390 Narrative of a Journey from Soobathoo [No. 125, 



miles was generally good, passing many villages, and lying upon the 

 face of a left hand range covered with dark forests of various sorts of 

 trees to a small stream, from whence there was a steep ascent of 2,400 

 feet through a thicket to Nagkanda Pass, 9,000 feet high, here we 

 found a great many hazel trees, but all the nuts were rotten ; from the 

 pass to camp, we had a moderate descent of three miles upon the slope 

 of a grassy range that lay upon our right. 



20th November. — Marched to Muteeana nine miles. The road for 

 near six miles was good, upon the right bank of a rivulet, and crossed by 

 many brooks to Mandunee, where there is a handsome temple built in 

 the Chinese style ; after leaving it, we crossed the Kuljehur, a stream 

 coming from the northward that divides Koomarsaen from Keoonthul, 

 two small states under chiefs called Ranas. Keoonthul is largest, and 

 extends from Muteeana to the vicinity of Soobathoo. The descent to 

 the Kuljehur was steep, and the ascent equally so, each about 1,000 

 feet. The mountains we passed are wooded with pines and oak in the 

 vallies, but above produce little except grass. 



22nd November. — Marched to Bunee fourteen and three-quarter 

 miles. The road consisted of easy ascents and descents near the top of 

 a range upon soil, and through a very highly cultivated country abound- 

 ing with villages. 



23d November. — Proceeded to Simla eleven miles, and next day 

 made a forced march of twenty-two and a half miles to Soobathoo ; the 

 latter part of the road has already been described. 



Throughout the above mentioned tour, the road was surveyed with 

 some care, and a number of points were fixed trigonometrically, which 

 agree well together ; we were very lucky in having clear weather, and 

 always managed to get two, but most commonly three or four meridian 

 altitudes of stars, both north and south, contained in Dr. Pond's cata- 

 logue, at every halting place except one. 



We had two sextants, and a Troughton's reflecting circle having a stand, 

 with the last of which instruments the latitudes were usually observed. 

 We carried no less than fourteen excellent barometer tubes with us, 

 only two of which returned in safety. The mercury was revived from 

 cinnabar, and was well boiled in the tubes, the last indeed was a most 

 laborious business, for we broke upwards of a dozen of tubes in the 

 operation. The most convincing proof that the air was entirely expelled, 



