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



plained — no rain falls, but heavy clouds rest on all the mountains, which, 

 notwithstanding the increase of cold, altogether disappear during the 

 night. In Kemaon, when all else is perfectly serene, a fine thin wreath 

 of cloud may be seen to issue from the summits of Nunda Devee (No. 

 XIV. of the great map) and the Panch Choola (No. XIX.) which has 

 led Europeans to the conclusion that a volcano exists there : while the 

 natives solve the appearance by the supposition that culinary operations 

 are going on amongst the immortals. 



The route to-day was by a very rocky and often tree-encumbered 

 path, but never difficult to a footman, following for some miles the 

 right bank of the river, which is then crossed by a snow-bridge. It 

 continues for a greater distance on the opposite bank, and finally re- 

 turns to the right side by another snow bed, which must be perma- 

 nent, being entered in the Trigonometrical Survey map, made about 

 twenty-five years ago. For the first half or better, the glen, about 200 

 yards wide, is bounded on each side by noble-bastioned crags, in several 

 places rising vertically from the river full 1,500 feet, and terminating 

 in picturesque shattered pinnacles. The vegetation though luxuriant is 

 still herbaceous, only consisting of Aplotaxis aurita, Polygonum molle, 

 Aconitum heterophyllum, Cynoglossum uncinatum, Sedum purpureum, 

 Spiroea kamtchatkica (Meadow-sweet), Polemonium cceruleum, Gera- 

 nium wallichianum, Potentilla atrosanguinea, Corydalis govaniana, 

 Scabiosa candolleana, Achillcea millefolia, a straggling Cerastium with 

 flowers like Stellaria holosteum, called Gundeeal, and used as a vege- 

 table. But the birch soon clothes the cliffs, and then fine clumps of the 

 dark silver fir (Picea webbiana) like so many gigantic cypresses, 

 appear and become the predominant tree, with maple, and a rich under- 

 wood of lilac or " Shapree" (Syringa Emodi), the lemon-scented Lau- 

 rustinus, "Tealain" or " Thelain" (Viburnum nervosum of Royle), Rho- 

 dodendron campanulatum, Lonicera obovata and bracteata, Rosa seri- 

 cea, Ribes glaciale and acuminata, several Salices, &c. Amongst the 

 shady rocks here and on the eastern side of the Changsheel, &c. grows 

 a large tall composite plant of the Corymbiferse, with a very strong 

 smell of raw carrots ; and on the cliffs of the right bank I found large 

 tufts of a very elegant Dianthus, in full bloom, of a pink colour. 



The levels on the river banks are delightfully wooded with birch, 

 pine, maple, &c. : the scenery is so exquisitely beautiful, combined with 



