BUXA OOAR. 



301 



It must not be forgotten that no Pinus longifolia exists on this 

 route after leaving Telagoung. 



Buxa is a rather pretty place, but as usual poor : the Doompa's 

 house is the only decent one in the place, the others amounting to 

 eight or ten, are common huts. The big house occupies an elevation 

 in the centre of the pass, being cut off from the neighbouring hill, 

 on either side by a ravine, one of which is now quite dry, the other 

 affords a scanty supply of water. The hills are covered with jungle, 

 the only clearing being about Buxa, and this, except the flat summit 

 of the hill, is overrun with bushes, Capparis modecea, Croton malvse- 

 folia, Menisperma tropseolifolia, Bergerse 2 species, Ixora, Brucea same 

 as of the plains, Atriplex, Tournefortia of plains, Meesa macrophylla, 

 Mimosa scandens, Ficus elastica in good order, jacks, mangoes, 

 oranges, plantains, Tabernamontana, Calamus, Cedrela Toona, are 

 found. 



Black pheasants, Bulbuls, Drongoles, Oorooa, Bucco, green pigeons. 

 Long-tailed blue-crested shrike, etc. are found here. The Doompa, 

 or Chong Soobah, is a man of no rank, and the place itself is of no 

 importance, except as the pass or entrance between the mountains of 

 Bootan and the plains of Bengal. 



The descent from Buxa is gradual at first and not unpicturesque : 

 after passing a small chokey about half a mile from Buxa, sandstone 

 of a coarse nature commences. The descent is very steep, and con- 

 tinues so until within a short distance of a place called Minagoung, 

 at which the bullocks are unladen at least of heavy baggage. The 

 remaining descent is very gradual, and continues so for several miles. 

 The march throughout and until the level of the plains is reached, 

 was through tree jungle. The underwood being either scanty or 

 consisting of grass. 



On reaching the plains, the usual Assamese features presented 

 themselves, viz. vast expanses of grass, intersected here and there 

 with strips of jungle. Reached Chichacootta about 3 p. m. : distance 

 eighteen miles, of which about fifteen were over either level or very 

 gradually sloping ground. No villages occurred, and only one path 

 struck off from the Buxa one. We passed two or three halting 

 places. 



The vegetation throughout was subtropical. At the same elevation 

 as Buxa, noticed Cassia lanceolata, Torenia the common Leucas, Bheir, 

 Solanum quercifolia, Banyan, Alstonia, Styrax, Caryota, Elephanto- 

 pus, Osbeckia linearis, Herminioides, Wedelia scandens. 



