharaja in Bumthang and hot springs visit

1 page

SUMMARY:
After bathing at the hot springs, the party received gifts from the Maharaja via eight men from Bumthang, including rice, butter, cloth, a dagger, silver lime boxes, and potatoes, with plans to return the cloth to Trashigang. Flower collecting has been modest, and they expect to write multiple letters of thanks. Pimbo probed why locals discouraged their movements, learning it may be due to fears of them digging for valuables and disturbing earth spirits.

CONTENT:
a bath at the hot springs. There are several places banked up to make it possible to sit in water 2 ft deep, just as hot, or hotter, than one likes. I felt much better after a good bath. When we came back we found that a party of 8 men had arrived with presents from the Maharaja & Co in Bumthang. They brought 2 maunds of rice, 2 maunds of butter(!), about 3 maunds of cloth of various kinds, a dagger, silver lime boxes and a maund of potatoes. We kept all but will return the cloth to Trashigang by the same people. We have not done much in the way of flower collecting between us. I think we have perhaps 6 or 8 good things collected in these six days. However we have found out a good deal about the country and something of the people. The worst about the presents is that they mean that tomorrow we must write to Bumthang no less than seven letters of thanks each! Pimbo has been trying to get to the bottom of why these people have been doing their utmost to put us off wandering about the countryside. The only likely true answer he can get, is that they were afraid we would try to dig up 'pearls' or gold or other valuable stones, and so, of course disturb the earth spirits. Beyond that I think