Information respecting Botanical Travellers. 205 



XXIV. — Information respecting Botanical Travellers. 



Extracts from a Journal of the Mission which visited Bootan, in 

 1837-38. U7ider Captain R. Boileau Pemberton. By W. Grif- 

 PiTH, Esq., Madras Medical Establishment. 

 [Continued from p. 125.] 

 March 1st. Proceeded to Byagur or Juggur. The vegetation con- 

 tinued the same, the road traversing either sward or fir woods, con- 

 fiisting entirely of Pinus excelsa. The valley in which Byagur is si- 

 tuated is still larger than that of Bhoomlungtung : it is drained by a 

 large river, which is crossed by a somewhat dilapidated wooden bridge ; 

 the elevation is about 8150 feet. The cultivation is similar to that 

 of the other valley, but the crops looked very unpromising. The soil 

 is by no means rich, and the wind excessively bleak ; wheat or barley 

 are the only grains cultivated. The mountains which hem in this 

 valley are not very lofty ; to the north, in the back ground, perpe- 

 tual snow was visible. To our west was the ridge which we were 

 told w^e should have to cross, and which in its higher parts could not 

 be less than 12,000 feet. 



March 4th. We commenced ascending the above ridge almost im- 

 mediately on starting ; surmounting this, which is of an elevation at 

 the part we crossed of 1 1 ,035 feet, we continued for some time at the 

 same level, through fine open woods of Firms Smithiana : having de- 

 scended rapidly afterwards to a small nullah, 9642 feet in elevation, 

 we then reascended slightly to descend into the Jaisa valley. On the 

 east side of the ridge, i. e. that which overlooks Byagur, we soon 

 came on snow, but none was seen on its western face, notwithstand- 

 ing the great elevation. The country was very beautiful, particu- 

 larly in the higher elevations. I may here advert to the bad taste 

 exhibited in naming such objects after persons, with whom they 

 have no association whatever. As it is not possible for all travellers 

 to be consecrated by genera, although this practice is daily becoming 

 more common, we should connect their names with such trees as are 

 familiar to every European. As we have a Pinus Gerardiana and 

 Webbiana, so we ought to have had Pinus Herbertiana and Moor croft ■■ 

 iana, &c. By so doing, on meeting with fir trees among the snow- 

 clad Himalayas, we should not only have beautiful objects before us, 

 but beautiful and exciting associations of able and enduring travel- 

 lers. Of Capt. Herbert, the most accomplished historian of these 

 magnificent mountains, there is nothing living to give him a " local 

 habitation and a name." It will be a duty to me to remedy this 

 neglect; and if I have not a suflSciently fine fir tree hitherto unde- 



