The ascent for the greater part is a steep wooded ridge; the first change indicated or induced by elevation is the diminution of the size in the trees, and the frequent occurrence of a Betulus? out of flower. Proceeding onward one comes to a ridge, the S.E. declivity of which is nearly naked, the opposite being wooded with shrubs, Viburnum, Conaria, Mespilus, Pomacea, Rhododendron, Rubiacea Serissa, Cupulifera and some Compositæ occur. Then Arbutus Vaccinium; Nardus: Filix cano-tomentosa, Lycopodium; Dicranum atratum; one or two Hypna, a Bryum, and Neckera fusca. Descending slightly from thence the ridge is observed to be wooded on both sides; it is at the termination of this that we halted. The ascent is continued up a rock, and the whole of the mountain is, excepting the ravines, covered with Graminea, Cyperacea, Filix cano-tomentosa, etc. but the Ericoidea are not so fine. The grasses of the summit are two Andropogons: an Arundo Festucoidea, Panicum, Isachne, Nardus ceasing below, it is towards this that Crepis? and Campanula are common.
The Ceratostemmata are found towards the summit, none descend any distance, except one of Roxburgh’s; they are all generally epiphytes. Orchidea become more common towards the halting place; beyond this I observed only two past flowering, one Habenaria, and a Malaxidea; the others are two Cælogyne, a Dipodious Orchidea, labelli ungue sigmoideo very common, a Bolbophyllum, and a few ditto epiphytes out of flower, one terrestrial Bletioidea is common in some places. At our halting place, I observed an arborescent Araliacea, a Cissus, an Acanthacea and a Laurinea. A little below, Pandanus occurs here and there, and attains a large size, the largest in fact I have ever seen. Castanea occurs about half way up, it is that species with rigid compound spines to the cupula. I gathered also a fine Geastrum, but the specimens are lost. Bucklandia occurs extensively; it is a distinct species owing to its many flowered capitula; Sedgwickia comes into play towards Yen, where Bucklandia appears to become scarce: a large Vitex floribus roseo-purpureis is the most conspicuous tree of all, it ceases towards the summit; Cyathea I observed only above half way. Camellia axillaris occurs below, but I missed the Laim-planj plant. I may here observe that almost all plants with red flowers, at least in this quarter, are acid: the Assamese always appear to expect this, the proofs are Loranthus, Ceratostemma, and Begonia, in which red is generally a predominant colour.
Antrophyllum I noticed about Yen; towards Yen, I diverged from the path to visit the place whence the stones are procured, which the Mishmees use as flints for striking lights: this stone is found on the S. Western face of the mountain: the stones or noduli are frequently sub-crystalline, and are imbedded in a sort of micaceous frangible rock: they are very common, of very different sizes, with glassy fracture; the best are hard; the bad easily frangible, their weight is great. The inclination of this bed is considerable; overlying it at an inclination of 45°, is the grey quartzose rock which forms the chief part, and perhaps nearly the whole, of the mountain. The Mishmee name for the noduli is Mpladung.
In the jungle at Yen occurs a huge Palm evidently Caryota, foliis maximis supra decompositis; the diameter of the trunk is 1½ to 2 feet. It is said to die after flowering: the natives use the central lax structures as food. The Yen Gam promises to send me specimens to-morrow. The Palms I have hitherto seen are Wallichia, one or two Calami: Wallichioidia trunco 5-10 pedali, and a Phænicoidea, but this I only saw at the foot of the mountains near Laee Panee, and the small Areca common about Negrogam. The name of the large Palm in Assamese is Bura Sawar. All the plants common to these and the Cossiya mountains, with one or two exceptions, flower much earlier here, those being all past flowering which I gathered in flower on the Cossiya hills in November last. This is owing to the greater cold, and the consequent necessity for the plants flowering at an earlier and warmer period.
A species of ruminant, or, according to the native account, a species of Pachydermata called the Gan Pohoo, occurs on Thuma-thaya. At the summit of the mountain the ground was in one place rooted up, the Mishmees said, by this animal, which they describe as a large Hog, but which I should rather take to be a kind of Deer.
Nov. 28th.—Returned to Deeling. At the commencement of the principal descent we gathered Betula and another Cupulifera, both moderately sized trees. Anthestina arundinacea, is about this place very common, and an Andropogon, Culmis ramosis which I had previously brought from the Abor hills. About half way down by a present of kanee (opium), I succeeded in getting the arborescent vitex, which is the most striking tree of all when in flower. Lost sight altogether of Bucklandia, nor did I observe Sedgwickia. Gathered at the foot of Thuma-thaya a Cælogyne in flower, allied to C. Gardneriana; Alsophila is common towards the base.
In the evening the Yen Gam came up according to his promise with the gigantic Palm, with male inflorescence, it is a Caryota; he likewise brought Sarcocordalis, Rafflesiacea, and a curious pubescent Piper. He also added the female flowers of another Palm, which, according to him, is another species of Sawar, or Caryota: the inflorescence is of an orange yellow. A tree with the habit of Pterospermum occurs on Thuma-thaya, low down Habenaria uniflora on rocks in the Dirsoo Panee, or river; Kydia occurs about Yen, but not higher.
Nov. 29th.—Reached Laee Panee after a march of five hours; and without Assamese coolies, it might be done in three. I noticed below Deeling, but still at a considerable elevation, Crawfurdia campanu lacea, Adamea, Engelhardtia, Vitex speciosa, and Magnolia in the order in which they are thus given, Quercus, cupulis echinatis occurs comparatively low down, Castanea ferox still lower, Dracæna comes into view towards the base. At the village first reached in the ascent there is a Meliaceous Azedarach looking tree.
At our old halting place, and which is near Deeling, another Ahum-metta Ghas was shewn me. This attains, I am told, a large size: it is not very unlike in habit a Melanorrhæa, and its young leaves are tinged with red, the mature ones are coriaceous. I have not seen it in flower; the juice, at least from small branches, is not very abundant, and at first is of a whitish colour; it is, on dit, after drying that it assumes the black tint; at any rate it is excessively acrid, for one of my servants who cut it incautiously, had his face spoilt for a time: the swelling even after four days had elapsed was considerable. With this as well as the Rhus they dye the strings of the simple fibres of Sawar, which they all wear below the knee: if not properly dried these strings cause some inflammation: the strings are ornamental, light, and when worn in small numbers graceful, but when dozens are employed, and all the upper ones loose, they deform the figure much; some of the women, perhaps anxious to restrain the protuberance of their calves, tie two or three lightly across the calf.
At Nohun, near Deeling, Cocoloba aculeata, baccis cyaneis occurs here the same as at Mumbree in the Cossiya hills, and at Suddiya.