208 KHASIA MOUNTAINS. Chap. XXVIII. 



palms, both climbing ones with pinnated shining leaves (as 

 Calamus and JPlectpcomia), and erect ones with similar leaves 

 (as cultivated cocoa-nut, Jreca and Are/ya), and the broader- 

 leaved wild betel -nut, and beautiful Caryota or wine-palm, 

 whose immense decompound leaves are twelve feet long. 

 Laurels and wild nutmegs, with Hensloioia, Itea, &c, were 

 frequent in the forest, with the usual prevalence of para- 

 sites, mistleto, epiphytical Orchidece, ^EschynantJais, ferns, 

 mosses, and Lycojpodia ; and on the ground were Rubiacece', 

 Scitaminece, ferns, Acantliaccce, beautiful balsams, and her- 

 baceous and shrubby nettles. Bamboos* of many kinds are 

 very abundant, and these hills further differ remarkably from 

 those of Sikkim in the great number of species of grasses. 



The ascent was at first gradual, along the sides of a sand- 

 stone spur. At 2000 feet the slope suddenly became steep 

 and rocky, at 3000 feet tree vegetation disappeared, and 

 we opened a magnificent prospect of the upper scarped 

 flank of the valley of Moosmai, which we were ascending, 

 with four or five beautiful cascades rolling over the table 

 top of the hills, broken into silvery foam as they leapt from 

 ledge to ledge of the horizontally stratified precipice, and 

 throwing a veil of silver gauze over the gulf of emerald green 

 vegetation, 2000 feet below. The views of the many 



: The natives enumerate about fourteen different kinds of bamboo, of which 

 we found five in flower, belonging to three very distinct genera. Uspar, Uspet, 

 Uspit, Usken, Uskong, Uktiing, Ustd, Silee, Namlang, Tirra, and Battooba are 

 some of the names of Bamboos vouched for by Mr. Iuglis as correctly spelt. Of 

 other Khasia names of plants, Wild Plantains are called Kairem, and the culti- 

 vated Kakesh ; the latter are considered so nourishing that they are given to new- 

 Worn infants. Senteo is a flower in Khas, So a fruit, Ading a tree, and Te a leaf. 

 Pandauus is Kashelan. Plectocomia, Usmole. Licuala, Kuslow. Caryota, Kalai- 

 katang. Wqllichia, Kalai-nili. Arcca, Waisola. Various Calami are Rhimet, 

 Uriphiu, Ureek hilla, Tindrio, &c. This list will serve as a specimen: I might 

 increase it materially, but as I have elsewhere observed, the value attached to the 

 supposed definite application of native names to natural objects is greatly over- 

 rated, and too much reliance on them has introduced a prodigious amount of 

 confusion into scientific works and philological inquiries. 



