STEWART: FLORA OF LADAK, WESTERN TIBET 575 
precipitation in the valleys. This is the reason that up to a 
certain altitude the number of species tends to increase instead of 
decrease. Even passes like the Fotu and Namika that are not 
near perpetual snow have more plants near the summit than in 
the deserts that have to be crossed in the ascent. 
BOTANICAL EXPLORATIONS 
Considering its remoteness, Ladak has been visited by a sur- 
prisingly large number of explorers who collected plants. This is 
due to the fact that it is on the only practicable highway from 
India to Central Asia, since Afghanistan is closed, and because it 
has been the base of a great deal of Tibetan exploration. 
Despite its many visitors and the abundance of meager refer- 
ences the only attempt to bring together the work of the different 
Visitors is that of the Flora of British India by Hooker (22) and 
here of necessity the plants are scattered through the seven volumes 
in their natural arrangement. Hooker never visited the North- 
west Himalaya himself but we would be lost without his book. 
When we use Hooker’s volume we are tempted to complain of the 
indefiniteness of many descriptions, the lack of keys to genera, 
and the “lumping of species’’; but when we consider that he has 
done for British India what no one has done for the United States 
we are thankful indeed. 
It is probable that the first Europeans to visit our region were 
the Jesuits, Desideri and Freyre, who passed through Ladak in 
1714 on their way to Lhassa, but they have given us no botanical 
information. It was not until the expedition of Dr. Moorcroft, 
from 1819 to 1825, that we learn anything first-hand. In 1812 
he had gained experience by penetrating into Tibet and exploring 
the region of the sacred Lake Manasarowar. In 1819 he started 
with Trebeck and Guthrie in an attempt to open up Central Asia 
to British trade. He entered Ladak from Lahoul, crossing over 
the Baralacha Pass and penetrating to Leh via Rupshu. He 
desired to press on to Turkestan, but although he waited about 
two years he failed to get permission from the authorities because 
of the jealousy of the Kashmir merchants. During his stay, 
however, he took time to explore Nubra, Zanskar, Dras and other 
Parts of the country. He was not a botanist but he took a keen 
