A MEDICAL HARVEST. 249

aud grasses. As they came, descending from the
mountains, supported by their long staves and
bearing these burdens, they appeared more like
poaching woodcutters than like future doctors in
medicine. M. Huc, after describing these botani-
cal gatherings, says :—‘* We were often obliged to
escort In person those of the number who had
special charge of the aromatic plants; for our
cainels, which, attracted by the odour, always put
themselves in pursuit of these personages, would
otherwise inevitably, and without the smallest
scruple, have devoured those precious simples des-
tined for the relief of suffering humanity.” The
remainder of the day was occupied in cleaning and
spreading out on mats these various products of
the vegetable kingdom. This medical harvest con-
tinued eight whole days; five more were devoted
to the selection and classification of the various
articles, and on the fourteenth day a small portion
was given to each student, the greater proportion
remaining the property of the Faculty of Medicine.
On the fifteenth day a festival was kept, when a
grand banquet of tea, with milk, barleymeal, little
cakes fried in butter, and boiled mutton, regaled
the neophytes of the Lamasery. Thus terminated
this very original and amusing /éte champétre, or
botanico-medical expedition, and the ilustrious
Faculty gaily returned to IXounboum.