82 Diary of an Excursion to the Shatool [No. 170. 



indica), below the road, and a multitude of shrubs, Viburnums, Leyces- 

 teria formosa, Limonia laureola, black currant, &c, under which in May 

 and June, the large pure white ladies' slipper (Cypripedium comigerum) 

 flowers in abundance. The Putees (Aconitum heterophyllum), Circsea 

 cordata, and the blue-flowering chereyata (Halenia elliptica) are also 

 both common on Muhasoo and at Fagoo. On the pleasant downs behind 

 this latter, the Primula denticulata, the sundew (Drosera muscipula), 

 Viola ccespitosa, and the pretty little eye- bright (Euphrasia officinalis), 

 are all common, though less so than in the interior. 



To the resident of Cawnpore or Ferozepoor, nothing can be more 

 delicious than the freshness of the Fagoo woods in spring. The lofty 

 stems of the pines are enveloped by the huge ivy and Ampelopsis climb- 

 ers ; and in the autumn, when the leaves of this last turn bright red 

 and copper, the effect is very rich, and is said to resemble that produced 

 in the North American woods by species of oak, maple, and sumach. 

 All our oaks here are evergreens. The Tree- Rhododendron and Andro- 

 meda, which cover whole mountains of the outer ranges, become rare 

 at Fagoo, and are seldom met with in the interior : so very limited in 

 width is their favourite belt. They are however abundant on the Sutlej 

 between Seran and Tiranda. The boiling point of water is 198° at 

 Fagoo. 



September 4th. — Detained for coolies ; all those available being se- 

 cured for Prince Waldemar and suite proceeding to Simla, and Colonel 

 Fullarton and his party bound for the Roopin Pass. 



September 5th. — To Puralee, ten miles, in four hours ; the first seven 

 miles, as far as Synj, are for the most part a steep and uninteresting des- 

 cent to the Girree ; the Morina wallichiana, which flowers in May and 

 June, and the Scutellaria angustifolia are common. The glen of the 

 Girree is so warm for most months of the year, that it is advisable, if 

 practicable, to descend in the afternoon and merely pass the night in it ; 

 but fishermen will run all risks, and there is said to be good fishing ten 

 miles lower down. Puralee is about two and a half miles up the valley 

 from Synj on the same bank of the river, which, between these villages, 

 forces its way through a deep rocky defile on the brink of which the 

 road is carried for half a mile. There is a good breadth of arable 

 land in this part of the valley, and the climate being very warm, 

 the products are nearly those of the plains — barley, wheat, kodah 



