34 Dr. Govan on the Natural History and Physical 



we find the Nerium odorum occupying most of the stony 

 water courses, several species of Dyospyros, the formed wood 

 of one of which is said to be ebony. The Rottlera tinctoria, 

 and a tree seemingly a species of Conocarpus, known by the 

 name of Tsal, seem to be peculiar to this belt of elevation, 

 »p ne Gmelina arbor ea 



Garuga pinnata 



Limonia crenulata 



Solanum pubescens 

 are common trees and shrubs. 



The most common scandent plants are the 



Hastyngia coccinea 



Echites dichotoma 



Gaertnera racemosa 



Menispermum verrucosum 



Smilax ovalifolia. 

 Nahn is reckoned upwards of 3000 feet above the level of 

 the sea ; 3207 according to Captain Hodgson, commanding a 

 fine view of the plains of Hindostan. A valuable belt of 

 bamboos occupies a space extending to about 1000 feet below 

 the level of the town, a plant of which we here take leave, un- 

 til we again meet a species occupying a very high elevation 

 indeed, on the slope of some of the mica slate mountains. The 

 Pinus longrfol'ia assumes its greatest perfection on the sum- 

 mit of this range. The town is situated on the summit 

 of a range of compact sandstone hills, of which the rock, 

 though differing in its hardness, and the aggregation of its 

 particles, yet resembles in its dip and direction, that of the 

 alluvial strata formerly mentioned. The face of the hill, and 

 the space between it and the plains, is filled up by a forma- 

 tion perfectly similar in many respects to that of Timley, a 

 continuation indeed of the same. Where the sandstone in- 

 vesting the sides of this is laid bare, in the beds of streams 

 about 1000 or 800 feet below the town, considerable quanti- 

 ties of carbonaceous matter are to be found in it, some of it 

 perfect coal, but in small quantity, and much pervaded by 

 silicious matter. 



Here I first noticed the custom which has been frequently 

 observed to prevail in these districts, of laying the children 

 to sleep, apparently much to their satisfaction, at the com- 



