1846.] and Boorun Passes over the Himalaya. 113 



bur and Cheenee, for the view of the snowy range and Passes to the 

 south. The scenery on the Buspa at Rukchum is said to be of the 

 finest description : want of time prevented our seeing them. At Sungla is 

 first met the petit shrine called Chastun by the Buddhists ; in one of the 

 four sides a small cylinder revolves on an axis, which the passenger 

 puts in motion. Such a cylinder on a great scale may be seen in the 

 temple at Soongnum, inscribed all over with ' om mane pudme horn,' 

 which Klaproth interprets ' oh ! the Jewel is in the lotus :" of which the 

 esoteric meaning is very deep. The prayer is considered as good as said 

 by each revolution ; an idea which could never have originated but in 

 the mechanical and material mind of the Mongolian race. 



This day, the 18th, was cloudy, and snow fell on the Passes to the 

 southward, but the afternoon was fine. We halted on the 19th. 



September 20th. — From Sungla to Nooroo Bassa, about ten miles, 

 in six hours, generally up an easy ascent by a path which is perfection, 

 compared with any between this and the Shatool : traversing first some 

 woods of cedar and koil, and then over the cultivated slopes of one or 

 two small hamlets, where the wheat and barley were being cut, and sent 

 down to Sungla. Above this, the path lies over grassy mountains, 

 with wooded crags across the torrent to the left-hand ; the whole 

 somewhat tame after what we have seen, but for the Ruldung. The 

 Chough abounds amidst the cliffs in all this and the upper portion 

 of Kunawur. On the way to-day, we met a herd of the Yak, which 

 supplies the Chownree. In Thibet, or the neighbouring districts of 

 Toorkistan, we have the origin of the Pashas of one, two, three, or many 

 tails, who once carried terror over Europe. About 1,000 feet below 

 Nooroo, the path turns to the right, the glen of the Nulgoon Pass being 

 straight ahead. About here large beds of Ligularia arnicoides were in 

 seed fully ripe, while on the south side of the range, it is still in full 

 blossom : 700 feet higher, the declivities are covered with Anagyris 

 barbata ; the seed nearly ripe, but much injured by grubs. The roots 

 are much branched, and extend several feet under ground. The plant 

 is here called Bhaloo ka buroot ; it flowers in May and June, and 

 resembles a lupine of the deepest purple. Nooroo Bassa is an extensive 

 open piece of grassy land, 12,985 feet above the sea, and a few hundred 

 feet above the highest birches, which afford abundance of fuel. A 

 stream flows about 100 feet below to the south amongst beds of 



