The central room in the Rajah’s house is used as a guard house! arms were fixed round the walls, but they seemed to consist chiefly of spears, swords, and bucklers.

January 6th.—­I walked this morning to a village, a mile to the west, in which there is a picturesque pucka house of religion.  What pleased me especially was a specimen of a juniper, of extreme elegance, with drooping branches.  The house itself was of the usual form, and one end was occupied as usual by an ornamental window and balcony.  I noticed in addition Ulmus and Quercus.

The vegetation hitherto seen about this, consists of mango trees, several species of fig, among which were Ficus indica, elastica, terminalioides, Papyrifera, etc. two with cordate leaves occur.  Ulmus, Quercus, Bombax, Juniperus and Pinus, both cultivated.  Aralia or Panax, four or five species, Croton malvaefolium, Justicia, Adhatoda, Peristrophe, Amaranthaceae, Artemisia, Urtica urens? and heterophylla, Pogostemon, Triumfetta, (these occupy the old cleared spots,) Castaneae sp.?  Artocarpus integrifolium, Erythrina, Sambucus ebulus, Rubi, three species, Solanum farinaceum, Engeldhaardtia, Pandanus, Leptospartion, Calamus, Nauclea, Euphorbia carnosa, foliis ligulatis, Artocarpus chaplasha, the fruit of which is eaten, Phlebochiton extensus, Sedgwickia cerasifolia, Callicarpa arborea, Porana, Randia, sugarcane, citrons, tobacco.

The fauna contains two or three squirrels, one of which is the small one of Upper Assam, Trocheloideus, the lesser Edolius or Drongo minor.  Mainas, two kinds, carrion crows, Bucco, Muscipeta flammea, and one or two other species, Parus, two or three species, kites, large tailor-birds, sparrows.  The black-bird of the torrents, and the usual water-birds, black pheasants; bulbuls very common, Bucco barbatus, parroquets, barking deer.

The temperature being 58 degrees 61’, water boiled at 208 degrees.  The mean of two observations accordingly gives the altitude as 2,165 feet above the sea.

The number of houses is about 130, but these form two or three detached villages.  The population is considerable, and there is no want of children.  The people are stout and very fair, with ruddy cheeks, but abominably dirty.  Some of the men are six feet in stature.  We had one opportunity of witnessing their practice with the bow, but only two or three of the dozen candidates were decent shots.  The mark was a very small one, and the distance 120 steps, but none hit it during the time we looked on, nor even the circular patch of branches, on which the slab of wood of this form was placed.  The practice was accompanied with the usual proportion of noise and gesticulations.

There is very little cultivation on the hills around, so that this people are, at least about here, evidently dependent on the plains for their supplies.  The cattle are a good breed, and totally different from those of the plains.  Ponies and mules are by no means uncommon; there are likewise pigs and fowls, both of which are abundant, and of fine description.