Himalayan Journals, vol 2 by J. D. Hooker (great reads TXT) 📖

square yard of soil: the produce is small, not above thirty or forty fold.

From a hill behind Moflong bungalow, on which are some stone altars, a most superb view is obtained of the Bhotan Himalaya to the

northward, their snowy peaks stretching in a broken series from north 17 degrees east to north 35 degrees west; all are below the horizon of the spectator, though from 17,000 to 20,000 feet above his level.

The finest view in the Khasia mountains, and perhaps a more extensive one than has ever before been described, is that from Chillong hill, the culminant point of the range, about six miles north-east from

Moflong bungalow. This hill, 6,660 feet above the sea, rises from an undulating grassy country, covered with scattered trees and

occasional clumps of wood; the whole scenery about being park-like, and as little like that of India at so low an elevation as it is

possible to be.

I visited Chillong in October with Lieutenant Cave; starting from

Churra, and reaching the bungalow, two miles from its top, the same night, with two relays of ponies, which he had kindly provided.

We were unfortunate in not obtaining a brilliant view of the snowy

mountains, their tops being partially clouded; but the coup d'oeil

was superb. Northward, beyond the rolling Khasia hills, lay the whole Assam valley, seventy miles broad, with the Burrampooter winding

through it, fifty miles distant, reduced to a thread. Beyond this,

banks of hazy vapour obscured all but the dark range of the Lower

Himalaya, crested by peaks of frosted silver, at the immense distance of from 100 to 220 miles from Chillong. All are below the horizon of the observer; yet so false is perspective, that they seem high in the air. The mountains occupy sixty degrees of the horizon, and stretch over upwards of 250 miles, comprising the greatest extent of snow

visible from any point with which I am acquainted.

Westward from Chillong the most distant Garrow hills visible are

about forty miles off; and eastward those of Cachar, which are

loftier, are about seventy miles. To the south the view is limited by the Tipperah hills, which, where nearest, are 100 miles distant;

while to the south-west lies the sea-like Gangetic delta, whose

horizon, lifted by refraction, must be fully 120. The extent of this view is therefore upwards of 340 miles in one direction, and the

visible horizon of the observer encircles an area of fully thirty

thousand square miles, which is greater than that of Ireland!

Scarlet-flowered rhododendron bushes cover the north side of

Chillong,* [These skirt a wood of prickly bamboo, in which occur fig, laurel, Aralia, Boemeria, Smilax, Toddalia, wild cinnamon, and

three kinds of oak.] whilst the south is grassy and quite bare; and except some good Orchideae on the trees, there is little to reward the botanist. The rocks appeared to be sandstone at the summit, but micaceous gneiss all around.

Continuing northward from Moflong, the road, after five miles, dips into a very broad and shallow flat-floored valley, fully a mile

across, which resembles a lake-bed: it is bounded by low hills, and is called "Lanten-tannia," and is bare of aught but long grass and

herbs; amongst these are the large groundsel (Senecio), Dipsacus, Ophelia, and Campanula. On its south flank the micaceous slates

strike north-east, and dip north-west, and on the top repose beds, a foot in thickness, of angular water-worn gravel, indicating an

ancient water-level, 400 feet above the floor of the valley.

Other smaller lake-beds, in the lateral valleys, are equally evident.

A beautiful blue-flowered Clitoria creeps over the path, with the ground-raspberry of Dorjiling. From the top a sudden descent of 400

feet leads to another broad flat valley, called "Syong" (elevation, 5,725 feet), in which is a good bungalow, surrounded by hedges of

Prinsepia utilis, a common north-west Himalayan plant, only found at 8000 feet in Sikkim. The valley is grassy, but otherwise bare.

Beyond this the road passes over low rocky hills, wooded on their

north or sheltered flanks only, dividing flat-floored valleys: a red sandy gneiss is the prevalent rock, but boulders of syenite are

scattered about. Extensive moors (elevation, 6000 feet) succeed,

covered with stunted pines, brake, and tufts of harsh grasses.*

[These are principally Andropogon and Brachypodium, amongst which grow yellow Corydalis, Thalictrum, Anemone, Parnassia, Prunella,

strawberry, Eupatorium, Hypericum, willow, a Polygonum like

Bistorta, Osmunda regalis and another species Lycopodium alpinum,

a Senecio like Jacobaea, thistles, Gnaphalium, Gentians, Iris, Paris, Sanguisorba and Agrimonia.]

Near the Dengship-oong (river), which flows in a narrow valley, is a low dome of gneiss altered by syenite. The prevalent dip is uniformly south-east, and the strike north-east; and detached boulders of

syenite become more frequent, resting on a red gneiss, full of black garnets, till the descent to the valley of Myrung, one of the most

beautiful spots in the Khasia, and a favourite resort, having an

excellent bungalow which commands a superb view of the Himalaya:

it is 5,650 feet above the sea, and is placed on the north flank of a very shallow marshy valley, two miles broad, and full of rice

cultivation, as are the flat heads of all the little valleys that

lead into it. There is a guard here of light infantry, and a little garden, boasting a gardener and some tea-plants, so that we had

vegetables during our four visits to the place, on two of which

occasions we stayed some days.

From Kala-panee to Myrung, a distance of thirty-two miles, the road does not vary 500 feet above or below the mean level of 5,700 feet, and the physical features are the same throughout, of broad

flat-floored, steep-sided valleys, divided by bleak, grassy,

tolerably level-topped bills. Beyond Myrung the Khasia mountains

slope to the southward in rolling loosely-wooded hills, but the spurs do not dip suddenly till beyond Nunklow, eight miles further north.

On the south side of the Myrung valley is Nungbree wood, a dense

jungle, occupying, like all the other woods, the steep north exposure of the hill; many good plants grow in it, including some gigantic

Balanophorae, Pyrola, and Monotropa. The bungalow stands on soft, contorted, decomposing gneiss, which is still the prevalent rock,

striking north-east. On the hills to the east of it, enormous hard

blocks lie fully exposed, and are piled on one another, as if so

disposed by glacial action; and it is difficult to account for them by denudation, though their surface scales, and similar blocks are

scattered around Myrung exactly similar to the syenite blocks of

Nunklow, and the granite ones of Nonkreem, to be described hereafter, and which are undoubtedly due to the process of weathering. A great mass of flesh-coloured crystalline granite rises in the centre of the valley, to the east of the road: it is fissured in various

directions, and the surface scales concentrically; it is obscurely

stratified in some parts, and appears to be half granite and half

gneiss in mineralogical character.

We twice visited a very remarkable hill, called Kollong, which rises as a dome of granite 5,400 feet high, ten or twelve miles south-west of Myrung, and conspicuous from all directions. The path to it turns off from that to Nunklow, and strikes westerly along the shallow

valley of Monai, in which is a village, and much rice and other

cultivation. Near this there is a large square stockade, formed of

tall bamboos placed close together, very like a New Zealand "Pa;"

indeed, the whole country hereabouts much recalls the grassy clay

hills, marshy valleys, and bushy ridges of the Bay of Islands.

The hills on either side are sometimes dotted with pinewoods,

sometimes conical and bare, with small clumps of pines on the summit only; while in other places are broad tracts containing nothing but young trees, resembling plantations, but which, I am assured, are not planted; on the other hand, however, Mr. Yule states, that the

natives do plant fir-trees, especially near the iron forges, which

give employment to all the people of Monai.

All the streams rise in flat marshy depressions amongst the hills

with which the whole country is covered; and both these features,

together with the flat clay marshes into which the rivers expand, are very suggestive of tidal action. Rock is hardly anywhere seen, except in the immediate vicinity of Kollong, where are many scattered

boulders of fine-grained gneiss, of which are made the broad stone

slabs, placed as seats, and the other erections of this singular

people. We repeatedly remarked cones of earth, clay, and pebbles,

about twelve feet high, upon the hills, which appeared to be

artificial, but of which the natives could give no explanation.

Wild apple and birch are common trees, but there is little jungle,

except in the hollows, and on the north slopes of the higher hills.

Coarse long grass, with bushes of Labiate and Composite plants, are the prevalent features.

Kollong rock is a steep dome of red granite,* [This granite is highly crystalline, and does not scale or flake, nor is its surface

polished.] accessible from the north and east, but almost

perpendicular to the southward, where the slope is 80 degrees for 600

feet. The elevation is 400 feet above the mean level of the

surrounding ridges, and 700 above the bottom of the valleys.

The south or steepest side is encumbered with enormous detached

blocks, while the north is clothed with a dense forest, containing

red tree-rhododendrons and oaks; on its skirts grew a white bushy

rhododendron, which we found nowhere else. The hard granite of the

top was covered with matted mosses, lichens, Lycopodiums, and ferns, amongst which were many curious and beautiful airplants.* [_Eria,

Coelogyne_ (Wallichii, maculata, and elata), _Cymbidium,

Dendrobium, Sunipia_ some of them flowering profusely; and though

freely exposed to the sun and wind, dews and frosts, rain and

droughts, they were all fresh, bright, green and strong, under very different treatment from that to which they are exposed in the damp, unhealthy, steamy orchid-houses of our English gardens. A wild onion was most abundant all over the top of the hill, with _Hymenopogon,

Vaccinium, Ophiopogon, Anisadenia, Commelyna, Didymocarpus,

Remusatia, Hedychium,_ grass and small bamboos, and a good many other plants. Many of the lichens were of European kinds; but the mosses

(except Bryum argenteum) and ferns were different. A small

Staphylinus, which swarmed under the sods, was the only insect

I remarked.]

Illustration--KOLLONG ROCK.

The view from the top is very extensive to the northward, but not

elsewhere: it commands the Assam valley and the Himalaya, and the

billowy range of undulating grassy Khasia mountains. Few houses were visible, but the curling smoke from the valleys betrayed their

lurking-places, whilst the tinkling sound of the hammers from the

distant forges on all sides was singularly musical and pleasing; they fell on the ear like "bells upon the wind," each ring being

exquisitely melodious, and chiming harmoniously with the others.

The solitude and beauty of the scenery, and the emotions excited by the music of chimes, tended to tranquillise our minds, wearied by the fatigues of travel, and the excitement of pursuits that required

unremitting attention; and we rested for some time, our imaginations wandering to far-distant scenes, brought vividly to our minds by

these familiar sounds.

CHAPTER XXIX.

View of Himalaya from the Khasia -- Great masses of snow -- Chumulari -- Donkia -- Grasses -- Nunklow -- Assam valley and Burrampooter --

Tropical forest -- Borpanee -- Rhododendrons -- Wild elephants --

Blocks of Syenite -- Return to Churra -- Coal -- August temperature -- Leave for Chela -- Jasper hill -- Birds -- Arundina -- Habits of leaf-insects -- Curious village -- Houses -- Canoes -- Boga-panee

river -- Jheels -- Chattuc -- Churra -- Leave for Jyntea hills --

Trading