Productions of Boutan and Thibet*. p i 
traft that takes place on the face of the earth. From this 
eminence are to be feen the mountains of Boutan, covered 
with trees, fhrubs, and verdure to their tops, and on the 
fouth fide of this mountain to within a few feet of the 
ground on which we tread. On the north fide the eye takes in 
an extenfive range of hills and plains, but not a tree, fihrub, 
or fcarce a tuft of grafs to be feen. Thus, in the courfe of 
lefs than a mile, we bid adieu to a mod fertile foil, covered 
with perpetual verdure, and enter a country where the foil and 
climate feem inimical to the production of every vegetable. The 
change in the temperature of the air is equally obvious and rapid. 
The thermometer in the forenoon 34°, with froft and fnow 
in the night-time. Our prefent obfervations on the caufe of 
this change confirmed us in a former opinion, and incontefta- 
bly prove, that we are to look for that difference of climate 
from the fituation of the ground as more or lefs above the 
general level of the earth. In attending to this caufe of heat 
or cold, we mu ft not allow ourfelves to be deceived by a com- 
parifon with that which is immediately in view. We ought 
to take in a greater range of country, and where the road is 
near the banks of a river, we cannot well err in forming a 
judgement of the inclination of the ground. Punukha and 
Wandepore, both to the northward of Taffefudon, are quite 
in a Bengal climate. The thermometer at the firft of thefe 
places, in the months of July and January, was within two 
degrees of what it had been at Rungpore for the fame periods. 
They feem in more expofed fituations than Taftefudon ; and, 
were we to draw a comparifon of their heights from the fur- 
rounding ground, I (hould fay they were above its level. 
The road, however, proves the reverfe. From Punukha to 
N 2 Taffe- 
