REPORT ON A BOTANfCAL TOUR IN KASHMIR, l8g2. 
9 
beans, and tobacco are cultivated here in small patches. The eleva- 
tion of this place is about 8,000 feet. 
The next day’s march was to Shigarthang, about 16 miles up the 
Shigarthang Valley. Soon after entering this valley the road takes 
a sudden turn to the south. The ascent is easy at first. The village 
of Tzok with its fruit-trees and grassy meadows is prettily situated 
in an open part of the valley. From here the road turns round to 
the north and is carried by a bridge to the left bank. The scenery 
now becomes very wild. Bare precipitous rocks hem in the valley on 
all sides and the road becomes steep and stony. Vegetation is very 
scanty, but what there is is interesting. The Saber {SpircBa hyperi- 
cifolia) was found again. A kind of ash (Fraxinus xanthoxy- 
hides) was plentiful at about 9,000 feet in fruit, also Juniperus 
excelsa. After this the road takes a sudden turn to the west, and 
ascends steeply between innumerable boulders of an enormous size, 
severed from a mountain on the left, and extending dowm to the 
river, where they help to form a series of beautiful waterfalls and 
cascades. Above this is a small village, near which I came across 
some of the tiniest full-grown cattle I have ever seen. They were 
covered with long black hair, and looked more like bears. 
At Shigarthang the main valley takes a sharp turn to the west 
towards the Alampi La and the Banok La. Two other valleys open 
mt into this bend of the Shigarthang Valley, on the east the Dora 
Lumba from the direction of the Burji Ld, and the Munda Lamba 
from the south. The village is on the right bank of the main stream 
and is situated on a high plateau composed of moraine debris. The 
elevation is over 10,000 feet. 
The people of this place are a- wild-looking lot, but cheerful and 
full of humour. Their head gear is of the Hunza pattern, a long 
bag with the edges rolled in until it forms a cap. The men, whose 
lot it was to carry the loads on the next march, appeared in the morn- 
ing with their caps decorated with the crimson flowers of Rosa 
Webbiana^ shouting and chattering in a language which none of my 
servants could understand. As these men had to accompany me over 
the Alampi L^ and for some distance down towards Astor, arrange- 
ments had to be made for their rations, and I was unable to make a 
very early start.. We made a short march therefore to a place, called 
Rimo Chagma (or Ringmo Chami), close to the river and between 
12,000 and 13,000 feet, and on the following day started with the 
intention of going over the pass. 
By the time, however, we had reached the foot of the first serious 
climb towards the pass, it was. too late in the day to attempt the long 
and difficult. journey across the snow. The weather was perfect, and 
