86 



ropean interference, all parties among them, dis- 

 trustful of each other and terrified at the thoughts 

 of the return of the exiles, have wished for an 

 English resident to preserve the peace. Captain 

 Knox has been appointed for this office, and I go 

 as his surgeon. I have a painter with me, and all 

 requisites for making a collection. We have just 

 entered the dominions of Nepal, but are still in the 

 country below the mountains. We however expect 

 in a few days to ascend the lower range that ele- 

 vates Catmandu the capital, high above Hindustan. 

 From its appearance, this ridge will be about four 

 or five thousand feet high, and I expect to meet 

 with little else but plants resembling those of Eu- 

 rope. Even here I find many common European 

 plants, such as the Anagallis arvensis, Ervum hir- 

 sutum, Sonchus palastris, Fumaria officinalis, Sa- 

 ponaria ; and the common produce of the country 

 is wheat, barley, mustard, and flax. The Cannabis 

 sativus grows here wild. 



We have had a fine view of the snowy Emodus, 

 and got several good altitudes of it, from which, if 

 its latitude is not greatly erroneous, it must be con- 

 siderably above five miles in perpendicular height 

 above the level of Bahar. 



Two very badly stuffed skins have been presented 

 to Captain Knox from these mountains : from the 

 horns and teeth there is no doubt of their being 

 two species of wild sheep. The one is about the 

 size of the Argali, and may be that animal, but it 

 has hair exactly like the musk deer : this hair, 

 although soft, is analogous to the prickles of the 



