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



with, a steep low ridge intervening. On these level tracts, intersected with 

 sheep-walks, it would have been almost impossible to keep the proper path, 

 had not the shepherds marked them with upright slabs of stones at regular 

 distances. Leaving the second plain, a steep scramble along the inclined foot 

 of an enormous black gneiss. cliff brought us to the bank of the Ratong River", 

 on whose further side we camped on a flat grassy knoll, the only cleared spot 

 in a waste of Rhododendrons. 



Next morning we took the Kanglalama path and continued up the valley 

 towards the north-west. We crossed one or two alternating flats and trans- 

 verse ridges, and surmounted a high spur coming out on a large plain rendered 

 exceedingly swampy by a network of shallow streams. It seemed of very 

 large extent, but we could not define its boundaries through the fog. There 

 was no inducement to stop or proceed further in this direction ; so we retraced 

 our way to within a short distance of our last camping ground, and then 

 ascended a grassy slope to the east. The descent on the other side led steeply 

 through grassy pastures in which grew a species of Astragalus and a dark 

 purple species of Anemone. The floor of this valley is also a succession of 

 terraces each terminated by a bank, over which the river pours in masses of 

 foam. There are signs of a more varied vegetation later in the season, but at 

 present there is very little scope for botanising. 



Primula denticulata, and P. reticulata resembling P. sihhimensis grow on 

 the verges of water-courses. The valley lower down descends precipitately, 

 and the flanks of its spurs are clothed with Pine forests. The next day we 

 halted at this place, called Rongjing by the shepherds. As rainy weather 

 had prevailed without intermission since the commencement of this expe- 

 dition, my men were quite disheartened ; and, being afflicted with complaints 

 induced by wet and cold, they begged me to hasten into the warmer valleys 

 of Sikkim. 



Being reluctant to subject them to further hardships in this inhospitable 

 region, I acceded to their request and informed them that. I should go to 

 Yoksun after spending a few days at Jongri, a locality which I was anxious to 

 see, as it was the goal of one of Sir Joseph Hooker's most heroic expeditions. 



Returning to Tegyap La, we followed the course of the Ratong for about a 

 mile, crossed it by a bridge and travelled eastwards up a very steep hill cover- 

 ed with Rhododendrons ; Cryptogramme crispa was plentiful along the path. 

 The entrance to the undulating top of Jongri is marked by a shallow lake said 

 to be dry in the winter. We camped on a terrace immediately below two 

 stone huts. Many plants were springing up amongst the grass, but the only 

 ones in bloom were Potentilla peduneularis, P. tnicrophylla , P. coriandrifolia, 

 P. albifolia ; Primula reticulata, P. Stuartii, P. pusilla, P. glabra ; Pedcularis 

 iphonantha, Geranium polyanthes, Ranunculus affinis, Meconopsis simplici- 

 folia and Phlomis sp. A majestic species of Meconopsis grew near the huts 

 in dense clusters 2 to 3 feet high. The flowers vary in diameter from 5 to 7 

 inches, are of an intensely vivid blue on opening and change afterwards to 

 purple. I was informed by the Bhutias that it was not a native of Sikkim, 



