74 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. IX. 



belong to a different species from that of the plains of India. The wild 

 flowers here are very beautiful and interesting. On the following day we had 

 to cross the Shigar over rather a difficult rope bridge, 112 yards long. The 

 loads were taken over by a few experienced men. The water is very deep 

 here, and so quiet that one wonders why they do not use ferry boats instead of 

 this twig bridge, which has to be constantly repaired. After seeing all the 

 baggage safely over, we took the path leading to the entrance of the Karpuchu 

 Valley, where there is a village called Matral, and a fort or tower built Of 

 alternate layers of wood and stone. From here the road winds up the 

 valley, gradually ascending through a forest of pine and juniper to our next 

 camping-ground at about 12,000 feet. This place is called Karpuchu, and 

 consists, as far as I could see, of a single shepherd's hut. On the following day 

 we made another march further up the valley to about 14,000 feet. Heavy 

 rain came on before the camp could be pitched, and an uncomfortable night 

 was spent under wet canvas which was frozen hard before the morning. We 

 had not far to go the next morning (July 11th) before reaching the summit of 

 the Bari La, about 15,000 feet. There are several small tarns on the further 

 side. A good deal of snow was lying about, and vegetation was scanty, 

 consisting chiefly of Primulas, Sedums, and Saxifrages. A very curious plant 

 called Galgal is abundant here. It is a species of Saussurea (S. obvallata). 

 The pale yellow bracts are very large, and loosely envelope the composite 

 heads of flowers, which are strongly scented. The stillness at these high eleva- 

 tions is always very striking. After descending, however, for a short distance 

 on the other side, the air was filled with the shrill cries of the marmots. Our 

 next camping-ground was close to a big mass of rock at about 14,000 feet, 

 and looking down the valley towards the north-west one could see a small 

 portion of the Deosai Plains. 



Coolies and all were glad to leave this bleak and inhospitable spot, but we 

 had a hard day before us, with two passes to get over, and a long steep descent 

 into the Satpur Valley. 



The first pass we came to is called the Shatung La, about 13,500 feet. There 

 was a good deal of snow here in a melting state, which made walking rather 

 difficult. The descent is into a valley watered by a stream called the Tikat- 

 sichu. From here the path ascends to the pass leading into the Kharbula 

 nullah. There is a small lake at the summit of this pass, and a good view of 

 the Deosai Plains can be seen from here. The path descends steeply from 

 here into the Satpur nullah, at the head of which is the camping-ground called 

 Eonishikar or Jalna Bransa. It occupies a small piece of flat ground on the 

 spur of a mountain, and the elevation is about 12,500 feet. Looking down the 

 valley a view is obtained of some distant mountains on the further side of the 

 Indus. 



The floor of my tent was carpeted with edelweiss, Anemone albana, and other 

 interesting specimens. 



