440 Notes, chiefly Botanical, made during an [May, 



temperate zone of the Sikkim Himalaya, and the snow level not being 

 proportionally higher, it follows that, cseteris paribus, the belt occupied 

 by upland alpine and the Arctic species, is more confined, and in all 

 probability less prolific in species than it is in the N. W. Of this the 

 rarity of Pines (themselves indices of a severe drought in the air or soil) 

 would appear to afford a proof ; for between the level 2500, the upper 

 limit of the P. longifolia, and the Taxus, 10,000, which also coincides 

 with the lower limit of Abies, there is no coniferous tree whatever in 

 Sikkim ; except perhaps in the mountain faces immediately subtending 

 the perpetual snow; and there they may descend 1000 ft. lower. 

 There are only 6 species of Conifer ce, including Taxus and Juniperus 

 in Sikkim, of which two are not common to the N. W. mountains, and 

 these six are by no means abundant in individuals ; I shall however soon 

 have the honor of laying before the Society, a short sketch of the 

 limits of these, and shall therefore suppress further details here. 



We encamped amongst the Rhododendrpn trees, on a spongy soil, of 

 black vegetable matter, so oozy that it was difficult to keep dry-shod. 

 The rain poured in torrents all the evening and thus, the calm, and wet- 

 ness of the wood prevented our enjoying a fire. Except a transcient 

 view into the Nepal, a few miles west of us, nothing was to be seen, 

 the whole mountain being wrapped in dense masses of vapor. Gusts 

 of wind, not felt in the forest, swept over the gnarled and naked tree 

 tops, and though the temperature was 50° this produced cold to the 

 feelings in walking about, and exposure to it. 



Our poor Lepchas were miserably off, but always happy under four 

 posts and a bamboo-leaf thatch, and with no covering but thin single 

 cotton garment. They crouched on the sodden turf joking with the 

 Hindus of our party, who, though supplied with good clothing and 

 shelter, were doleful companions. 



I made a shed for my instruments under a tree ; Barnes ever active 

 and ready, floored the tent with logs of wood, and I laid a " corduroy 

 road" of the same to my little observatory. 



During the night the rain did not abate ; the tent-roof bagged and 

 leaked in torrents, so that we had to throw pieces of wax-cloth over 

 our shoulders as we lay in bed. 



May 22nd. — There is no improvement whatever in the weather. Two 

 of the Hindus crawled into the tent during the night, with fever and 



