LOWER ASSAM, GOWA HATTY. 



11 



more gigantic and interesting. But we were now confined to the 

 road, which is very good, all digressions being prevented by the 

 thickness of the jungles, and then in some places swarms of wild ele- 

 phants. These animals appear most numerous about Onswye, near 

 which there is a marshy place literally trodden up by them, and 

 their tracks were so fresh that no traces of Wallich or his coolies 

 could be identified, although they had preceded us only about half an 

 hour. It was in this particular place that I gathered a solitary 

 specimen of Butomus pygmceus. Beyond Nowgong, saul first comes 

 into view, and many trees attain a considerable size. Some fine ferns 

 and two beautiful Acanthacese, I may mention, as collected about that 

 place. We reached Jyrung by an easy march the next day ; every step 

 adding only to a greater renewal of acquaintance with old faces, or at 

 least old plain plants. Between Jyrung and the foot of the hills, we fell 

 in with Henslowia glabra in fine flower : Wallich took many fine 

 specimens, all of which were males. This species is, as well as the 

 former, liable to deceive one as to the sex of the plant ; but all the 

 seeming ovaries beginning to enlarge are due to insect bites or punc- 

 tures. To conclude: at the foot of the hills we were embraced with 

 Marlea Byonifolia, Bauhinia purpurea, etc. almost exactly as at Terrya 

 Ghat. Between the foot of these really delightful hills and Ranee 

 Godown, I fell in with one plant only, deserving of mention. Dische- 

 dia Rafflesiana ; this is worthy of notice, as our Indian Asclipiferous 

 species have not hitherto been found, I believe north of Moulmain, 

 nor otherwhere than that peninsula and the archipelago. From 

 Ranee Godown we had the pleasure of walking nineteen miles to 

 Gowahatty, which place we reached on the 23rd November. 



All I can say in its favour is, that it is very cold in the mornings, 

 always at this season cool ; that it is very pretty, being situated on 

 the Burrampooter, and surrounded with hills ; that the women are 

 good-looking, and the whole body of officers among the best. Of 

 its botanical riches I can only say, that in a short afternoon's 

 excursion we found Cardiopterus harnulosa, or rather saw it, and a 

 species of Apocynea in fruit, probably the same with one I have 

 from Tenasserim, and which is remarkable for the very many fleshy 

 alas of its fruit. Gowahatty is particularly known as the station 

 for Cycas circinatis, one fine specimen of which Captain Jenkins 

 shewed us, and the height of which is perhaps 20 or 25 feet. 



It was dichotomous, but only once. The rings formed by the scars 

 of the foot stalks, as well as those of the fruit stalks, were most dis- 

 tinct on the two branches only, and gave them a very rich and less 



