368 Observations made on a Botanical Excursion. [Oct. 



Ascending again, the path strikes up the hill, through a thick forest 

 of Sal (Valeria robusta) and other trees, spanned with, cables of 

 scandent Bauhinia stems. At about 3000 feet above the sea, the 

 vegetation becomes more luxuriant, and by a little stream, I collected 

 5 species of Ferns, some Mosses and Hepaticce, all in a dry state how- 

 ever ; Ficus artocarpifolia ? which sends hanging tufts of leafless twigs 

 from the limbs, was abundantly covered with fruit. Some Smilacece, 

 Disporum, Clematis, a terrestrial Orchideous plant, and Arginetia, next 

 appeared, and still ascending Roxburghia viridiflora, an increased num- 

 ber of grasses and Cyperacece are met with ; the Hamiltonia ceases, and 

 is succeeded by other bushes of Verbenacece and Compositce. The 

 white-ant apparently does not enter this damper region. On ascending 

 to 3500 feet the vegetation again changes, the trees all become gnarled, 

 stunted, and scattered, and as the dampness also increases, more 

 Mosses and Ferns appear. Emerged from the forest at the foot of the 

 great ridge of rocky peaks, stretching E. and W. 3 or 4 miles. Abun- 

 dance of a species of Barberry and an Osbeckia marked the change in 

 the vegetation most decidedly, and were frequent over the whole sum- 

 mit, with coarse grasses, Cyperacece, and various bushes. 



At noon reached the saddle of the crest, where was a small temple, 

 one of 5 or 6 which occupy various prominences of the ridge. 



The wind, N. "W. was cold, the temp. 56°. The view beautiful, but 

 the atmosphere too hazy. To the north ranges of low wooded hills, and 

 the course of the Barracker and Adji rivers. To the south a flatter coun- 

 try, with lower ranges, and the Dummoodah river, its all but waterless 

 bed snowy white from the exposed granite blocks it strews along its 

 course. East and west the several sharp ridges of the mountain itself ; 

 the western considerably the highest, and each crowned with a white 

 temple. Immediately below, the mountain flanks appear, clothed with 

 impenetrable forest, here and there interrupted by rocky eminences. 

 To the north the Grand Trunk Road shoots across the plains, like a white 

 thread, stretched as straight as an arrow, spanning here and there the 

 beds of the mountain torrents, with the pretty bridges of my friend 

 Lieut. Beadle. 



On the south side the vegetation was more luxuriant than on the north, 

 though from the heat of the sun the opposite might be expected. Thi s 

 is owing partly to the curve taken by the ridge being open to the south 



