908 Journal of a Trip to the Burenda Pass iii 1836. [Nov. 



attaining one, it was always lame, sick or past breeding and only fit 

 for our dogs. 



The reason is, because the sheep are a great and indeed their 

 only source of profit, and are kept for the sake of the wool which is 

 manufactured into blankets and coarse looees (luisj and sold or bartered 

 for other necessaries. 



After breakfast we again pursued our journey over similar ground, 

 and at length halted on the side of another open grassy hill called by 

 the guides Tutu, the village of Thar being far below us in the 

 khad. Supplies of grain, ghee and milk were easily procured. 



On the side of this hill and along the latter part of the march since 

 breakfast, plants of the wild iris were abundant and apparently of two 

 kinds : I say apparently, because I could only judge so, from the 

 seeds, which differed not only in size and color, but grew somewhat 

 differently, the largest seeds being close to the ground on a short stalk, 

 and the smaller kind raised on a stalk of six or seven inches long. 

 The plants had long ceased to flower, as the seeds were ripe and 

 falling. 



Some of these plants and seeds I collected and on my return to 

 Simla, the former were planted and have this year (1837) put forth 

 beautiful dark flowers of about half the size of the garden iris, and 

 having the outer or hanging petals spotted with deep lilac, instead of 

 being somewhat striated as in the cultivated plants at Simla : the 

 whole flower is much darker. Whether known or not I leave 

 botanists to decide.. 



This place was the first good monaul ground we came to, and the 

 sportsmen of our party shot several fine birds in the afternoon. It 

 is a beautiful sight to see a cock monaul rise from the cover ; he takes 

 wing rapidly down the khad, uttering a loud and musical whistle 

 which he quickly repeats during his descent, until he again alights. 

 They are very fond of perching themselves on the top of some bare 

 rock or stone and thence surveying the ground around them. In the 

 morning and evening while feeding, it is difficult to get near them, as 

 they are wary birds, but the best time to get them is during the heat 

 of the day when they are lazily reposing among the brushwood covers 

 and are unwilling to rise, thus allowing you to come near enough to 

 make pretty certain of bringing them down. Being strong birds, 

 they sometimes manage to carry away a good deal of shot. 



A sportsman can generally tell whether birds are in the neighbour- 

 hood, by observing the holes which they make in the ground in search 

 of roots and insects. It is a curious thing, that when the monaul is 



