During the 16th, my attention was particularly directed towards Tea, which was said positively to exist. I obtained some of the bitter sort, or Bunfullup, but the plant which was pointed out to me as tea certainly was not, although resembling it a good deal. There is no reason for supposing, that it exists on these hills, and if tea is brought hence, it is I should think a spurious preparation. The soil is in many places yellow, in many brick-dust coloured. If the Tea existed in abundance, I must have seen it.
The hills which confine the valley, at least those which are obvious outliers of the Patkaye range, are characterised by conical peaks, and there is a bluff rock of good elevation to the W.S.W. ½ S.
March 17th.—Boiled water at 206° Fahr. Thermometer in the air 61°. Elevation 3270. Commenced the descent, which continued without interruption to the Loon-karankha, where we breakfasted. The bed of this, which is a mere mountain torrent, is of sandstone. Here Ceratostemma variegatum is very common, and has larger, broader and more obovate leaves, than before observed; Polypodium Wallichianum, a Begonia and Orchideæ are common on its boulders. Continued our course at first up a considerable ascent, thence it was nearly an uniform descent. Crossed the Namtuwa, along which our course lay for a short time. The latter part was through low wet jungle, along small water-courses, till we reached the Panglai Kha, along which we continued for some time. Reached our halting place on the Namtuseek about 2 P.M. General direction E.S.E.; distance about ten miles. Noticed Podostemon Griffithianum, on rocks on the Namtuwa. My collector gathered one Daphne, Acanthus Solanacea occurred very abundantly, corinfundib. lab super postico, infer reflexo, laciniis bifidis. Low down observed the usual Dipterocarpus, Uncaria and Kaulfussia asamica, Dracæna. Mesua ferrea occurred during the first part of the march. Noticed the tracks of a Rhinoceros. At 5 P.M. water boiled at 210°. Temperature 69°. Elevation 1099 feet.
The most interesting plants were an Arum, an undescribed Ceratostemma, and a Celastrinea.
The collection formed between this place and Suddiya now amount to about 500 species. The vegetation of the lower portions is the same, or nearly so, on either side of the hills; but I did not observe near this the Polypodium ferrugineum arboreum, although there is a small arborescent species of this genus. On either side, the lower ranges are clothed with heavy wet tree jungle, the under-shrubs consisting of Acanthaceæ, Rubiaceæ, Filices, Aroideæ, and Urticeæ; Kaulfussia does not ascend so high on this side. Acanthacea solanacea appears peculiar to this side, although there is a species of the genus on the Kammiroan.
The plants indicating the greatest elevation are Acer, Ceratostemma miniatum, and angulatum, Vacciniaceæ; Daphne, particularly the Patkaye one, and D. struthioloides, most of the Smilacineæ, Berberis, etc. etc. Bucklandia Crawfurdii, Begoniæ, some Viburnia, Cyathea, etc. of Ceratostemma (Gay Lussacium?) several, perhaps not less than seven species occur; all have the same habit, and the same depot of nourishment in the thick portion near the collet. No Coniferæ exist, although the elevation is more than sufficient to determine their appearance. In Orchideæ the flora is certainly very rich, but few species are in flower
(Memo. To compare these elevational plants with those from the Mishmee hills, on which, speaking from memory, they are more abundant.)
March 18th.—Left at half-past 6, and arrived (after halting about one hour and a half) at 3 P.M. The road was very circuitous, for the first part E. by S., subsequently for some time N.N.E., and even N.E.; the general direction is perhaps E.; the distance certainly 18 miles. The greater part of the route lay through heavy but dryish tree jungle; but during the latter half, and especially towards Nempean, Putars or cultivated fields increased in number, and extent. We crossed one stream only. The soil is yellow and deep, occasionally inclining to brick-red; it is apparently much the same as that of Muttack. The low spots were uncommon. We saw only two paths diverging from ours; one of these led to Bone, which is about two miles from our path, in a south direction, and at no great distance from the Namtuseek.
The features of the country and its productions are much the same as those of Upper Assam, indeed strikingly so. During the earlier part of our march we observed a fine Shorea in abundance; it had a noble straight stem, but the leaves were too small for Saul. The only new plants I found were Styrax floribus odoris, ligno albo close grained, arbor mediocris, a Bæobotrys, two Goodyeræ, a Laurinea, Sparganium! Tabernæmontana fructibus magnis, edulibus, fol. obovatis, and a species of Shorea.