198 wight's botanical letters. 



very fortunate to-day when I got one far enough advanced 

 to substantiate a former conjecture regarding its affinities, 

 which I made from the leaves and fruit. There is a Gordo- 

 nia, but not abundant, and a magnificent new Berheris of the 

 3Iahonia group, but with subscandent stems (it was not in 

 flower). Lilium longiforum. Wall, is very abundant, (there 

 are probably specimens already among my plants) ; but it is 

 needless to attempt remembering all that I have met with, for 

 they are many, and as I have told you, only imperfectly 

 studied. I set out to-morrow on a long excursion of nearly 

 twenty miles, (which will occupy me for three days,) for the 

 purpose of visiting some of the more productive tracts of the 

 hills ; in the course of it I expect to obtain some good plants, 

 but not many, as it will be merely a run and back again ; 

 twenty miles of mountain travelling here being no joke, as I 

 have but four attendants, and we have to carry every thing 

 along with us. I found some good plants at Shevagurry, but 

 as I was there only three or four days, and the weather was 

 very wet, and the place swarming with jungle leeches, 

 which rendered botanizin"; most disagreeable, the collections 

 did not come up to my expectation. I was so bit by the 

 leeches through the stockings, that my feet are scarcely yet 

 well, and their marks are permanent. 



I therediscovered certainly three, and I think four speciesof 

 Santia, and have found another here. My collections during 

 these two excursions have exhibited so many novelties, though 

 made under the disadvantages of haste and bad weather, 

 as fully to confirm me in the opinion expressed in my letter 

 to Greville from Courtallum, that we do not yet know one half 

 of the alpine Flora of India, and to make me daily regret that 

 my other engagements prevent me from pursuing the subject 

 in a more satisfactory manner. The Pulney hills are very rich 

 but exceedingly difficult to botanize over, owing to the great 

 depth of the valleys or glens, and their extremely steep sides 

 near the bottom, which make it almost dangerous to descend ; 

 and as each of them has a rapid stream in the hollow, it is 

 equally difficult to ascend from the outlet. The jungle too. 



