faqueer's rock. 



27 



The north face of the Faqueer's Rock is excavated into a hollow of the 

 Deo Dowar. It has no resemblance to a Gothic ruin, which form is, I 

 believe, peculiar to calcareous rocks. It is this rock which, by its eastern 

 extremity projecting into the water, forms the reservoirs into which 

 the Deo-panee falls, or rather at this season runs ; the place resembles 

 merely a sort of bay. The water-mark of floods visible on some of 

 the rocks, is probably eight feet above that of this time of the year. 

 The reservoir is completed by a projection from the rocks forming the 

 south bank, but it is almost entirely abstracted from the stream. The 

 south bank immediately beyond this is extremely precipitous, and very 

 high. The Faqueer's Rock is three-peaked ; two peaks can only be seen 

 from the Deo-panee, the third is the low one to the west, the middle is 

 the highest, and is perforated : the eastern represents a sugar-loaf ap- 

 pearance. Two distinct streams run into the reservoirs, the bed of one 

 forms the second defile before alluded to : this is very insignificant. 

 The other occupies the corner of the bay, and can only be seen 

 from a low station on the sand beneath : it is an attempt at a small 

 water- fall. 



Oct. 23rd. — To-day I have been employed in collecting plants. Nearly 

 due east of the Koond, and at a distance of about 40 yards, the face of 

 the hill is perpendicular, and in some places overhanging ; its extremity 

 juts out into the stream, which here flows with great violence; the 

 banks are occupied by masses of rock strewed in every direction, result- 

 ing from a landslip of great size : some of these masses are enormous. 

 The greater portion of the slip is clothed with herbage and trees, so that 

 it is of some age, or standing ; but in one place over the river it is clean, 

 as if fresh formed, and white-looking much like chalk. This cliff in 

 many parts is a dripping well, particularly in one extremity where a 

 good deal of water falls. It is clothed with the Eriophorum, which 

 hangs down in long tufts ; the moist parts with an Adiantum much 

 like A. C. Veneris, a beautiful Pteris, a Pothos or Arum foliis pulchre 

 nigro tinctis, and some mosses ; B. speciosa out of flower, and some 

 Hepaticae, Ruta albiflora, etc. Between this and the Deo-panee a 

 small stream enters the Lohit : following this up to some height, one 

 arrives at a pretty water- fall; here it is inaccessible in this direction, 

 but by following a branch of the stream to the west, one may arrive 

 at the summit of the hill, from which however no view is to be ob- 

 tained. The summit is ridge-like, and excessively sharp ; the descent 

 on either side almost precipitous. I found several fine ferns up this 

 hill ; at its base an Acer and fine Equisetum. 



