On the top no Pines.  Oaks, chesnuts, and Gordoniae appear.

Thence a second but small ascent, pines re-appear with birch, Scutellaria, Erythrina, Melica latifolia, Epiphytes common, especially on Gordoniae.  The altitude of the summit before descending on Nungtung was 3,359 feet:  thermometer 75 degrees, boiling point 206 degrees.

The altitude of Nungtung is 2,862 feet, Temp. 64 degrees.  Big Therm. in boiling water 206.5 degrees, ditto wooden 207 degrees, small ditto 201 degrees, centigrade 97.75 degrees.

[Gradient Madan to Nungtung:  g185.jpg]

Nungtung is a small village not containing more than 12 houses; these are on michaowns, {186} and are built entirely of bamboos.  The doors of curious construction, consisting of bamboos strung longitudinally over a transverse one, so that they can be only opened by pushing on one side.  The pigs have similar doors to their houses and appear well acquainted with the mode of ingress and egress.

Tobacco flourishes here.  Here also I saw Sesamum and Ricinus, sure signs of increasing temperature, Labiata edulis.  The first part of the march lay through an oak and chesnut wood; then through the valley which is under rice cultivation; then through part of an oak and fir wood; I then turned off to NNE. traversing undulated hills entirely covered with grass; here and there an oak and chesnut wood occurred; this continued until 1 P.M., when the path joined the great road as it is called, but which is nearly as bad as the Nungtung one.  The marching was very disagreeable, owing to the path being choked up with grass, particularly in the swampy valley just before Onkreem.  In this valley wild elephants were first seen.

After leaving the halting or resting place under a large oak (Q. castaneoides) at Onkreem, the path improved and is only rendered bad by the swarms of elephants, by which animals we were disturbed twice; it continued until 6 P.M., over undulated ground becoming lower and lower until we arrived at the large valley of Onswye, which is even now at this advanced period of the season, the middle of November, considerably swampy.

Oaks and chesnuts continued, but pines ceased about half way between Onkreem and Onswye.

[Gradient Nungtung to Onkreem:  g187.jpg]

[Gradient Journey towards Assam and Bootan:  g188.jpg]

[Gradient From Onkreem to Onkreem:  g189.jpg]

[Gradient Journey towards Bootan:  g190.jpg]

[Gradient Descent into Assam:  g191.jpg]

Onswye is a small village, seated on a low hill, and entirely hidden by trees:  the access to it is pretty.  Its elevation is 1,632 feet, temperature 63 degrees.  Water boils at 98.75 of centigrade, small ther. 202.5 degrees, big ditto 208.75 degrees, wooden ditto 210 degrees:  taking 209 degrees as the mean.

It is a Lalung village.  These people have distinct habits and language from their neighbours:  their dress is like that of the Khasyahs.  They approach to Hindoos in not eating cows.  They inhabit the lower northern ranges of these hills, but do not extend further east, nor into the plains at the foot, and are far less civilized than the Khasyahs.