606 The Turaee and Outer Mountains of Kumaoon. [June, 



Carpinus viminea, Betula cylindrostachya, Evonymus japonica, Eurya 

 acuminata, and the level is high enough for Primula denticulata and 

 an occasional yew, denoting a greater elevation than that of Deo 

 Dhoora : though this northern tree descends occasionally in Kumaoon 

 as low as 6000 feet. The thickest and most luxuriant woods are on 

 the northern aspects, which are exceedingly steep along this range, 

 where the poor granitic soil is covered by a deep layer of black mould. 

 Cupressus torulosa, under the name of Rai-sulla is reported to occur on 

 the southern declevities. 



At perhaps seven miles the road passes Puya Panee, " cherry tree 

 water,", a lofty, and to-day a cold bleak spot, the head of the Ludheea 

 river. At three miles short of Dol, the route decends to a second Col, 

 called Sour Phutka, the Sarput ka dhoora of Herbert : there are pools 

 of bad water here, and the people of Salim are clearing large tracts of 

 the mountain forest for wheat and barley : such land is called " Ijur," 

 and being often temporarily abandoned after two or three years' culti- 

 vation, produces the erroneous impression that the agriculture of the 

 province is retrograding, more disagreeable settlers than those from 

 Salim, are not unfrequently met, in the feline form, on the route 

 between Sour Phutka and Devee Dhoora ; but they rarely approach 

 much nearer to Almorah. 



At Sour Phutka, the granite rock ceases, and is succeeded by the 

 stratified rocks quartzose, micaceous, and slaty, dipping north. About 

 Dol, these are completely established, with abundance of the black 

 graphite slate, so common on Kaleemuth, Bandunee Devee, &c. ; the 

 presence of this may probably be connected with the neighbourhood of 

 the granite. 



A mile beyond Sour Phutka, the road passes an extensive wilderness 

 of vast angular gneiss fragments : perched on the top of a group of these 

 is a rudely conical mass of the same material, 20 — 30 feet wide at the 

 base, and fully 50 feet high : it is called Nagdeo, and seems to be 

 revered as a phallus : the foundations of old buildings are visible 

 around. A rivulet, one of the heads of the Punar, rises a little way 

 down, between these boulders and the high road ; following this for a 

 mile, we come on a small and exceedingly pretty secluded dell, shaded 

 by cedars, horse-chestnuts, and Tilonj oaks, with a fane sacred to 

 Vishnoo, and several houses, untenanted at present. A path leads 



