120 Information respecting Botanical Travellers, 



path to the Monass, which we crossed by a suspension bridge, the 

 best and largest, I suspect, in Bootan. The bed of this river, which 

 is of large size (the banks which are mostly precipitous being sixty 

 or seventy yards asunder) and of great violence, is 1 300 feet below 

 Benka. We then commenced ascending very gradually, following 

 up the north side of the ravine, until we reached Nulka : the march 

 was a very short one. The country was perhaps still more barren 

 than any we had hitherto seen, scarcely any vegetation but coarse 

 grasses occurring. Near Nulka the long-leaved pine recommenced. 

 We passed two miserable villages scarcely exceeded by Nulka, in 

 which we took up our abode. No cultivation was to be seen, with 

 the exception of a small field of rice below Nulka. 



Feb. 6th. We descended to the Monass, above which Nulka is si- 

 tuated 600 or 700 feet, and continued along its right bank for a con- 

 siderable time, passing here and there some very romantic spots, and 

 one or two very precipitous places. On reaching a large torrent, the 

 KooUong, we left the Monass, and ascended the former for a short 

 distance, when we crossed it by a wooden bridge. The remainder 

 of the march consisted of an uninterrupted ascent up a most barren 

 mountain, until we reached Kumna, a small and half-ruined village, 

 4300 feet above the sea. Little of interest occurred : we passed a 

 small village consisting of two or three houses and a religious build- 

 ing, and two decent patches of rice cultivation. The vegetation 

 throughout was almost tropical, with the exception of the long- 

 leaved fir, which descends frequently as low as 1800 or 2000 feet. 

 I observed two wretched bits of cotton cultivation along the Monass, 

 and some of an edible Labiata, one of the most numerous make- 

 shifts ordinarily met with among Hill people. 



Feb. 7th. Left for PhuUung. We ascended at first a few hundred 

 feet, and then continued winding along at a great height above the 

 Koollong torrent, whose course we followed, ascending gradually 

 at the same time, until we reached our halting-place. As high as 

 5000 feet the Kumna mountain retained its very barren appearance ; 

 at that elevation stunted oaks and rhododendrons commenced, and 

 at 5300 feet the country was well covered with these trees, and the 

 vegetation became entirely northern. 



Feb. 8th and 9th. We were detained partly by snow, partly by 

 the non-arrival of our baggage. On the 9th I ascended to a wood of 

 Finns excelsa, the first one I had noticed, and which occurred about 

 1000 feet above PhuUung. The whole country at similar elevations 

 was covered with snow, particularly the downs which we passed after 

 leaving Bulphei. Tassgong was distinctly visible. The woods were 



