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FLORA OF TIBET OR HIGH ASIA. 125 
instances, the whole vascular flora of the districts, or rather 
routes, traversed by the various travellers, whose aim it was to 
collect a specimen or specimens of all the different kinds of 
plants observed. It should be borne in mind, however, that the 
conditions under which these arduous journeys were made 
prevented systematic botanical exploration beyond a very narrow 
strip of the country traversed in each case. 
History oF Borantcat D1scoveRY IN TIBET. 
Before entering into particulars of the collections to be 
enumerated, we will briefly sketch the bistory of botanical 
discovery in Tibet, and we shall perhaps be excused for repeating 
here some facts that have appeared in the Society’s publications 
of comparatively recent date. 
We have happily still among us two of the pioneers in the 
botanical investigation of Tibet, namely, Sir Joseph Hooker and 
Sir Richard Strachey. It would be superfluous for us to dilate 
upon the services to Geographical Botany rendered by Sir Joseph 
Hooker during his long period of activity ; yet we may say that 
we are greatly indebted to his work in what follows. 
As most of the Fellows of our Society are aware, Sir Richard 
Strachey yublished so recently as 1900 (‘ Geographical Journal,’ 
xv.) a Narrative of his journey, in company with J. E. Winter- 
bottom, to Lake Manasarowar, in Western Tibet, upwards of 
fifty years ago. This Narrative contains relatively more botan- 
ical information from direct observation than those of all the 
other travellers combined. In this connection it may be men- 
tioned, as a curious coincidence, that Winterbottom’s own set of 
his dried plants, together with his original notes, which had 
lain aside untouched since bis death in 1854, was presented 
in 1900 to Kew, by his relatives Miss J. Pain and Mrs. 
Gnosspelius. . 
Strachey and Winterbottom did not penetrate far into Tibet 
Proper, yet far enough to obtain materials sufficient to afford a 
very good idea of the character of the flora of this elevated 
and very dry region. Nothing, so far aS we are aware, Was 
published at the time on the plants, though a very elaborate 
table showing their distribution, altitudes, colour of flowers, and 
other particulars, was printed and privately circulated. Con- 
