1848.] The Turaee and Outer Mountains of Kumaoon. 445 



Phaseolus radiatus : " Oord." 



Phaseolus mungo : " Moong," (rare.) 



Phaseolus torosus : " Gooroush," or " Gooroonsh." One var. with 

 red, another with cream-coloured seeds : these are grown at a higher 

 level (6500 feet) than the other kinds of pulse : chiefly in Kalee Ku- 

 maoon, but also cultivated about Almorah. 



Almorah cannot boast of much or good fruit : the grapes are only fit 

 for verjuice ; the apples and pears indifferent : the cherries only fit for 

 Kirschenwasser ; the apricots for jam and pigs : there are two species of 

 plum, palatable, but unwholesome ; one, a dark-blue damson, " Bho- 

 tiya Budam," ripens in July ; the other, which is called "Ludakh," 

 is orange-red, much larger, and ripens in June. Tolerable plantains 

 are produced in the warmer vallies ; and the oranges, the best from the 

 low vallies to the eastward, are excellent. The lemons produced about 

 Almorah in the cold season, and allowed to mature in straw, are not to 

 be excelled in size and flavor ; citrons " Beejoura," and " Kurunphul," 

 are also grown : the shaddock and lokat ripen at Hawulbagh ; the 

 sweet lime, " Umritphul," towards the Surjoo. The wild fruits " Kae- 

 phul" (Myrica sapida,) " Bumoura" (Benthamia fragifera,) " Heesaloo" 

 (Rubus rotundifolius,) " Gheewaeen" (Elaeagnus gheewaeen,) come un- 

 der Dr. Lindley' category, " Eatable, but not worth eating." In truth 

 Almorah is not the spot for an epicure to fix on ; the feast of reason is 

 the only one indigenous to the European ; and while his eye rests with 

 delight on terrace rising above terrace for fifteen hundred feet following 

 the N. dip of the strata, all green and glowing with the precious fruits 

 of the earth enumerated above, and each, in autumn, divided by its 

 white belt of" Jhoola," (Anteunaria semidecurrens,) to him the welcome 

 symbol of the coming winter, he must acknowledge that if elsewhere the 

 proverb comes true that God sends us food and the devil cooks, at Almorah 

 the last are better than the first, and that he must needs remain a gas- 

 tronomic Manichsean. Such being the case, we may as well re-descend 

 to the Plains and continue our lowland route eastward from Bumouree. 



8th March, 1847. — From Hnldwanee to Jam Goth, 6 or 7 miles; 

 path indifferent, and the jungle generally of small Khyr and Sissoo, 

 with some Kunjoo, Muldoo, and latterly a few large Sal, now coming 

 into flower. Many of the trees are leafless, while those on the heavily 

 wooded mountains present a mass of verdure. 



3 p 



