1839.1 Journal of a trip thro ugh Kunawur. 939 



'• Tartaric furze/' but the name is scarcely appropriate, since the 

 plant is equally abundant over the higher hills of Kunawar, as 

 on those of Tartary ; and from the extensive range it takes, the name 

 of " Himalayan furze " would suit it better. Besides which the 

 species most common to the heights of Tartary is that known to 

 the natives as the <( Chinese furze." Both these species are cut and 

 dried in the summer months, and form nearly the only fuel the 

 Tartars are possessed of. 



Lower down the glen, the hills assume a more desolate appearance ; 

 the furze grows scantily and at last fails altogether, leaving a bare 

 and crumbling soil, which is annually precipitated in quantities by 

 the action of the weather into the stream which winds it way 

 down to join the river Lee. Over the upper part of these hills the 

 furze is also abundant, as well as an aromatic plant, which furnishes 

 an excellent pasturage in most of these elevated regions, where grass is 

 either scarce or not at all procurable, to large flocks of sheep and 

 goats, as also to the cows and yaks, which are seen sometimes, to the 

 traveller's danger and dismay, scrambling along the whole hill-side, 

 and hurling down stones and fragments of rocks directly on his path. 

 It often happens too that large masses are detached by the action 

 of the frost, and come tumbling down with a thundering crash 

 into the glens below, rending and tearing up the soils in their descent, 

 and scattering the fragments in vollies into the air. One of my 

 coolies had a narrow escape from a fragment of rock, below the 

 Hungrung pass ; a mass that had hitherto been supported by the 

 bed of snow into which it had alighted from above, was now by the 

 thawing of the snow again let loose, and came bounding down the hill 

 with horrid crash, until striking on a projecting crag, it was shivered 

 into fifty fragments, one of which fell in a direct line for the coolie, 

 who frightened at the sight, and hampered by his load, fairly stuck 

 fast to await the coming blow. By the greatest good luck he escaped 

 unhurt, though the stone alighting full in the kiltah on his back 

 rolled him head over heels down the side of the hill. He soon re- 

 covered himself, however, when it was found that the only damage 

 done was a crushed leg, not of the coolie, but of mutton ; my pro- 

 visions being in the unfortunate kiltah. 



On crossing the Hungrung pass a most remarkable alteration is 

 observable in the aspect of the country. The range on which the pass 

 is situated forms part of the northern boundary of Kunawur, separa- 

 ting it from the Tartar district of Hungrung, now forming a portion of 

 Bussaher, although evidently at some former period it has been sub- 



