1839.] Journal of a trip through Kunawur. 93J 



led us up a glen by the side of a stream which had its origin as usual 

 among the snows on the pass. The ascent although greater than that 

 from Labrung to the Koonung ghat, was more gradual, and conse- 

 quently much easier; nor had we so much snow to climb over, as at 

 the former pass. The bushes in this glen, (for trees had ceased to 

 grow) consisted of a great number of rose, currant, and gooseberry 

 bushes, which yielded as we ascended higher on the mountain's side 

 to furze and junipers. Towards the summit of the pass these were 

 so thickly spread around, and the hill had such a gradual slope, that 

 substituting furze for heather, the scene had much of the appearance 

 of a Highland Muir, nor was this resemblance at all lessened when 

 with a loud whistle up sprung before us from the covert some beauti- 

 ful large partridges, whose plumage is very like that of the ptarmigan 

 in its summer dress, being a mottled mixture of white and grey 

 minutely pencilled on the back. These birds are known in the lan- 

 guage of Kunawur by the name of ll Bhair." They are found in 

 abundance near the snows among the covers of furze and juniper, 

 retiring as the season advances to the extreme heights of the moun- 

 tains. They delight to perch upon some high projecting crag, from 

 whence, surveying the country below, they send forth at intervals a 

 loud and peculiar whistle. 



On the crest of the pass, which we reached at half past 10 a. m., the 

 wind was piercingly cold, and quite benumbed our fingers, the ther- 

 mometer again standing, as at Koonung, at 45°. 



The view from this spot was dreary enough ; the town of Soongnum 

 was lost sight of behind an elbow of the range, and on either side 

 therefore nothing but cold bare hills were to be seen; neither village, 

 cultivation, nor trees appeared to break the chilling waste of snows 

 which spread around and far below us over every mountain's side; 

 no signs of vegetation were to be seen, save the brown and withered 

 looking furze, which even at this advanced season of the year had 

 scarce put forth a single leaf. 



The summit of this mountain is, as Gerard has truly stated, 

 composed of limestone ; but the reason of his failing to convert 

 it into lime for economical purposes was apparent enough. The rock 

 is one of those secondary limestones which contain large portions 

 of clay and sand unequally distributed through them, sometimes 

 occuring in detached nodules, at others disseminated through the 

 whole. These limestones therefore from containing this foreign mat- 

 ter, refuse to burn into lime, but usually form a hardened slag, 

 or vitrified mass within the kiln, which exactly corresponds with 



