The most limited plants are Iris, Silene, Aristolochia tetrarima vix infra 6,000 feet, Buxus, Delphinioid, Fraxinus non infra 6,000 feet, Epipactis ditto, Hutchinsia, Lomaria of Khegumpa, Mitella, Carex stricta of Chupcha, Petunia, Smilax gaultherifolia, Osmundia non infra 5,500 feet, Hydrangeacea ditto, Cucurbitacea cissifolia, found about Suddiya, etc.
The most diffused, Hottonia, Q. robur, Gaultheria arborea, 5 to 3,500 feet, Corydalis.
The subtropical forms, Mimosa, Impatiens, occurrence of fleshy Urticea, Ficus elastica, but not flourishing, Musa, Salix pendula, Buckwheat, Urtica urens, peaches, Stellaria cana, Crucifera cordifructus, Panax curcifolia, Andropogon arbusculoid, Rubia cordata.
May 16th.—The fort of Chuka not being whitewashed, is not conspicuous: its situation is strong, and against Bhooteas would be impregnable. It occupies a low hill arising from the centre of the valley, one side of which is washed by the Teemboo or Tchien-chiw. The room we were lodged in was a good one. The village is a mean one, and consisting of three or four houses.
We crossed the river by a suspension bridge much inferior to that of Benka, and then rose gradually and inconsiderably, following the Teemboo. To this we subsequently descended by a most precipitous road built for the most part on the face of a huge cliff: we reached the Teemboo at its junction with a small torrent; the tongue of land here was strewn with huge rocks, and bore evidences of the power of the torrents, for it evidently had been once a hill, such as that we had just descended. Thence we continued ascending, following the river, from which however we soon diverged to our right, but not far. The road was rugged beyond description. As we approached Murichom, it improved somewhat, but was still very bad. We reached this place which is visible for some distance at 5 P.M.; the march being one of eighteen miles. No villages occurred en route. The hills were densely wooded to the summits and much lowered in height than those to which we had been accustomed. Passed two waterfalls, one less high, but more voluminous than the other, is the Minzapeeza of Turner; both these occurred on the left bank of the river. Minzapeeza, is a fall of great height, but the body of water is small.
The vegetation to-day partook much of the subtropical character, almost all boreal plants being left behind. We ascended and descended between 3,000 to 4,500 feet near Chuka, Parkioides, Mimosa arborea! and M. frutex. Magnolia! Rubia munjista, Impatiens! Cucurbitacea!
Oxyspora latifolia! Rosa fragrans, Incerta ribesioides, Piper! Urtica heterophylla! Wendlandia! Phytolacea, Daphne nutans, Rottleria! Curculigo orchediflora, Acer, Eurya pubescens, Rhus, Alnus! Adamia, Gordonia! Q. robur reappears at a lower elevation than before seen: Dipterocarpioides arbor vasta trunco ramoso! Smilax auriculata! Pothos pinnatifid! Briedlia oblonga! Corydalis, Dipsacus, Acanthaceæ common, Rubiaceæ of a tropical character, such as Ophiorhizæ; Celastrus! Pythonium majus, Tetranthera macrophylla! Quercus coriacea! Gaultheria arborea scarce, Deutzia on the descent to the Teemboo, Macrocapnos, Sterculia platanifolia, Melica latifolia! Arundo! Achyranthes densa! Labiata spinosa of Khegumpa or Phlomis, Labiata, Quercoides. The rocks on the river side are covered with Epiphytical Orchideæ; Saurauja sterculifolia, Pythonium pallidum, Elæagnus fragrans.
Along the banks of the Teemboo, Pandanus! Rhododendron azaleoides, R. pulchrum, Lyellia, Begonia picta, Composita arborea! Ficus! on ascent above its banks, Dioscorea! Elæocarpus! Acrosticum atratum! Convallarium oppositifolia, Thibaudia loranthiflora! Pogostemon of Dgin! Leea! The only northern plant a species of Viola; Otochilus linearis! Entada! Kydia! Mussænda! Macrocapnos altera of Yen, Callicarpa arborea! Panax aculeato palmiformis supra decompositæ of Dgin! Solanum farinacium! Urena lobata! Marlea, Panicum plicatum! Before ascending to Murichom we made two descents to two streams, crossed by common wooden bridges: that nearer Murichom being the largest; elevation at 2,500 feet. Here tree-fern; Pythonium majus, Duchesnia, Lysimacha, Begonia of Punukha! Caryophyllea scandens, Urtica gigas! Modeceoides exembryonata! Commelina! Combretum sp.! Bæhmeriæ! Piper spica caudata pendula and another species!! Euphorbia! Galina of Panga, Croton malvifolius! Bambusa major! Bauhinia! Engeldhaardtii!
Although we subsequently ascended 1500 feet, very little change occurred: no re-appearance of tropical forms, Sterculiacea novum of Moosmai, Adamia, Volkameria! serrata, Triumfetta mollis! Briedlia ovalis of Chilleeri! Gortnera! Corydalis! Hydrangeacæ! Melastoma malabathrica!
The march was very tiresome, some of the ranges passed were high and well clothed with firs. Those marked thus* are subtropical or tropical, and one glance will show their predominance: only Corydalis straggles down. The woods were in many places damp, in others dry: it was obvious that less rain had fallen between Chupcha and Chuka, than in other situations: a large proportion of Laurineæ and Acanthaceæ appeared in the woods, with Gordonia: the oaks and chesnuts when they did present themselves bore a tropical form, pointed out by their coriaceous undivided or merely serrated leaves. I certainly never saw such a predominance of tropical forms, at such an elevation as 3,500 or 4,000 feet.