J22 Diary of an Excursion to the Shatool [No. 170. 



continues generally ascending, for three miles more to Kala Panee, 

 which is a very damp confined spot, so closely hemmed in by the 

 trees as scarcely to afford space for a tent. This forest, covering the 

 north side of a spur from the Changsheel, is very dense and chilly, 

 consisting for the most part of tall pindrow firs, yew, maple, hazel, 

 cherry (Cerasus cornuta), white-beam (Pyrus lanata), with a very rank 

 undergrowth of Nepeta govaniana (a very aromatic plant), Adenostem- 

 ma, and a tall shrubby species of Strobilanthes, which also abounds on 

 Huttoo and Muhasoo, and which the hillmen fancifully assert to flow- 

 er only on the year of the Muha-koomb at Hurdwar. The truth is, that 

 the plant is greedily eaten by sheep, and that perhaps not one in a 

 myriad escapes being browsed too low to admit its flowering, which 

 this season occurred from August till October. 



Water boils here at 197°, and the elevation is probably about 9,000 

 feet. There is no village nearer than Doodoo, from which supplies 

 must be brought on. Heavy storms of rain, hail, and thunder all the 

 afternoon from 2 p. m. made this uncomfortable spot doubly wretched. 



September 25th. — Over the Changsheel Pass to Looloot or Lourrot, 

 about eleven or twelve miles, which took us eight hours, including 

 many stops and a long rest on the Pass : the march may be easily 

 performed in six hours. The route continues up the forest, which 

 abounds in streams ; path rather rocky, and blocked up by fallen trees. 

 The black bear is common and dangerous : we saw a man at Doodoo 

 who had been terribly torn by one without any provocation ; the white 

 or yellow species is also said to abound, but frequents the crags on the 

 heights above the forest. Emerging at length from its chilling shade, 

 we reached an alpine glade, like all the higher parts of the Changsheel, 

 a perfect carpet of flowers of all forms and colours ; the Botanic Garden 

 of Asia. Amongst them were conspicuous the Anagyris barbata, Morina 

 longifolia, and Codonopsis rotundifolia; and now the Picea webbiana, Rosa 

 webbiana, lilac, currant, &c, appear, followed, as we rose, by Dolomisea 

 macrocephala, Cassiope fastigiata, Ligularia arnicoides, sweet Centaurea, 

 Polygonum vacciniifolium, tansy, and other plants of the snowy range. 

 On the western side, the Caltha govaniana (or Himalensis), the marsh 

 marigold of England, the azure Meconopsis, and a large Cynoglossum 

 (grandiflorum) resembling the common English hounds-tongue, are 

 abundant, as the Cyananthus lobata is on both sides. The crest 



