Nov. 1849. EFFECTS OF FROST ON FOLIAGES. UHOLA PASS. 199 



Hence we followed an oblique descent of 1,500 feet, to 

 the bed of the Rutto river, through thick woods of pines and 

 Rhododendron, IIodgsoniM<\&\ latter, on our again ascending, 

 was succeeded by the various alpine kinds. We halted at 

 Barfonchen (alt. 11,233 feet), a stone-hut in the silver- 

 fir forest. Some yaks were grazing in the vicinity, and 

 from their herdsman we learnt that the Dewan was at 

 Choombi, on the road to Yakla ; he had kept wholly out of 

 the way during the summer, directing every unfriendly 

 action to be pursued towards myself and the government 

 by the Amlah, consisting of his brothers and relatives, 

 whom he left at Tumloong. 



The night was brilliant and starlight : the minimum 

 thermometer fell to 27°, a strong north-east wind blew 

 down the valley, and there was a thick hoar-frost, with 

 which the black yaks were drolly powdered. The broad 

 leaves of B. Hodgsoni were curled, from the expansion of 

 the frozen fluid in the layer of cells on the upper surface 

 of the leaf, which is exposed to the greatest cold of 

 radiation. The sun restores them a little, but as winter 

 advances, they become irrecoverably curled, and droop at 

 the ends of the branches. 



We left Barfonchen on the 7th November, and ascended 

 the river, near which we put up a woodcock. Emerging 

 from the woods at Chumanako (alt. 12,590 feet), where there 

 is another stone hut, the mountains become bleak, bare, 

 and stony, and the rocks are all moutonneed by ancient 

 glaciers. At 13,000 feet the ground was covered with 

 ice, and all the streams were frozen. Crossing several 

 rocky ledges, behind which were small lakes, a gradual 

 ascent led to the summit of the Chola pass, a broad 

 low depression, 14,925 feet above the sea, wholly bare 

 of snow. 



