1847.] Notes of an Excursion to the Pindree Glacier. 237 



The rock between Bagesur and Kupkot is almost exclusively lime- 

 stone, here as elsewhere, forming the most bold and varied scenery : 

 and bearing a most exuberant forest, festooned with innumerable 

 climbers. A gradual change may be perceived in the nature of the 

 plants, and as we approached Kupkot, the Origanum and white thorn, 

 Crataegus crenulata, " Geengaroo," indicated a less tropical climate. 

 Lower down the dwarf date tree springs from every cliff. The tejpat, 

 Cinnamomum albiflorum, called kirkiria, abounds in the shady glens. 

 The Didymocarpus macrophylla, Loxotis obliqua, &c. cover the drip- 

 ping rocks ; a flesh-colored Argyreia, and the Cucumis Hardwickii 

 "air-aloo," climb over the bushes, with Tricosanthes palmata, " Indra- 

 yun," and its brilliant-red, but fetid fruit. Coix lacryma, " Loochoo- 

 sha," " Job's Tears," grows by every stream, and in several places I 

 observed the iEginetia indica. The pretty lilac Osbeckia angustifolia 

 is very abundant amongst the grass, and Clerodendron serrata, ternifolia, 

 and grata, amongst the thickets, as is the " Poee," Bcehmeria tenacis- 

 sima. The splendid Abelmoschus pungens, grows in abundance on the 

 damp shaded slopes ; it is called " PIou" or " Kupusya ;" the fibres 

 afford a good cordage. The more common trees are the Photinia and 

 Quercus annulata, Kydia calycina, " Puta," Ehretia serrata, "Poonya," 

 Dalbergia Ougeinsis, " Sanun," Terminalia bellerica, " Byhura," Grislea 

 tomentosa, " Dhaee," Flemingia semi-alata, Wendlandia cinerea, 

 Callicarpa macrophylla, "Ghiwalee," Saurauja Nepalensis, " Gogunda," 

 Engelhardtia Colebrookiana, " Moua," Bauhinia variegata, "Kweiral," 

 and Bauhinia retusa, Roxb., "Kandla," this last being identical with 

 B. emarginata of Royle. Lastly comes a most abundant shrub of the 

 Euphorbiacse, a species of Sapium apparently, called " Phootkia" by 

 the natives, who occasionally employ the root as a cathartic, but de- 

 scribe its effect as dangerously violent. It grows from 4 to 10 feet 

 high, with tender green foliage, which has, on being crushed, a dis- 

 agreeably sour odour ; like all or most of the plants just mentioned, it 

 accompanied us to our highest point in the valley of the Surjoo. At 

 Kupkot I first (on our return) met the Silung tree in flower ; the 

 trees quite covered with the small light yellow blossoms of the most 

 exquisite fragrance, which is diffused (with the least wind) several 

 hundred yards, the mountaineers say a kros. It grows to be a large 

 umbrageous tree, and appears to be the Olea grata of Wallich. In this 



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