JUMNA AND BHA'GKRAT'HI' RIVERS, 201 



it to proceed from the powerful perfume of myriads of flowers which 

 cover the fmali valleys on the hill fides; but they themfelves are not 

 apparently fatisfied with this explanation of the difficulty. 



On refle6ling on every circumflance which had paffed, and weighing 

 thefe now laid before me, I determined to attempt this dangerous route. 



July \6th — We left Curfali at 6 o'clock, and croffing the U'nta, 

 Gangd a few furlongs, above the bridge began our afcent which leads 

 us through various jangle to iS^^c7^^//-(ri»DAar, whence a noble view 

 would bs obtained, but for the ufual circumftance of mill overfpread- 

 ing the country around ; birch-wood was very plentiful on this afcentj 

 little differing from the common birch of Europe j the leaf is larger, 

 though of the fame fhape, and it is not fo fragrant as the beautiful or-^ 

 rjament of the Scotch-woods* 



Fbom hence we continued our afcent up a ileep hill face covered 

 wifh fhort graTs, fmall mountain flowers and ftunted bufhes, which 

 gave it a ftrong fimilarity to many of the brown hills of Scotland, 

 And here indeed I firft difcovered their own chara6lerifl;ic plant, 

 the true heath, or heather : it is not exa6tly the fame fpecies as that, mod 

 common in the highlands ; its fmall leaves cover the ftem in four regu- 

 lar rows upwards, fo as to give it a fquare appearance ; its bell is deli- 

 cate and white ; and at fome diltaiice it is very fimilar, fave that it has 

 not that blooming purple glow, that gives the mountains their rich 

 colours. I have feen it however growing among the other fpecies, 

 though not abundant. Here too that beautiful bird, the Peacock- 

 * pheafant was ken and heard in greater numbers, the higher we rofe, 

 and might have been taken for Grou/e in their own Heather,. 



*- 'Ih- bird is ca 1 d in.iircrlm;ii:\ e^y AV///a/ or Mij//«/ by ihc n t es, and i^ oii2 of very uD:oinmi» 

 beauty. The cock bi.d lias a b.)dy of dark glolty blue ; the neck a. id bread (h'liing wiih j urjile and goU, 

 lit« that ot a peacock. On ihs head he carr.e» i crcft ot fevcial feathers, which formi a fli nin^ plume j: 



1 If 



