FROM PATNA TO DARJEELING. 305 
branches are also rarely érect, and do not feather out from the plant. 
Its stems are not shiny, and I believe they are solid. - I was fortunate 
in detecting a little of the flower, which is borne in a, plain slender pan- 
icle, very unlike the knotty tufts of the common Behar species. Leaving 
these groves, the country again becomes open and grassy, with very 
little cultivation and all pasturage. Palms appear to cease altogether : 
I can scarce tell why. 
At night we had heavy rain and a violent thunder-storm. The road 
crosses many small streams by ferries of flat-bottomed boats. 
Thirty- -six miles from Purneah brought me, at 5 a.m., to Kishen- 
gunje, when I found that no arrangements whatever had been made for 
my dawk, and I was fairly stranded. Luckily a thoughtful friend had 
provided me with letters to the scattered residents along the road ; and 
I proceeded with one to Mr. Perry, the assistant magistrate of the dis- 
trict,—a gentlemen well known for his urbanity and the many aids he 
affords to travellers on this neglected line of road. Owing to this being 
some festival or holiday, it was impossible to get Palkee-bearers: the 
natives were busy catching fish in all the muddy pools around. Some 
of Mr. Berry's own family also were proceeding to Darjeeling ; so that 
I had only to take patience, and be thankful for having to exercise it in 
such pleasant quarters. The Mahanuddy, a small stream from the 
hills, cuts its way hard by this place, strewing the surrounding neigh- 
bourhood with sand: like most of the other streams, it frequently alters 
its course, causing endless disputes amongst the land-holders and 
farmers. Ortolans are amazingly abundant: the species is a little 
European wanderer ; the flocks are large, and the birds so fat, that they 
make excellent table game here as at home. Now they are rapidly dis- 
appearing. They return from the north in September. 
I had just got into bed at night, when the bearers arrived ; so bid- 
ding a hurried adieu to my kind host, I proceeded onwards. The few 
novelties, to me, I found here are all small pasture-plants, especially 
lovers of damp ditch-banks, as Hydrocotyle, Spheranthus, Cotula, and 
Machlys, a small Hypericum, Gratiola, some Acanthacee and Scrophu- 
larinee, Exacum, Oldenlandia, Polygona, and Oralis ; 
is very common ; the strict erect Bamboo is the almost only tree : there 
are no Palms, no Bassia, and but few Fici. Three more Ferns prove an 
inereasing dampness on approaching the hills. 
April 12th.—I awoke at 4 a.m., and found my Palkee on the ground 
VOL. I 2 R 
