76 JO URNAL, BOMB A Y NA TURAL HISTOR Y SOCIETY, Vol. IX. 



met with in this country, the flesh of which is more or less of a firm consist- 

 ency. Walnut trees are plentiful, also some superior kinds of mulberry. 



I left Skirdu on the 17th of July for Katzura, a small village about 16 miles 

 up the valley towards Rondu. It lies on the left bank of the Indus, close to 

 the large torrent which comes down roaring and foaming out of the Shigar- 

 thang Valley. This is a very trying march owing to the long stretches of sand 

 which throw off an immense amount of heat during the day. For the first 

 few miles out of Skardu the path is shaded by an avenue of poplars, but 

 suddenly this avenue abruptly terminates at the edge of a sandy desert. One 

 of the villages I passed through was inhabited by Kashmiris. I found a man 

 manuring his tobacco field with freshly-cut plants of a kind of thistle [Cnicus 

 arvensis), which he called Jcanish. The tobacco was of the coarse round-leaved 

 variety {Nicotiana rustica). 



I rested for a short time at the village of Hoto, and was much refreshed by 

 some apricots which were presented to me. The wheat here was much rusted. 

 This village is liable to the encroachment of the Indus as well as to inunda- 

 tions of blown sand. After this the road begins to rise gradually towards 

 Katzura. A pretty lake is passed, and soon after that the Shigarthang Stream 

 is crossed by a bridge. A few hundred yards further on is the village sur- 

 rounded by fruit-trees (walnuts, apricots, and mulberries). On arrival I was 

 presented with a basket of excellent large round black mulberries. This 

 variety is called " leachilosa " or " shahtuf" Wheat, beans, and tobacco are 

 cultivated here in small patches. The elevation of this place is about 8,000 feet. 

 The next day's march was to Shigarthang, about 16 miles up the Shigarthang 

 Valley. Soon after entering this valley the road takes a sudden turn to the 

 south. The ascent is easy at first. The village of Tzok with its fruit-trees 

 and grassy meadows is prettily situated in an open part of the valley. From 

 here the road turns round to the north and is carried by a bridge to the left 

 bank. The scenery now becomes very wild. Bare precipitous rocks hem in 

 the valley on all sides and the road becomes steep and stony. Vegetation is 

 very scanty, but what there is is interesting. The Saber {Spiraea hyperioifolia) 

 Was found again, A kind of ash {Fraxinus xanthoxyloides) was plentiful at 

 about 9,000 feet in fruit, also Juniperus excelsa. After this the road takes a 

 sudden turn to the west, and ascends steeply between innumerable boulders of 

 an enormous size, severed from a mountain on the left, and extending down 

 to the river, where they help to form a series of beautiful waterfalls and cas- 

 cades. Above this is a small village, near which I came across some of the 

 tiniest full-grown cattle I have ever seen. They were covered with long black 

 hair, and looked more like bears. 



At Shigarthang the main valley takes a sharp turn to the west towards the 

 the Alampi La and the Banok La. Two other valleys open out into this bend 

 of the Shigarthang Valley, on the east the Dora Lumba from the direction of 

 the Burji La, and the Munda Lamba from the south. The village is on the 



