350 The Turaee and Outer Mountains of Kumaoon. [May, 



to within a few hundred feet of the summit of Seeahee Devee, 7200 

 feet : on the Almorah bank, its elevation does not exceed 5500 feet. 



At 10 miles, the road, now keeping the left bank of the Kosilla, 

 passes Muners or Munrus, a village partly on, partly at the base of a 

 hill, in form resembling Tom na heurich at Inverness ; it is about 600 

 feet above the river, and 3847 above Calcutta ; there is a considerable 

 plateau of cultivation to the south, the revenue of which belongs to 

 Budreenath, across the Kosilla ; Seeahee Devee, covered with pine, rises 

 boldly, " by the first intention," 400 feet ; far in front, on the same side, 

 in the Phuldakot Pergunna, is seen a conspicuous tree on the Sher ka 

 Dan da summit, about 6000 feet high ; under this tree is a murhee of 

 Symdeo, the haunt of a Gunth or diviner by means of rice tossed on 

 the palm of the hand : — the rogue has selected a site visible to a great 

 distance in every direction. About a mile short of Munrus, the road 

 crosses a small stream from the south by a natural rock-arch, known 

 as Beemota and Bheem ka Sanga. 



From Almorah to Munrus, the scenery is bare and monotonous, but 

 now becomes wild and beautiful, with considerable resemblance to the 

 Swiss Val de Mou tiers. The river, clear as crystal, dashes on amidst 

 huge quartz rocks, or reposes in deep blue and green pools, abounding 

 in otters " od," and largh fish. The banks rise steeply, covered with a 

 sub-tropical vegetation, which may have crept in here, with the tigers 

 and hot winds, behind the alpine and oak-crowned barrier of the Gagur. 

 Up the long and tortuous course of the river from Chilkiya, about 3 

 miles short of the Khyrna, the road crosses to the right bank of the 

 river by anew and very elegant iron- suspension bridge on Dredge's 

 principle : the space is 60 paces. Jiaree village, from which it is named, 

 stands several hundred feet above, and the road, forced up by precipit- 

 ous rocks, to the dismay of the wearied traveller, ascends nearly to the 

 same level, only to fall again, and two miles on, re-cross the river by the 

 Tipulee Dhoonga Bridge, resembling that at Jiaree, but only 5 1 paces 

 over. The original road followed the left bank continuously, avoiding 

 the necessity for these very creditable but expensive constructions : it 

 has unfortunately become almost impassable, and in the rains extremely 

 dangerous from several incurable landslips of quartz-debris from the 

 northern steeps of the Lohakotee range. There are those to whom 

 these bridges suggest the idea of the Manzanares, which should have 



