SCENERY AND SUPERFICIAL ASPECTS OF THE COUNTRY. 7 



CHAPTER II. 



Scenery and Superficial Aspects of the Country; its Flora 



and Fauna. 



Between the Ganges at HardwaY, and the western frontier of Nepal, 

 Definition of the Sub- stretches the tract of country to be described in 

 Himalayan zone. the sequel., It is some 130 miles long, and varies 



from 6 to 14 miles in width. It is composed of low hills and shallow 

 valleys, and rises sometimes abruptly and sometimes gradually, from 

 the great alluvial plains on the south ; and merges more or less im- 

 perceptibly on the north into the elevated country of the outer 

 Himalaya. Geologically, it is known as the Sub-Himalayan zone, 

 being composed of tertiary rocks ; and is continuous with that of the 

 same age and formation trending in the opposite direction from 

 Hardwcir, comprehended in Mr. Medlicott's memoir. Its surface 

 features are very characteristic of the zone of which it is a continua- 

 tion, — that is to say, the hills are low and flowing, they seldom rise to 

 any great height above 3,000 feet, and they are distinguished by the 

 presence of several beautiful, flat, longitudinal valleys, known as duns, 

 Some of which bear a strong resemblance on a small scale to the 

 Dehra Dun north-west of Hardwcir. 



On first visiting this country one is much struck by the beauty 

 and luxuriance of the forest scenery. It is 



Its magnificent forest 



scenery compared with true, there are none of those sublime sights 

 which one meets with in the higher Himalaya. 

 It is impossible from any one height to take an extensive survey over 

 range beyond range of purple peaks, or across the harsher black and 

 white pinnacles of the snowy range : the view is much more con- 

 fined, and the eye bewildered by the labyrinth of small wooded knolls. 

 But there is a softer beauty of a different order to be found here, 

 for which the traveller in the higher hills may seek in vain. The 

 flora is sub-tropical, and gives an aspect of richness and bursting 

 vegetable life to the scene, as well as naturally increasing its bril- 

 liance by the vivid greens, As is characteristic of these hot and 



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