Information respecting Botanical Travellers, 429 



oak woods occur. The houses were of a better order than those at 

 Sasee, and altogether superior to those of Khegumpa. They are co- 

 vered in with split bamboos, which are secured by rattans, a pre- 

 caution rendered necessary by the great violence of the winds, which 

 at this season blow from the south or south-east. Bulphai is a bit- 

 terly cold place in the winter, and there is scarcely any mode of esca- 

 ping from its searching winds. The vegetation is altogether north- 

 ern, the woods consisting principally of a picturesque oak, scarcely 

 ever found under an elevation of 6000 feet. There is one small patch 

 of cultivation, thinly occupied by abortive turnips or radishes, and 

 miserable barley. It was at this place that we first heard the very 

 peculiar crow of true Bootan cocks, most of which are afflicted with 

 enormous corns. 



On the 31st we resumed our journey, ascending at first a ridge 

 to the N.E. of Bulphai, until we reached a pagoda, the elevation of 

 which proved to be nearly 8000 feet ; and still above this rose to 

 the height of about 10,000 feet a bold rounded summit, covered with 

 brown and low grass. Skirting this at about the same level as the 

 pagoda, we came on open downs, on which small dells, tenanted by 

 well-defined oak woods, were scattered. After crossing these 

 downs, which were of inconsiderable extent, we began to descend, 

 and continued doing so until we came to Roongdoong. About a 

 third of the way down we passed a village containing about twenty 

 houses, with the usual appendage of Sam Gooroo's residence ; and 

 still lower we came upon a picturesque temple, over which a beau- 

 tiful weeping cypress hung its branches. We likewise passed below 

 this a large temple raised on a square terrace basement. From this 

 the descent is very steep, until a small stream is reached, from which 

 we ascended very slightly to the castle of Roongdoong, in the loftiest 

 part of which we took up our quarters. From the time that we de- 

 scended after crossing the downs, the country had rather an improved 

 aspect, some cultivation being visible here and there. We met a 

 good many Kampas, pilgrims, and one chowry-tailed cow, laden with 

 rock salt, which appears to be the most frequent burden. 



[To be continued.] 



Mr. Schomburgk's recent Expedition in Guiana, 

 [Continued from p. 328.] 



When marching early in a morning over the savannahs, and on ap- 

 proaching an Indian settlement, we frequently observed on the small 

 sandy footpath a number of marks, which a hasty observer would 



