KHASYAH MOUNTAINS KULLUNG ROCK. 



167 



At this place Plectranthus azureus makes its appearance, other- 

 wise the vegetation is that of Myrung ; the most remarkable plant is a 

 huge Sarcocordalis, parasitic on the roots of a large climbing Cissus 

 cortice suberosa, foliis quinatis, on the wet parts of the wood, especi- 

 ally towards the mountain foot, mosses abound, chiefly the pendent 

 Hypna and Neckerae. 



On the 13th, I went to a celebrated rock called Kullung, (PI. 10,) 

 bearing about NW. from Myrung, from the heights surrounding 

 which it is visible ; the road runs off from the Nunklow nearly oppo- 

 site Monei, near to which village one passes ; the village is of no 

 great size, and as well as others in this direction is inhabited chiefly 

 by blacksmiths, the iron being procured from the sand washed down 

 the mountain torrents ; the sound of their anvils when beaten is very 

 soft and musical, not unlike that of a sheep bell. The road to the 

 rock is very circuitous ; it finally ceases, and for an hour one tra- 

 verses ridges on which no path exists, having the usual vegetation. 

 The rock is certainly a vast mass, forming a precipice of 700 feet to 

 the westward, on which side it is nearly bare of vegetation, gradually 

 shelving to the east, and covered with tree-jungle, among which 

 huge mosses are to be found. At its foot some fine fir trees occur, 

 one at its very base measured nine feet in circumference, but had no 

 great height. The forest consists of Oaks, Pines, Panax, Erythrina 

 Eurya, Gordonia. 



The base of the rock is covered with mosses, Hepaticse, a Didymo- 

 carpus, Caelogyne and some other epiphylical orchideas, among others 

 Bolbophyllum cylindraceum. 



All these continue to its apex, except the mosses and Hepatica?, 

 which are gained by clambering, and proceeding up fissures clothed 

 with grasses. The apex is rounded, presenting here and there patches 

 of grass, Aira, and Nardus, together with a few stunted shrubs — 

 Viburnum, another Rhododendron, and Didymocarpus common* 

 Cselogyne in profusion, Bolbophyllum cylindraceum in abundance, 

 mosses, Lichens, an Allium also in abundance on the slopes, Stellaria 

 in the woods towards the middle. 



The view to the westward in particular was pretty, embracing a 

 fine well-wooded undulated valley, with several villages and a stream 

 of some size. The plains of Assam and the huge Brahmapoutra 

 were likewise seen, but not very clearly. The distance from Myrung 

 to the Kullung rock is certainly not less than eight miles, the time 

 it took was 4 hours. The altitude of the rock is 5,392 feet, tempe- 



