JAMU. 78 
ing on the Sutlej, below 5,000 feet, which is about the elevation 
at, which the climate begins to become dry. 
After crossing the Chenab, the road ascended again rapidly. I en- 
camped at 5,000 feet, and next day got up to probably a little more 
than 9,000. The forests had now assumed entirely the ordinary aspect 
of the neighbourhood of Simla, and as a consequence I met with little 
novelty. The upper part of the ascent was through a beautiful forest 
of Picea. This tree being exceedingly abundant in the Himalaya range, 
throughout its whole extent, you might naturally suppose that it 
would be easy to say whether more than one species occurred, or 
whether P. Pindrow be distinct from P. JF. ebbiana, but the leaves are so 
exceedingly variable that no conclusion can be drawn from them, and 
unfortunately the cones are generally on the very highest branches and 
quite inaccessible to a traveller. Both species (or supposed species) 
seem to be cultivated in England, but I do not know whether a com- 
parison of them in a cultivated state has afforded satisfactory characters. 
From the top of this pass the descent was rapid. On the second day 
I reached tropical vegetation, and the remainder of the march to Jamu 
was among low hills, far too little elevated for any temperate vege- 
tation. As I approached the plains, the number of common low 
plants inereased, and that of stragglers from higher levels diminished, 
but I did not, as I had anticipated, find many new species, the hills 
seemingly producing none of the peculiar plants which in Kamaon 
grow at the foot of the Himalaya. Of mountain-plants Pinus longifolia 
(which you are aware thrives well in very hot climates and even on 
the plains) was the one which remained longest, and though not very 
tall, it was exceedingly luxuriant, and looked fresher and greener than 
2,000 feet higher. I reached Jamu on the 19th of May. The heat 
was very great, and detained me there three days, during which 
I made ready my collections for despatch to the plains, and it was not 
till the 23rd that I recommenced my march. I had determined to 
proceed to Chambee on the Ravi, but as I found that the direct road 
lay almost entirely among the lower hills, and was therefore not only 
intensely hot but also botanically very unproductive, I took another 
route by Ramnagar and Bhadarwa, which though two or three days 
longer had the advantage of being temperate. 
From Jamu to Ramnagar was entirely tropical, the latter town 
VOL. I. L 
