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



its perfection as a strong scandent shrub, climbing from 30 to 40 feet 

 or more, up the forest trees. Very many of the Cheer Pines on Bhut 

 Kot, and indeed generally in Kumaoon, have their fibres spirally twist- 

 ed to an extraordinary degree : the natives attribute the phenomenon 

 to the action of the winds. The straight and more useful trees are 

 called by them " Sapin," which signifies straight, one of the meanings 

 of the Sanscrit Surul ; a curious coincidence with the French Sapin : 

 though less so perhaps, than that of mirage and the Sanscrit equiva- 

 lents Mrigutrish, " thirst of the deer," deceived by the appearance of 

 water and Mureechika " resembling light." The bark of the Cheer is 

 employed almost exclusively in the smelting of iron-ore in outer 

 Kumaoon. 



Having afterwards visited Boora Pinnath summit from the eastward, 

 it may be as well to note here its vegetable peculiarities, being in reality 

 the same mountain as Bhut Kot. Though from 400 to 500 feet lower, 

 it abounds with the Picea Pindrow, which continues a long way down 

 the glen of the Kosilla, forming, with the following, one of the densest 

 forests I have traversed ; this is the nearest point to the plains at 

 which this fir is met, the direct distance being about 35 miles. Asso- 

 ciated with it are the trees enumerated on Bhut Kot, of which the 

 Kilonj (Quercus dilatata) here attains a size and beauty rarely seen. 

 Just below the summit, a large tract of rich shaded soil is covered 

 with Aconitum lseve, now in full bloom, as is the Nigala, or Hill Bam- 

 boo, which forms impenetrable thickets. The Ribes acuminatum (or 

 glaciale ?) black currant ; Taxus baccata, Strobilanthes Wallichii, Limo- 

 nia laureola, Stauntonia angustifolia, Pavia indica, Wulfenia Amhers- 

 tiana, Orobus luteus, Asparagus curillus, Uvularia Leschenaultii, Carpi- 

 nus viminea, Berberis aristata, Eurya acuminata, Sabia campanulata, 

 Caragana spinosissima, _ Ulmus virgata, Rosa macrophylla, and Bru- 

 nonii, Daphne cannabina and sericea, several Lauri and Viburna, Evony- 



mus tingens, Japonica, and ; two maples, two hollies, one the 



common Ilex dipyrena, the other a species, (or variety of dipyrena,) 

 not unfrequent in Kumaoon at about 6000 feet elevation, with a 4- 

 seeded berry. The Gaultheria descends to about 7000 feet, at which 

 elevation near the gorge of Kosilla, occurred a tree which appeared to 

 be Andromeda formosa; at about 7500 — 8000 feet occurred a few 

 stunted specimens of Chamserops, exactly in the same state as those on 



