THE JUNIPER. 149 



previously applied to a Crimean plant, now common in English 

 collections. The natives of Durii, in Gilgit, on a particular 

 day, burn goats' fat and Juniper branches upon the altar, and 

 dance, sing, and drink wine ; they also fry Juniper branches 

 and berries in goats' grease, in small dishes, for incense. Mr. 

 Winterbottom found it on all the elevated tracts of Astor and 

 Gilgit, even in the north-east quarter of Cashmere, used for 

 the same purpose under the name of "Lewi," or "Newr" 

 (Juniper), and " Dhoop " (incense). It is also found in the 

 north-west of Sikkim and Nepal Proper, where it is called 

 " Googgal Dhoop," and always burned in temples as incense on 

 festive days. It has scaly bark, of a deep brown colour, and 

 timber exactly similar to that used in Cedar pencils, with a 

 scent equally aromatic. 



This Juniper is called " Shirkoo," or "Shirgoo/'in Kamaon, 

 and " Shoor," Shoorpa," " Shookpa," and " Chopka," all ver- 

 nacular variations in the Bhotan dialects for incense, or used 

 for that purpose. It is also the Juniper Cedar of Indian 

 travellers, who describe it as a large, dark, dense-branched, 

 stiff tree, growing in eastern Nepal, from 60 to 80 feet high ; 

 while in Sikkim it only attains a height of from 15 to 20 feet, 

 and at all very high and extreme elevations it becomes a creep- 

 ing shrub or sprawling bush. Timber red, close grained, and 

 exempt from the ravages of insects. 



The Himalayan Cedar wood, so called, or miscalled, by Dr. 

 Royle, is the timber of Juniperus religiosa (the J. excelsa of 

 India), and not that of Sanscrit record, which latter is that of 

 the Deodar Cedar. He also confounds Juniperus religiosa 

 with Cupressus torulosa, and states that Cupressus torulosa 

 grows at an elevation of 11,500 feet in Kunawur, on the 

 borders of Chinese Tartary a statement totally fallacious; 

 for Cupressus torulosa has never been found in any part pf 

 India above 7000 or 8000 feet of elevation, and generally very 

 much dwarfed or stunted in such situations; while, on the 

 other hand, Juniperus religiosa (excelsa of Indian writers) is 

 seldom or ever found below 9000 or 10,000 feet, in a native 



