Information respecting Botanical Travellers, 409 



it between 9 and ]0 a.m., and found that my companions had ar- 

 rived late on the preceding evening, having accompHshed a march of 

 twenty miles in one day. Scarcely any coolies had arrived, how- 

 ever, before me. The features of the country remained the same, 

 the whole face being covered with dense black-looking forest. Even 

 on the ridge, which must have been between 5000 and 5500 feet in 

 elevation, scarcely any change took place. As I descended to Buxa 

 vegetation became more and more tropical, and on reaching it I found 

 myself surrounded with plants common in many parts of the plains 

 of Assam*. Captain Pemberton left Buxa a day before me, as I was 

 detained behind for coolies, none of whom had yet arrived. On the 

 following day I rejoined him at Chicha-cotta. The descent to the 

 plains is steep at first, and commences about a quarter of a mile 

 from Buxa. On reaching the steep portion, a halting-place, called 

 Minagoung, is passed, at which place all bullocks, which are here 

 used as beasts of burden, are relieved if bound to Buxa, or provided 

 with burdens if bound for the plains. The descent from this place 

 is very gradual, and scarcely appreciable ; the path was good, and 

 bore appearances of being tolerably well frequented : it passed 

 through a rather open forest, low grasses forming the under-plants. 

 The plains were not reached for several miles ; indeed the descent was 

 so gradual, that the boundaries of the hills and those of the plains 

 were but ill-defined. At last, however, the usual Assam features of 

 vast expanses of grassy vegetation, interrupted here and there with 

 strips of jungle, presented themselves. The country is very low, 

 entirely inundated during the rains, and almost uninhabited. Saul 

 occurred toward that which may be considered the Toorai of these 

 parts, but the trees were of no size. To Koolta. We continued 

 through nearly a desolate country, overrun with coarse grasses, 

 until we came on the river, which is of considerable width, but ford- 

 able : we now found ourselves in the Cooch-Behar territory, and 

 were much struck with the contrast between its richly cultivated 

 state, and the absolute desolation of that belonging to Bootan. We 

 continued traversing a highly fertile country, teeming with popula- 

 tion, until we reached those uncultivated portions of Assam, that are 

 so frequent in the immediate vicinity of the Brahmaputra. At Ran- 

 gamutty, where M^e received every civility from the Bhoorawur, we 

 took boat and arrived at Goalpara. 



Beyond this it is scarcely necessary to trace our progress. I have 

 only to add, that but one death occurred during the time that the 

 Mission was absent. 



* Plantains, jacks, mangoes, figs, oranges, &c. are found about the huts 

 of Buxa. 



