80 DR. AITCniSOX ON THE TLOKA OF LAHVL. 



rally use the bark 



Wall 



" Drowa " or " Droa," which, as is well kuown, is a first-rate sub- 

 stitute ; but paper cau be, and is, occasionally, made in Lahul from 

 a Desmodium, The Lahulees are not very literary in their pur- 

 suits ; and hence it but rarely occurs that there is a run on the 

 paper-market. It is usually made to order, and generally, when it 

 is so, in some quantity. On the last occasion it was made for a 

 Lama wishing to recopy some religious books. 



These Dcsmodiums, we may state, make a very strong rope; their 

 long stems being twisted together are often in this rough state 

 used for making the rope bridges used in Bussahir and Kunwar. 

 Captain Lang, E.E., has often found these ropes very useful in 

 the construction of the Hindostan and Thibet road. 



T^^ees, '^ Butra'' (Hind.). — The common tree of Lahul is No. 

 283, Juni^perus excelsa, called " Shookpa," and is the tree of the 

 country. It begins to be met wi 

 elevation, stopping at an elevation of 14,000, where it occurs 

 chiefly as a shrub, A full-grown and unusually large-sized tree m ill 

 be in height about 30 feet, and in girth about 8 feet ; but as the 

 stem increases in height it does not keep in proportion to ita 

 girth at base. The main stem of a tree of the above proportions 

 resembles a thin elongated cone. It forms extensive but thin 

 forests ; the timber (" Dungma ") is not held in great value, from 

 its shortness and being usually crooked and irregular; this does, 

 however, well enough to build walls with for houses, where one 

 layer of stones is followed by a beam of wood, as also in roofing 

 for the smaller houses of the natives. Upon the forests of this 

 tree being attacked by a species of Viscicm^ No. 295, ArceutTioUwn^ 



9000 



)xycedr 



Xew Juniper, they soon became 



all but extirpated. The external structure of this Viscum most 

 curiously resembles the foliage of the Juniper ; and one's first im- 

 pression is, that this is but the Viscuvi album metamorphosed hy 

 its growth on the Juniper. 



The most valuable tree, but occurring chiefly, as already 

 mentioned, in two forests, is No, 279, Finns excelsa, with a fe^ 

 individual trees spread over the country. It docs not reach an 

 altitude above 13,000 feet. It is called by a Tibetan name, " Som- 

 shing" or "Fir-tree." These two forests belong to Government. ^^ 

 trees are allowed to be felled without a government permit. These 

 yield the larger amount of timber used for building with in Lahu , 

 such as beams, rafters, &c. The largest trees shew timber of abou 

 20 feet; the trees themselves do not average 30 feet in height. 



