Along the bed of the river, Hippophæ is the most common plant. Lastly, a few trees occur of Q. ilecifolia, which assumes a very handsome character, looking much like a Conifera at some distance, one group occurs near the village, and a solitary tree or two elsewhere. The other woody vegetables are Rosa fructibus hispidis, Cycnium, Pomacea arbuscula, and one or two other deciduous shrubs. The willow tree is also common.
March 1st.—Marched to Byagur, we were told that the march was a short one, and that we should continue throughout along the Bhoomlungtung river, which is called Tung-chiew. We did keep along this for about two miles, when we struck off into the hills passing through a village, we continued rising for perhaps 1,000 feet, when we descended to a small nullah. Leaving this we commenced an ascent, and a very long one too, and continued to ascend until we surmounted the ridge overlooking the river, on which Byagur or Iugur is situated. To the place we descended, the march was fourteen miles, direction westerly. Highest ground traversed about 9,500 feet high. Road throughout winding round and up hills, through woods of Abies pendula: nothing of interest occurred. Magpies, crows, chatterer feeding on pine cones, common in woods at 9,000 feet. Passed two or three villages, all containing ruined houses. Direction we pursued was that of the Tung-chiew river, until we reached the ridge guiding the Byagur river to it: their junction takes place two or three miles below this place, Cycnium occurred on the road in plenty, also Sarcococea.
Horseshoe curlew, the same as we shot at Daimara, common in the Tung-chiew, along which the chief shrubs are Hippophæ and Elæagnus, particularly in the islets which are not uncommon in its bed. The common water wagtail also occurs.
I find that the root of the common Potentilla is used here, as about Nunklow, as a substitute for sooparee, it is unpleasantly astringent. Observed Rhododendron microphylla on the loftier ground; very high land, 18,000 feet visible to the south along the course of Tung-chiew, covered with heavy snow: Abies pendula is occasionally a beautiful tree, 100 feet high, and in appearance something like a cedar, the finest occurs at a monastery under a bluff rock, about one and a half mile from Bhoomlungtung on the Tung-chiew; Daphne papyriferæ occurred at 9,000 feet. The heaps of earth piled up in the fields before sowing, consist of burnt rubbish, the ashes are subsequently spread out. The manure consists entirely of vegetables: here I find that the pine leaves are piled up, and formed into manure by fermentation.
March 2nd.—Byagur, the Soobah’s house is about 500 feet above us, and is a huge rambling edifice. We are in a village situated in a rather capacious valley, percolated by a large river, twice the size of the Tung-chiew, which is crossed by an ordinary bridge, the river runs close to the hills, which form the left bank, the right is a sort of plain, occupied by wheat cultivation, and which has apparently at a former period, been the bed of the river. In this valley other villages are visible, but they are small, and nothing indicates either fertility or prosperity. The valley is surrounded on all sides by high mountains, those towards Bhoomlungtung being lowest. To the north-east very high land is visible. The ridge which separates us from Tongse is, in the highest parts, certainly 12,000 feet, and covered with snow. The people are dirty to an excess.
Crow, sparrow, Alauda, are the birds here. Saw a fox, an animal of some size, with a beautiful brush. The botany is poor, the hills are clothed with the usual grasses, abundance of Abies pendula. The khets or fields present the old Lamium and Crucifera. The only trees are one of Q. ilecifolia, and one or two of Salix lanata.
March 3rd.—Cycnium is found here, but is put to no use. The crops which are now springing up are very poor, the soil being extremely bad, they are irrigated by means of canals, but terraces are not in use, the ground being too level, the embankments are much smaller than those used in rice cultivation.
The place is bleak in the extreme, and here, as often on the western face of the Himalaya, at this season a fierce diurnal wind rises directly the sun gets power, which always blows up the ravines or against the streams draining these, it dies away towards evening, generally. It is cold in the extreme, and must check vegetation extremely. Syras, common here, as at Bhoomlungtung.
The ridge above this which is crossed coming from Bhoomlungtung, is 9,947 feet high, yet no snow was on the ground. The contrast between it and Pèmee in regard to snow and vegetation is remarkable; there the woods were thick, luxuriant, and varied, here nothing is to be seen but Abies pendula. I consider this a proof that A. pendula is a native of places below much snow, and that where snow abounds, it will not be found to extend above 8,000 feet. The dwarf bamboo of Sanah is common here, covering large patches of ground, Lamium of Bulphai in the vicinity of temples, and enclosing pagodas. The people here evince great skill in figures, but none in architecture.
The Soobah’s house, a castellated heterogeneous mansion, spread over much ground, the defences on one side reaching nearly to the level of the valley. The Kumpa dogs are fierce and handsome, with the bark of a mastiff, they are not apparently deterred by threats, but rather the contrary. A woman with dropsy, wrapped in filthy clothes, presented herself and evinced great anxiety to have her pulse felt, but the dirt of her clothes was such, that I made excuses.