1846.] and Boorun Passes over the Himalaya. 101 



but across the torrent to the east, the mountains are still very steep, 

 bold and lofty, with many deep ravines filled with snow. 



The vegetation consists here of Delphinium vestitum, Dolomicea ma- 

 crocephala, Cyananthus lobata, Onosma bracteata, aromatic rhododen- 

 dron, and Cassiope fastigiata (" Talsiree 5 ') the " heather" of Fraser ; with 

 it grew a shrub with all the appearance of a Vaccinium, but with neither 

 flowers nor fraochans to enable one to decide. Between Ateeng and 

 the moraine, the Salix lindleyana creeps abundantly on the ground, 

 and Royle's Arenaria festucoides is not uncommon ; on the moraine 

 itself was a plant very like his Saxifraga imbricata, abundance of Ra- 

 nunculus choorensis, and one or two Gentians, in flower. These 

 mountains no where exhibit the carpet of blue Gentians and Campa- 

 nulas so lovely in the Alps. On the gravel beds and banks of the 

 stream, the Epilobium speciosum, perhaps the finest species of the 

 genus, grows in abundance. 



The chief reasons for the Shatool Pass being so much dreaded are 

 first — the intrinsic difficulty of the northern moraine, as well as the 

 descent from Ateeng to Panwee, where the path is so narrow that even 

 laden sheep pass with some risk : and secondly, the remoteness of sup- 

 plies, fuel, and places of refuge. The Roopin and Boorun Ghatees 

 have each a village within one stage of their southern base, and on the 

 north, the valley of the Buspa is easily gained in one day by tolerable 

 paths. Laden men cannot reach the Shatool from Rol in less than two 

 days ; and at Ateeng Woodar, on its north side, they are still distant a 

 very hard day's journey, by an execrable path, from the valley of the 

 Sutluj. 



September 14th. — From Ateeng Wodar to Panwee, near the Sutluj 

 above Wangtoo bridge, a distance which we estimated to be sixteen 

 or seventeen miles, with a descent of 6,000 feet ; a very fatiguing march, 

 which we walked in eight hours, inclusive of several halts. In the 

 contrary direction, it would indeed be a tremendous journey, and should 

 be divided by all who travel for pleasure or profit. The route, by a 

 bad pathway, gradually rises along the Alpine pastures, occasionally 

 traversing a dense coppice of Rhododendron campanulatum, R. anthopo- 

 gon (or lepidotum, the aromatic species) and mountain ash (Pyrus foliolosa 

 or ursina,) the latter in full fruit, the berries occasionally of a beau- 

 tiful waxy white, a variety probably of the usual red- fruited species, 



