TUMASIIOO. 



253 



Cattle are here kept in farm yards which are well littered with 

 straw ; as in other places they are noosed round the horns : they are 

 fed, while tied up, on straw of a coarse and unnutritious description, 

 which they do not seem to fancy much. Pigeons abound, but they are 

 of no use as they cannot be caught ; they may help to feed the spar- 

 rowhawks, which are generally found about the villages, and which 

 are very bold. 



February 24th. — Left at 8 a. m. after the usual trouble about coo- 

 lies and ponies. We ascended at first about 1,000 feet, passing over 

 sward with woods of P. longifolia on either side, crossing the ridge 

 through a hollow, we then commenced a steep descent to the west, 

 until we reached a water-course, the elevation of which is about 200 

 feet below that of Tumashoo. We then struck off, again to ascend, 

 and continued to do so until we attained 7,800 feet, from which 

 point we descended gradually at first, then abruptly to our mokan. 

 The direction was nearly west, the distance 1 1 miles, the march pret- 

 ty easy, as the road was good, and the ascent gradual. 



Up to the ravine and indeed throughout, nothing new occurred in 

 the vegetation. The hill up which we ascended to again descend, 

 was bare, covered with the usual coarse grasses, Campanula linearis 

 and C. cana, foliis undulatis, Desmodium vestilum, Santalacea. 



In the ravine Gordonia, Photinia, Pothos fiammea and another 

 species, Msesa, Polygonum rheoides, Ficus of Bhamree, and in the 

 khets Hieraceoid, Gnaphalium aureum, Ajuga, and Veronica occurred. 



Up the first ascent and at about 5,c00 feet, there was a field 

 of peas, in very luxuriant condition. Our road lay through open 

 dry woods of oaks, either Q. robur or Q. tomentosa, principally the 

 latter, Rhododendron minus, and Pinus longifolia preponderated in 

 some places, but few trees of Abies pendula occurred. 



The march was so far interesting as establishing nearly the limits 

 of Q. robur, Q. tomentosa and Q. ilecifolia, which last only com- 

 menced, and then in a small state, at 7,300 feet, I should say that Q. 

 tomentosa was to it the next indication, as well as Q, glauca. But 

 it must be understood that only full grown trees are now considered. 

 Mosses were common in the woods on reaching 6 to 7,000 feet, princi- 

 pally Dicrana, Hypna, Orthotricha, Pendulous lichens frequent ; about 

 7,000 feet, Primula Stuartii in its old situations between 6 to 7,00 

 feet, Hypericum of Moflong, 7,000 feet. 



We crossed several small water-courses, along these, the dry woods 

 ceased, and the usual humid jungle made its appearance : mosses very 

 numerous. 



