RRPORT ON A BOTANICAL TOUR IN KASHMIR, 1892. 
5 
This is also the ordinary route to Skirdu, but a very hot one 
during the summer months. The route which I took is a high-level 
one, and much more interesting for botanical exploration. 
After crossing the valley in a north-westerly direction through 
fields of buck- wheat, masur {Lens esculentd)^ etc., the road begins 
to rise in zig-zags along a very rocky valley almost bare of vegeta- 
tion for the first few miles. At 12,000 feet the botany becomes 
more interesting. The white variety of the marsh marigold fringes 
the sides of the stream ; a brilliantly yellow-flowered Draba w’as 
conspicuous, growing in masses near the top of a pass ; and mixed 
with it was a rare Anemone (A. albana). The tents were pitched 
at a place called Pattarkhdn Brangsa, between 12,000 and 13,000 feet* 
There is an enormous cock here which affords good shelter for coolies. 
I went over the Marpu Pass on the following day. It is over 
15,000 feet, and forms a portion of the watershed between the Dr^s 
and the Shingoxivers,.both of whiqh flow into the Indus. It is quite 
an easy pass, but the path is a very stony one, and on this account a 
little more snow would have been an advantage. 
The next camping-ground is at Pattar Dokds, about 2,000 feet 
below the pass. The stream of this nullah flows into the Shingo River, 
a few miles below the village of Golteri', which was my next halting 
stage. This village is on the right bank of the river, and is situated 
on a plateau of moraine debris. The elevation is about 11,000 feet. 
I stayed here for one day as the botany was interesting, and I had to 
make arrangements for another set of coolies. The pencil cedar 
(Juniperus excelsa) is plentiful in this valley, but the trees are stunted- 
The Shingo River rises near the Burzil Pass and flows into the Shigar, 
one of the tributaries ot the Indus. 
I left Goltei^on the 7th of July, and went down the valley on the 
left bank to a place called Chamlong. The river is crossed by a small 
rope bridge just below Golteri ; close by here and alongside the river 
is the village polo-ground. The path keeps near the river all the way, 
and is very rocky in places. One great feature of this valley is the 
abundance of a very floriferous sweet-scented rose (R, Webbiana). 
The flowers vary from deep pink to white. The people here call it 
sermang. Many' other interesting botanical specimens were gathered* 
A wild-looking valley, called theShwdran has to be crossed by 
a rope bridge before reaching Chamlong. 
On the following day we continued down the river to the village 
of Fransart by an extremely rocky and rather difficult track, and some 
parts of it must be quite impassable when the river is at all high. 
There is an alternative and longer route at a much higher level. The 
elevation of Fransart is about 10,000 feet. There is a large extent of 
