50 NARRATIVE. 
vegetation, and the hills are mostly composed of 
granite, gneiss, and schists of a chocolate colour. 
Here and there one finds a tuft of grass, and along 
the stream I saw a few patches of Tussilaj/o, Flantago, 
and mint. The scenery is of the most rugged and 
grand description, but soon becomes wearisome from 
its monotony. 
To-day I saw a species of wild sheep at a little 
distance, but could not get a shot. A mile above 
where we struck the Indus we came to a bridge, which 
spans the river at a spot where the stream is only 
forty feet wide, with precipitous rocks on either side. 
There is a small fort and custom-house at the northern 
end of the bridge, where half a dozen soldiers are 
stationed. We crossed this bridge, and two miles 
further up the river came to the pretty little village 
of Kalsi, or Kelatzie, where there is some cultivation 
at a spot where, for two miles, the valley widens con- 
siderably. There are here numerous orchards of 
apple, pear, and apricot trees, and I also noticed some 
fine large walnut trees. We passed Kalsi and halted 
five miles beyond, at the village of Nurla, which is 
similarly situated to Kalsi in the midst of a little 
oasis of rich vegetation. Here I noticed for the first 
time in Tibet the Elseagnus ; it is called Sir Sing or 
Sir Shing, and the roots are said to be used for 
making matches for matchlocks. In Kashmir the 
roots of an elm, and in the Panjdb those of the 
Phulai {Acacia modesta), and the aerial roots of the 
Banian {Ficus indica), are used for the same purpose. 
On the 30th June we continued up the Indus for 
sixteen miles to Sospul. The river is here about 100 
yards wide at this season, and is seldom fordable. 
