The only bird I saw was a Bucco, which in voice resembled the green one of the plains.
The elevation of Mamloo is 3,153, the temperature being at 7 A.M. 63°. The large metal thermometer rose at the boiling point to 206¼°: wooden one to 206½°: centigrade 96.7°: small metal 200°.
One of the most curious places about Churra is situated over the ridge in which the coal is found; on surmounting this, which is steep and perhaps 400 feet high, one soon commences to descend gradually until you come to a water-course; on proceeding along this a short way you come to a precipice. The water falling over this, has cut a deep well in the limestone: the road to the bottom is precipitous and dangerous. On reaching the water-course again no signs of the well are observable, access to this is gained by subterranean passages, of which two, now dry, exist. The scene inside is very striking; you stand on the rugged bottom of the well which is 70 or 80 feet deep, the part above corresponding to the fall, being of about the same depth; the water now escapes through a chasm below the bed of the well, the other fissures or passages being above, and probably now rarely letting off the water. After a severe fall of rain the scene must be grand.
November 4th.—Nonkreem 6½ A.M., thermometer 31°: hoarfrost. Marched hither from Surureem. Vegetation the same until you reach the Boga Panee, when Delphinium, Anemone, and Ranunculus make their appearance. On the high ridges before reaching Boga Panee, found an Astragalus; at Nonkreem, a Scrophularia. Nonkreem is a curious place, the village of no great size in a valley: the sides of the valley are covered with boulders; those at the entrance from Churra of huge size, and thrown together with great confusion. Pines at this place occur of some size, but they are distinctly limited in this direction to the granitic formation. The downs have now assumed a withered wintry appearance. Nonkreem is a great place for iron; this is found in coarse red sandstone, or it may be fine granite, forming precipices; this is scraped or pushed down by iron rods, it is then washed by a stream turned off on to it: the stream is dammed up, and the irony particles by their weight fall to the bottom: they are very heavy, of a dull blackish appearance. All the streams are of a whitish colour, and the rocks are covered with Cælogyne Wallichiana.
The elevation of Nonkreem is 4,578 feet, the temperature of the air being 52°. The large thermometer indicated boiling water 203°: centigrade 96½°: wooden 204°: small 197°. In the Nonkreem jheel, Alisma, Villarsia! and Potamogeton occur.
November 5th.—The march to Suneassa continues over high downs, the vegetation being precisely as before, viz. Cnicus, Carduus, Prunella Pedicularis, Gaultheria, Gnaphalia, Bromoid acroideum, Tussilaginoid Andropogon, Sphacelia Daucas, Hypericum, Hedychium, Polygonum rheoides, Smithia but rare, Tradescantia clavigera, Parnassia collina, Pteris aquilina, Euphorbia, Dipsacus, Salix, Osbeckia capitata, Æthionnia, Eriocaulon, Knoxia cordata, and Campanula. In short, the higher ridges have the vegetation of those between the Kala and Boga Panee, the less elevated, that of Surureem. Along the watercourses Pyrus, Betula, Corylifoliæ, and Eurya.
As one approaches Suneassa the ravines become wooded, and the aspect of country more diversified. The woods consist of a Castanea, 2 oaks, Rhododendron arboreum and R. punctatum, Panax, Eurya, Thebaudiaceæ variæ, no less than 4 or 5 of these, one is a Gaylussacia; Saccharum megala makes its appearance at Suneassa.
This is a small straggling village, on the brow of the ravine of the same name; it is like Moflong, each house being hidden by hedges composed as usual of Buddleia, Colquhounii, Solanum spirale? Erythrina, Ficus, and Rhus. Sugarcane, but of poor quality, is here cultivated, as well as capsicum, but this is also of inferior quality; the houses are worse than usual. Near this place several Nunklow plants appear, as Plectranthus cæruleus, Labiata foliis verticillatis of Suddya. Its elevation is 4,362 feet, the temperature being in the air, 59°. Big thermometer boiling point ditto 204°: wooden ditto 204°: small 198°: centigrade ditto 96°. Pines occur here and there towards Suneassa, but of no size and no abundance.
November 6th.—Left Suneassa and proceeded down the ravine which is probably 1,200 to 1,500 feet deep. The scenery is very pretty, the sides being much wooded; the woods open, consisting chiefly of pines, which are of moderate size, Gordonia, Castanea, and Quercus: Mimosea occurs, also Saurauja. The grasses are as before, except that the Anthisteria of Nunklow appears, with Volkameria, Verbena Primulacæ, and Osbeckia capitate, foliis lineari oblongis, floribus carneis. Towards the foot, the scenery still improves.
The woods consist of pines and a Quercus foliis castaneæ cupulis echinatis, Arbor mediocris; the slopes as well as the valley are cultivated chiefly for rice, this last often assuming the terrace fashion. The river is of considerable width, 50 to 60 yards, but of no depth: two here flow together, and at the end of the valley a still larger stream not fordable in the rains, at least where I crossed, meets it. On the streams at the base of the Suneassa acclivity, Salix, Ligustrum, Ficus frutex humelis, and a fine Indigofera occur. Moving thence along the valley the vegetation becomes tropical, although pines descend nearly to its level. Pontederia the small one of Bengal, ditto Sagittaria Vandelliæ, Poæ 3, Apluda, Cyperaceæ, Saccharum megala, and spontaneum, Elytrophorus, Ammannia, Erianthus, Cnicus! Artemisia as before, Arundo exalum, Cirsium, Carduus! Scitamineæ 2, Panicum curvatum, Setaria glauca, Swertia angustifolia! Volkameriæ sp., Ranunculus hirsutoideus! Zizania ciliaris.