230 Notes of an Excursion to the Pindree Glacier. [March, 



tree — Bassia butyracea, which does not appear to extend more to the 

 north-west. It is common at about 4000 feet elevation, near Bheem- 

 tal, and on the Surjoo near Ramesur ; and I have even found it on the 

 low outer range of hills to the north-west of Kaleedoonghee : the seeds 

 furnish the so called butter, or Phoolel, of Almorah. Near Biloree sever- 

 al large specimens of the Castanea tribuloides — " Kutonj" or Chestnut, 

 were in full flower ; this tree is another instance of the approximation 

 of the vegetation of Kumaoon to that of Nepal ; it occurs sparingly 

 in the glens of Binsur, and becomes abundant east of the Surjoo, but 

 is unknown I believe in Gurhwal, &c. 



At Chonna Biloree the soil and rocks are deeply colored with red 

 oxyde of iron : here the road quits the Jynghun, and turning to the 

 left, soon reaches the base of the " Ladder Hill," so called from a good, 

 but long and steep flight of steps constructed nearly to the summit, by 

 Toolaram, the Treasurer of Almorah. The total ascent is about 800 

 feet, 150 or 200 short of which we halted to breakfast, at a spring 

 called the Bhoomka Panee, This pass is known as the Palree or 

 Kurrei Cheena, and may be about 5,500 feet in height ; on the left 

 the ridge rises many hundred feet higher in a bold rocky bluff, on 

 which is a temple to the Mychoola Debee. Close above to the east is 

 the rounded " Nynee" summit. With the exception of a little clay-slate, 

 the whole range is of limestone, and stretches far down to the south- 

 east, crossing the Surjoo near the Seera Bridge, and every where pre- 

 senting to the south-west successive tiers of cliffs. This limestone 

 forms the glen of the Surjoo up to the Sooring, where as at Landour, 

 it is capped by a granular quartz. The view of the Himalaya from the 

 top of the Ladder Hill is considered one of the finest in Kumaoon ; 

 but was entirely eclipsed to-day by dense clouds, which bestowed some 

 sharp showers on us while at breakfast. An easy descent of three 

 miles hence brought us to the Dhurmsala of Mehulee, near the village 

 Patulee, erected by one Debee Sah, the brahman in charge, being en- 

 dowed with a monthly salary of less than three rupees ; — this he ekes 

 out by the cultivation of a garden, which he entertained a not ill-found- 

 ed fear would be plundered by our followers should he accompany me 

 to the Soap-stone quarries about a mile distant ; this difficulty overcome, 

 we started, and after a slippery walk from one terrace to another, reach- 

 ed one of the five or six quarries in this vicinity. So far as I could 



