REPORT ON A BOTANICAL TOUR IN KASHMIR, 1892. 
17 
I left Astor on the 21st, intending to go as far as Chugam below 
Rattu in the Kamri Valley, but was detained a short way below where 
the Rupal Stream joins the Astor River. A bridge had given way and 
was being repaired. There is a grand view from here looking up 
towards Nanga Parbat. Some interesting specimens were collected 
near the banks of the river. 
The next day I made an attempt to reach the village of Tdrshing 
in the Rupal Valley, and at the foot of one of the big glaciers below 
Nanga Parbat, I managed to get up the valley about halfway, when 
I unfortunately became ill again and I had to return. The botany 
near the glacier must be extremely interesting, and I still hope I 
may be able some day to explore this locality. 
I encamped that night near the village of Rattu in the Kamri 
Valley, elevation 6,8co feet. The valley here is open, and with fine 
views of Nanga Parbat to the north and the Mir M^lik Valley which 
joins the Kamri Valley a few miles further up towards the south-west. 
Beyond the village there are broad stretches of undulating pasture 
land, known as the Rattu plains. The whole valley, irt fact, is beauti* 
fully clothed with grass, and there are some fine patches of forest? 
especially on the sides of the nullahs coming down to the left bank 
of the river. 
I went on to Gumin the next day, a very beautiful march, and 
excellent for botany, elevation about 9,000 feet, and on the 24th 
arrived at camping-ground of Killapani the elevation of which 
is about ! 0,600 feet. 
On the following day, leaving my camp here, I started off in the 
early morning to explore one of the nullahs on the western side of 
the valley. I managed to get up to an elevation of 12,500 feet 
where a large number of interesting specimens were obtained. 
On the 26th I went over the pass (about 13,000 feet) and descend- 
ed about 3,000 feet on the other side to the village of Gurikot in the 
Burzil Valley. I collected some interesting plants on the pass. One 
very striking feature in the vegetation of the upper part of the 
Kamri Valley is the abundant growth of a most: remarkable crucifer- 
ous plant called Me^acarposa polyandra. It has thick hollow stems 
upwards of 4 or 5 feet high. It grows in open grassy places, and at 
some little distance these tall herbaceous plants look very like young 
trees. The local name is chachi and the young leaves are used as 
ag or spinach. It is also found on the Pir Panjal Range, where it is 
ailed chattarhdk^ or chatri, 
I marched to Gurais the next day (27th), about 13 miles of very 
retty road along the banks of the Burzil Stream, which joins 
