yews. :31;3 



Gen. Taxus. — Throughout the Hiinalayahs and Kohistan of the 

 Punjah the Yew* (Taxus baccata), styled by the natives Tooner, 

 is met with at elevations between 8000 and 11,000 feet, as at 

 Narkunda, near Kotghur, on the Chumba range, Dodicatowli in 

 Gurwahl, &c; but of all places in the Hiinalayahs where it is 

 met with in greatest perfection is at Toonghnath, between 

 Budriuath and Kedurnath, at an elevation of 9000 feet. There it 

 occurs associated with Khursoo Oaks, Rhododendrons, Horse 

 Chesnuts, Chilrow, Khutrows, &c. ; forming one of the finest 

 wooded scenes met with in the Himalayahs. 



Concluding remarks. — In the foregoing observations we have 

 briefly noticed all the species of coniferous trees met with in the 

 British Himalayahs; pointed out that the Deodar (Cedrus Deodara) 

 is the most valuable both for ship building and architectural 

 purposes ; that the Cheer (Pinus longifolia) ranks next to it in 

 quality, and that all the other species of Conifers are but little 

 worthy of attention, so far as the qualities of their timber are 

 concerned. We have stated that the only timber fitted for spars 

 for ships is the Deodar,f all others being either too soft or too 

 easily acted on by the weather ; that timbers of the Deodar of the 

 dimensions (eighty to ninety feet in length) wanted by the ship 

 builders in Bombay, as stated by the Superiniendeut of Marine, 

 could not be transported from the British Himalayahs with 

 advantage, owing to the rugged and inaccessible nature of the 

 country, and the difficulties caused by falls and rapids existing 

 in the Sutlej, and that on the banks of the Beyas, but few Deodar 

 timbers, comparatively speaking, exist worth exporting; that the 

 Cheer timber is well adapted for architectural purposes, and might 

 profitably be transported to Scinde, and that the JVIorinda (Abies 

 Smithiana), the Kuel (Pinus excelsa), and the Chilrow (Picea 

 Webbiana), though abundant, ai*e, owing to the softness of their 

 wood, and liability to decomposition by the action of the weather, 

 not worthy of attention. 



* Dr. Royle mentions two species of Yew, Taxus baccata, and Taxus 

 uucifera. We have only met with one, the former. 



f Dr. Gibson states that the Pinus excelsa appears to be the only timber 

 woi'th transporting to any distance. This, however, is an error, as when 

 exposed to the weather, Kuel timber rapidly decomposes. Possibly in 

 mentioning the Kuel he means the Keloo or Deodar (Cedms Deodara). See 

 Letter No. 583, dated Aug. 9, 1848, addressed to the Sec. to Gov. Bombay. 



