To Syree, the distance is eight and a half to nine miles. The road crosses the Konyar village and valley, then ascends to the south-east, and continues ascending gradually by an excellent road for a considerable way, then it skirts a ridge and comes on the grand Soobathoo road. From this a short but steep ascent, followed by a descent of a mile and a quarter, conducts you to the bungalow.
No change occurs in the vegetation. The hills are more grassy and more bare of trees, especially near Syree, but this is partly owing to cultivation. The principal woody feature is Euphorbia antiquorum.
The plants before noticed occur throughout, except about Syree, where scarcely a shrub is to be seen, nothing but burnt up grasses.
At Sahi, Roylea appears, also an odd-looking Modeeca and a Deeringia. Near these is also an Asplenium, Echites. At Konyar, Prinsepia appears, and continues becoming more and more frequent up to Syree. Towards this place V. reniformis is seen, not a single northern grass, although Syree must be nearly 5,000 feet high.
At Sahi, Pinus longifolia, Phœnix, Salix, and Polygonum of Chugur-Serai; this is common as far as Konyar. Acacia, Carandas, Urtica nivea. Rice cultivated.
About three miles beyond it, there is a beautiful ravine with dense jungle and fine trees, chiefly Laurinea, and I think a Rhus; this is the only spot I have seen reminding me of the Himalaya to the eastward.
At Konyar—Toon, Morus, Musa, Deeringia, Berberis, Briedleia.
The hills are as usual marked with wavy parallel lines, on which nothing appears to grow. These lines are united by smaller oblique ones, whence their origin?
30th.—To Simla. The road extends over undulated ground along ridges until the foot of the great ascent is reached; this is long and steep, especially steep at the first, or Buttiara pass, where it turns to the face of the mountain, and extends through beautiful woods. The ground frozen, with some snow; from this to Simla the road is tolerably level, and defended on the Khudd, or precipice side by a railing. It then passes through fir woods, etc. in which the exceedingly pretty Jay of Bharowli is common.
The vegetation to the foot of the ascent, and nearly half-way up, is unchanged. Andropogoneous grasses forming the prevailing feature; but little arboreus or shrubby vegetation occurs. About halfway between Syree and this an ascent takes place, on which Daphne, Hypericum, and Echinops occur.