SNOWY RANGE EAST OF QUKTTAH. 



339 



2, Sedums 4, Arenarise, a fine Gentiana, Crocoides, Iris, Ornithoga- 

 loides or Trichcneraa occurred, with many others. The greatest 

 elevation attained was about 1,200 feet above the camp. Chikor and 

 the smaller partridge were seen. 



25th. — Marched to Quettah, eight and a half miles up the valley 

 over a delightful road. The valley is cultivated, and many villages are 

 visible with their orchards, consisting of mulberry trees, cherries, and 

 apricots, surrounded with mud walls ; the houses miserable, and all 

 trees out of leaf : the crops under cultivation are more advanced, but 

 depend on irrigation, some salad- bearing plant occurred cultivated fn 

 trenches like asparagus : the fields are clean, and sometimes well 

 manured. A Veronica allied to V. agrestis, 2 or 3 Euphorbiacese, a 

 very well defined Plantago, Hyacinthus, and a pretty Muscari, were 

 among the novelties ; Juncus, Chara, Carex, occurred in some marshy 

 spots. I was most struck with the occurrence of at least two species 

 of Lucerne, or Trefoil : wells are common, and water abundant. 

 The climate is delightful, temperature 49° at 9 p. m. in a tent. 



26th. — I ascended towards a snowy range to the ESE. of our camp, 

 crossing a cultivated portion of the valley extending to the gradual 

 slopes so universal between the level portion and the bases of the 

 mountains, and which are always covered with shingle, and occasion- 

 ally much cut up by watercourses. Turning a ridge I ascended 

 up a ravine, rather wide and easy at first, but becoming gradu- 

 ally narrow, and at last difficult. On coming to its head I rambled 

 some distance higher among precipitous rocks, the ground generally 

 covered with loose shingle, giving bad footing. The rocks too were 

 treacherous, often giving way under the feet. I was still 1,000 feet 

 from the summit, which is the second range between our camp and the 

 snow, but which is not visible from the camp. From it I saw the 

 camp, and the valley of Pisheen beyond the termination of the 

 Tuckatoo range. Water boiled at 196° 7', making the height about 

 8,300 feet, in my (new) Woollaston instrument at 686 ; temperature 

 of the air 46° 5'. Nothing occurred to repay me for the fatigue of 

 the excursion. Junipers or cypress form the chief arbusculous vege- 

 tation, but even these are scanty ; they commence at 6,500 feet, and 

 continue to the snow : Fraxinus occurred about 7,000 feet, and 

 another tree of which I could make nothing, it being out of flower and 

 leaf. Compositse were the prevailing vegetation ; but of these, only 

 the remains were found, which were very fragrant. A large thorny 

 Leguminous shrub out of leaf, etc. looking much like a Rosa, 



