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INTRODUCTION 
Taraxacum officinale, Verbascum Thapsus, Thymus Serpyllum, and 
Poa annua. 
The commencement of the rainy season [in June] is the signal 
in the mountains, as it is very universally throughout India, 
wherever that season is well marked, for the appearance of a very 
vigorous and luxuriant growth of plants of annual growth, the 
seeds or rootstocks of which had been lying dormant in the soil 
awaiting the access of heavy rain. At Simla, as elsewhere in the 
temperate region of the Himalaya, we find at this season numerous 
species of Impatiens, Acanthacece, Orchidece, and Labiatce, several 
Gentians and C ichor iacece, a great many grasses and Cyperacece, 
and species of Parnassia , Drosera, Pedicularis, Roscoea, Dipsacus 
Thalictrum, Urtica, &c. The Labiatce of the rainy season are 
mostly species of Plectranthus and Elsholtzia, both quite Indian 
genera, and very extensively distributed in mountainous districts. 
The Orchidece of Simla are entirely terrestrial, the dryness and 
cold of the winter months being greater than are compatible with 
the occurrence of epiphytical species of this Natural Order, and for 
the same reason, I presume, Melastomacece, so abundant in the 
Eastern Himalaya, are quite wanting. 
The view from the peak of Jako is one of the most agreeable and 
diversified which occur in any part of the Himalaya, although from 
the rather too level top of the mountain, and the intrusion of the 
forest almost to the very summit, the whole panorama cannot be 
embraced at once. Immediately under the eye are the numerous 
spurs and ridges covered with scattered houses, and the deep 
ravines which terminate the steep slopes below the station ; 
towards the plains the whole valley of the Gambar is seen and the 
station of Sabathu. To the north a valley stretches from Simla 
as far as the Sutlej River, distant about fifteen miles, so direct that 
the greater part of it is seen, though the river itself is concealed. 
East of north a long partially wooded ridge, about four miles 
distant at its nearest point, running parallel to the valley just 
mentioned, excludes the view of the nearer part of the Sutlej 
valley ; but the lofty ranges north of that river, covered with dense 
forest and backed by masses of brilliant snow, close in the view in 
that direction. Due east lies the Mahasu ridge, covered on the 
Simla slopes with a dense forest of deodar ; and to the south, 
across the valley of the Giri, towards which numerous rugged 
ridges run, is the mountain called the Chor, the highest peak of 
the range which separates the Giri from the Tons, the crest of 
which is upwards of 12,000 feet in height. 
The geological structure of the Himalaya between Simla and 
the plains is not easily discovered by the cursory observer. The 
