26 ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE BOTANY OF 
sible, they left the plains of India by the commencement of May. At different times 
they crossed both the pass of Bunal, entered by Forster, and that of Peerpunjal, 
described by Bernier when he accompanied the Emperor Aurungzebe into Cashmere. 
The latter I had always concluded, from the plants brought me, and allowing for its more 
northern position, to be at least ten thousand feet in elevation; by M. Jacquemont 
the pass he entered is said to be the lowest, and elevated only eight thousand two 
hundred feet, equal only to one-half of the medium height of the Himalayan passes. 
Bernier was surprised, on the first night that he left Bember and entered these moun- 
tains, to find himself transported as if from the torrid into a temperate zone, and from 
the vegetation would have concluded that, instead of being in India, he was on one of 
the mountains of Auvergne; and seems to have been particularly struck by observing 
that, though both sides of the mountain were covered with plants, there was this great 
difference, that on the side which was exposed to the south, towards India, there was 
a mixture of Indian and European plants, but on that exposed to the north, he only 
saw European ones. In crossing Peerpunjal, he remarks that three things particularly 
attracted his notice: first, that in one hour he experienced both summer and winter ; 
secondly, that within the space of two hundred paces he encountered two directly 
contrary winds; and thirdly, being informed that every noise made in these mountains 
excites storms and furious tempests ; an opinion which is also entertained by the moun- 
taineers to the eastward. | 
Among the plants brought me by my plant collectors from this very mountain are 
many of those which must be alluded to by Bemier, as reminding him of the Flora 
of Europe. In the following enumeration I have only mentioned those which 
show the analogy existing between the vegetation of Peerpunjal and that of 
Kedarkanta and other lofty mountains within the limits of the British territories. 
Among the most conspicuous of these plants I may mention Delphinium vestitum, Aconitum 
heterophyllum, Actea Srigida, Meconopsis aculeata, Lappa himalayana, Picris hispida, 
Gentiana caerulea, Onosma bracteatum, Salvia nubicola and Moorcroftiana, Primula den- 
ticulata and Stuartii, Acosmia rupestris, Saussurea religiosa, Rheum Emodi, some of the 
Himalayan species of Fritillaria and Allium, with many others. Besides these, new 
species make their appearance, chiefly of Boraginee, Ranunculacea, Labiata, and of the 
genera Potentilla, Saxifraga, Gentiana, and Pedicularis, and also some new genera, as 
Trollius, Moltkia, Anchusa, but these in general are the same as found in more eastern 
parts of the Himalaya. Among the trees and shrubs may be mentioned some of the 
Conifere, as Pinus Gerardiana, and species of Taxus and Juniperus, as wellas of Quercus, 
Betula, Acer, Pavia, Corylus, Rhododendron, and Gualtheria, with Fravinus Xanthoxyloides, 
Staphylea Emodi, and Sambucus adnata. As showing the analogy with other parts of the 
world, it is interesting to observe that Senecio asplenifolius is found here, and is identical, 
as I am informed by Mr. Don, with specimens in the Herbarium of Pallas from Cau- 
casus. This analogy with the Flora of Caucasus is observed in several other plants, 
as will appear in the sequel. Elsholtzia cristata is found here, as in other parts of the 
Himalaya, 
