283 Captain Gerard's Account of a Survey 



and had just completed two tolerable sangas by the time the 

 party arrived, so that they passed in safety. 



The last mile and a-half to Thangi was better ; the road 

 ascended from the river, often by staircases and scaffolding; 

 and at the village, the shade of the Deodar and Neoza (same 

 with Mr Elphinstone's Chilgooza,) two species of pine, was 

 again enjoyed. 



Grdmang, one of two divisions of Thangi) is pleasantly si- 

 tuate upon a southern slope ; the houses rising above each 

 other, with the inclination of the soil. There are few fields, 

 but they appeared thriving. The grains were wheat, barley, 

 phapur (Polygonum ?) Siberian barley, and millet (Panicum 

 miliaceum,) with some patches of turnips and pease. The 

 whole is neatly laid out, and intersected with aqueducts, whose 

 banks are adorned with walnut, apricot, apple, and poplar- 

 trees. Above the village is a thick forest of pine : and the 

 summits of the surrounding mountains are all peaked, and 

 very rugged. On one side of the river they are fine-grained 

 black mica, so hard, that it was difficult to break off a good 

 specimen with a hammer ; across the Tidung, the rocks ap- 

 pear to be white granite. 



The route from Thangi to Marang lies through a forest of 

 pine (Ri,) upon the slope of a hill, composed entirely of blue 

 slate, often crumbling in pieces. 



From the confluence of the Tidung with the Setlej, the 

 town of Ribe, or Ridang, has a charming appearance : yellow 

 fields, extensive vineyards, groves of apricots, and large well- 

 built stone houses, contrast with the gigantic Raldang moun- 

 tains. These are scarcely four miles from the town. 



Marang* is a large town, surrounded by high mountains. 

 Although 8500 feet above the sea, it enjoys a mild climate. 

 During eight days 1 halt, the temperature varied from 58° to 

 82° ; and flies were very troublesome. The sun, even at this 

 season (July) does not appear more than nine hours : was 

 scarcely visible above the mountains before 8 a. m., and dis- 

 appeared behind them at 5 p.m. There were alternately light 

 clouds and sunshine, and now and then a little rain, which in 

 this valley never falls heavy : the height of the outer chain of 

 * Already visited by Capt. Gerard in 1818 and in 1820. 



