184 /.J Notes of an Excursion to the Pindree Glacier. 231 



observe, the rock lies in large detached masses, but the mine had been 

 apparently neglected for several years, and was choked up with rub- 

 bish. The steatite is called " Khurree ;" and at Almorah is turned into 

 a variety of cups, &c. less durable and useful than if of wood. From 

 the Dhurmsala to the Surjoo, the descent is very long and steep, through 

 woods of superb pine ; the soil is a red clay, which with the fallen pine 

 leaves, we found so slippery as with great difficulty to keep our {eet. 

 At the base the Cheer Gunga, a rattling stream, flows to the Surjoo, 

 along the right bank of which lies the rest of the route, about 2% or 3 

 miles, to Bagesur. The Surjoo is here a large and rapid river, the 

 water of a whitish tinge, and perfectly impassable except on rafts sup- 

 ported by gourds. Wilson gives us the etymology of the name from 

 sri, to go : Gunga, from gum, to go, to gang ; and Pindur, probably from 

 pud, pundute, of the same import ; so strongly must the primceval 

 Hindus have been struck by the extreme impetuosity of these rivers.* 

 The elevation of the valley here is between 2,500 and 3,000 feet ; it is 

 narrow, with here and there a partial expansion, carefully cultivated with 

 rice. The scenery is exceedingly diversified and verdant. In such a 

 valley to the north-west, as that of the Sutluj, we should have little 

 but arid rock ; here all is grass, wood, and swelling hills of the deepest 

 green and most beautiful outline. As a drawback, the climate is con- 

 sidered very unhealthy at this season, and in the months of May and 

 June the winds are said to be nearly as hot as in the plains. The 

 vegetation is nearly that of the Tarai and Dehra Dhoon. Robinia 

 macrophylla, (Gonjh,) Rottlera tinctoria, (Rolee,) Phyllanthus emblica, 

 (Amla,) Pavetta tomentosa, (Pudera,) Murlea begonifolia, (Toombre,)Sa- 

 pindus acuminata, (Reetha,) Mucuna atropurpurea, (Buldaka,) Zizyphus, 

 (Bair,) Sponia, Toddalia aculeata, (Khuseroo,) and a species of Adelia, 

 are common as trees, with the Photiuia dubia, called Gur-mehul or 

 Soond, which is also found north-west of Kumaoon ; where it occupies 

 a zone reaching from 3,000 up to 7,500 feet. Among lesser plants I 

 observed Centranthera hispida, Ipomcea muricata and pes-tigridis, the 

 Lygodium or climbing fern (abundant in all the valleys of Kumaoon), 



* The word Pindur also denotes a feeder ; while Pindul is a bridge, a causeway, 

 a passage over a river or ravine, &c. and might refer in this sense to some early 

 •tructure at Kurnprag to facilitate the passage of pilgrims to Budureenath. 



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