REPORT ON A BOTANICAL TOUR IN SIKKIM, 1S92. 
7 
enormous black gneiss cliff brought us to the bank of the Ratbng 
river, on whose further side we camped on a flat grassy knoll, the 
only cleared -spot in a waste of Rhododendrons. 
Next morning we took the Kanglalama path and continued up 
the valley towards the north-west. We crossed one or two alternat- 
ing flats and transverse ridges, and surmounted a high spur coming 
out on a large plain rendered exceedingly swampy by a network of 
shallow streams. It seemed of very large extent, but we could not 
define its boundaries through the fog. There was no inducement to 
stop or proceed further in this direction ; so we retraced our way to 
within a short distance of our last camping ground, and then ascended 
a grassy slope to the east. The descent on the other side led steep- 
ly through grassy pastures in which grew a species of Astragalus 
and a dark purple species of Anemone. 'J he floor of this valley is 
also a succession of terraces each terminated by a bank over which 
the river pours in masses of foam. There are signs of a more varied 
vegetation later in the season but at present there is very little 
scope for botanising. 
Primula denticulata and P. reticulata resembling A sikkimensis 
grow on the verges of watercourses. The valley lower down descends 
pjrecipitately and the flanks of its spurs are clothed with E^ine forests. 
'1 he next day we halted at this place, called Rongjing by the shep- 
herds. As rainy weather had prevailed without intermission since 
the commencement of this expedition, my men were quite dis- 
heartened ; and, being afflicted with complaints induced by wet and 
cold, they begged me to hasten into the warmer valleys of Sikkim. 
Being reluctant to subject them to further hardships in this in- 
hospitable region, 1 . acceded to their request and informed them that i 
should goto Yoksun after spending a few days at Jongri, a locality 
which I was anxious to see, as it was the goal of one of Sir Joseph 
Hooker^s most heroic expeditions. 
Returning to Tegyap La we followed the course of the Ratong for 
about a mile, crossed it by a bridge and travelled eastw^ards up a very 
steep hill covered with Rhododendrons ; Cryptogramme erzspa was 
plentiful along the path. The entrance to the undulating top of 
Jongri is marked by a shallow lake said to be dry in the winter. We 
camped on a terrace immediately below two stone huts. Many plants 
were springing up amongst the grass, but the only ones in bPoom 
were Potcntilla peduncularts^ P, microphylla^ P. coriandrifolia^ P. 
albifolia; Primula reticulata, P. Stuartii^ P. pusilla^ P. glabra ; Ped* 
ajlaris siphonantha^ Geranium polyanthes^ Ranuncuhis a ffinis, Meco> 
nopsis simplicifolia and Phlomis sp. A majestic species of Meconopsis 
grew’ near the huts in dense clusters 2 to 3 feet high. The flowers 
