408 Information respecting Botanical Travellers, 



so steep, that I was obliged to wait quietly until all had passed. 

 These cattle were of a different breed from those hitherto seen in 

 Bootan, approaching in appearance the common cattle of the plains, 

 than which however they were much finer and larger. We were 

 sufficiently well accommodated in the castle of Chuka. There is a 

 miserable village near it, and several trees of the Ficus elastica. 



I6th. To Murichom. We descended to the Teemboo, which runs 

 some fifty feet below the castle, and crossed it by a suspension - 

 bridge, of which a figure has been given by Capt. Turner ; it is very 

 inferior in size and construction to that of Rassgong, although, un- 

 like that, it is flat at the bottom. We continued following the 

 Teemboo winding gradually up its right bank, chiefly through rather 

 heavy jungle, and descending subsequently about 600 feet to its bed, 

 by a dreadfully dangerous path, built up the face of a huge cliff. We 

 continued along it until we crossed a small torrent at its junction 

 with the large river, and then ascended gradually, following the 

 ravine of this through humid jungle. As we approached Murichom 

 we left the Teemboo a little to our left, and continued through a 

 heavily wooded country. Before ascending finally to Murichom, we 

 descended twice to cross torrents. We reached Murichom late in 

 the evening, the distance being eighteen miles. No villages were 

 seen until we came in sight of Murichom. The mountains were 

 much decreased in height, and clothed with dense black jungle. We 

 passed two water-falls, both on the left bank of the Teemboo, the one 

 most to the south being the Minza peeya of Turner. Neither of them 

 appeared particularly worthy of notice. The vegetation had almost 

 completely changed, it partook largely of the subtropical characters, 

 scarcely a single European form being met with. Murichom is a 

 small village, rather more than 4000 feet above the sea. Although 

 at so considerable an elevation, most of the plants were similar to 

 those of Assam. 



nth. Leaving Murichom we descended rapidly to a small torrent, 

 from which we re -ascended until we had regained the level of Mu- 

 richom. The path then wound along through heavily wooded coun- 

 try at an elevation of 4000 or 4200 feet ; we continued thus through- 

 out the day. At five p.m. finding that the coolies were beginning 

 to stop behind, and failing in getting any information of my com- 

 panions, I returned about 1^ mile to the small village of Gygoogoo. 



\d>th. I proceeded to Buxa. The path was somewhat improved, 

 and the ascent gradual until an elevation of about 5500 feet was sur- 

 mounted, from which the descent to Buxa is steep and uninterrupted. 

 This place is sren from a ridge about 1200 feet above it. I reached 



