Western Himalaya and Tibet Part 22

The vegetation of the valley of Badarwar was hardly at all different from that of the one which I had just left, and the few new forms which occurred were for the most part Kashmir species. _Quercus lanata_, and the trees usually a.s.sociated with it, did not occur; but _Fothergilla_ was plentiful in the woods on the hill-sides, and in open exposed sunny places a Kashmir _Daphne_ and _Zizyphus_ were common: both of these species, however, are natives of the Sutlej valley. In the shady ravines a species of _Philadelphus_, and the _Nima_ of Hamilton, were met with. Vines were cultivated near the town, as well as a few trees of _Populus nigra_, and a rough small-leaved elm, which grew to a gigantic size.

From Badarwar two roads were open to me, by either of which I could reach Chatargarh on the Chenab, from which place there is a road into Zanskar. One of these follows the course of the Badarwar valley to its junction with the Chenab, and ascends that river by Kishtwar; the other crosses the mountains to the eastward, so as to get into the valley of the Ravi, and to join the road which leads from Chamba to Zanskar. Of these I selected the latter, which appeared to present the advantages of being less known, of leading through a more elevated country, and also (as I was led to believe) of saving several days.

[Sidenote: PADRI Pa.s.s.

_June, 1848._]

I started from Badarwar on the morning of the 3rd of June, and proceeded up the valley in a south-easterly direction, towards the Padri pa.s.s, a depression in the range which separates the districts drained by the Chenab from those whose waters run towards the Ravi. At first the road lay through cultivation. The fields of barley were ripe, those of wheat still green, and considerably more backward than at the same height in valleys more distant from the snow. The elevation of the valley increased gently but steadily, and its breadth gradually diminished as I advanced, the fields becoming reduced to a narrow strip along the bank of the stream, and then ceasing altogether. The road lay on the right bank, and was generally open, but the opposite slopes and ravines were often prettily wooded.

After three miles the road began to ascend the hill-sides on the north of the valley, for about a mile gently, but afterwards more steeply.

The hill-sides were bare, but on the opposite side of the valley there was a fine forest; and as soon as the road had attained the crest of the ridge or spur, the same dense forest was observed to cover the whole of its steep northern face, stopping abruptly at the top. As the elevation increased, the trees and herbaceous vegetation exhibited the same gradual change which I had noted on the ascent two days before, and I met with very few species which I had not collected at that time. In the shady woods on the northern slope of the ridge, I found the little Kashmir _Hepatica_, another instance of the extension to the eastward of plants characteristic of that valley. Near the top _Thermopsis barbata_ was plentiful, in full flower, on open stony banks. The ascent continued steep to the top of the pa.s.s, the height of which was 10,000 feet. The top was nearly level for some distance, and was covered with large patches of snow. The continuation of the range to the north was undulating and gra.s.sy, and the hills of very moderate elevation above the level of the pa.s.s. To the southward they rose abruptly to a considerable height, and the ravines were filled with forest. I encamped on a gra.s.sy plain close to the top. The morning had been cloudy, and after eleven A.M. it rained smartly till evening; the temperature at sunset was 47.

[Sidenote: LANGERA.

_June, 1848._]

Next morning, before commencing the descent, I ascended a ridge on the mountains to the south, to the height of about 1000 feet above the pa.s.s. The snow had evidently only just melted from the greater part of the surface; it still lay in large patches under the trees, and the spring plants were just bursting into flower. The forest, as is usually the case at that height, was princ.i.p.ally the alpine oak. A rose, willow, currant, cherry, _Lonicera_, and _Viburnum nervosum_ were bursting into leaf, and _Rhododendron campanulatum_ was abundant and in full flower. The greater part of the herbaceous vegetation consisted of _Primula denticulata_, a yellow _Corydalis_, and species of _Thermopsis_, _Anemone_, _Caltha_, _Onosma_, _Potentilla_, _Valeriana_, _Trillium_, and _Gentiana_. I continued to ascend to the limit of herbaceous vegetation, stopping only where the ground was uninterruptedly covered with snow. The uppermost level of trees was still at least 500 feet above me. In descending I followed the course of a ravine full of snow, the sides of which were covered by a dense forest of silver fir.

After reaching the direct road from the pa.s.s, which I had quitted to ascend the hills in the morning, there was a short ascent over a low spur, and then a long and very steep descent, to the bottom of a deep rocky ravine, so narrow and sheltered from the sun's rays, that the stream was still covered with a great thickness of snow. Over this I crossed to the north side of the valley, down which the road ran for the remainder of the march, descending at first with great rapidity, but on the latter half much more gently. There was plenty of fine forest, but, as usual, it was for the most part confined to the south side of the valley. The road lay along gra.s.sy slopes, sometimes steep and rocky, at other times, where there was any extent of tolerably level ground, covered knee-deep with a rank herbage of dock, _Polygona_, thistles, and a variety of other plants not yet in flower.

It was in general at a considerable height above the bottom of the valley, which was deep and gloomy, and filled with snow during a great part of the way. I encamped at a village called Langera, at the height of about 7600 feet, and was surprised to observe large patches of snow still lying on the banks of the stream, at least three hundred feet below me.

[Sidenote: DEGHI.

_June, 1848._]

On the 5th of June, my road again lay on the left side of the valley, and usually along the hill-sides at some height above the stream, to which it descended only once or twice. The valley was very pretty, being generally deep and more or less rocky, and on the south side well wooded. For the first three miles, large patches of snow were seen now and then in the most shady parts, more than once covering over the stream. The forest presented a good deal of variety. Except _Picea_, all the common pines occurred, as well as horse-chesnut, cherry, elm, _Celtis_, _Populus ciliata_, and holly-leaved oak.

_Fothergilla_ was very common all along, and on the latter half of the march _Quercus lanata_ and _Andromeda ovalifolia_ made their appearance. The occurrence of these trees I regarded as a sure indication that the rains were somewhat more heavy than on the west side of the pa.s.s, and as a confirmation of the view I had taken when in Badarwar, that the climate of that valley was considerably modified by the occurrence of a high and partially snowy range to the eastward. Throughout the day's journey there was a good deal of cultivation, always considerably above the stream; and at the village of Deghi, at which I encamped, at about 5800 feet, the fields of wheat were being cut, clearly showing that the climate was much milder on the east side of the pa.s.s than at the same elevation in Badarwar, where they had been still quite green two days before.

On the 6th of June, I again followed the course of the valley, at a considerable height on the steep but well-cultivated hill-sides overlooking a deep and pretty glen. The slopes along which the road ran were bare, or covered with scattered brushwood, trees only occurring in ravines, but the opposite bank was usually well wooded. I encamped at a small village called Buju (just below 5000 feet), considerably higher than the bottom of the valley. The vegetation was in most respects (except the occurrence of _Fothergilla_, which was plentiful) what is usual in the neighbourhood of Simla, at similar elevations. Several species of the sub-tropical belt occurred, mixed with the ordinary plants of the middle zone, such as _Marlea_, _Albizzia mollis_, _Olea cuspidata_, _Xanthoxylon_, and others, and in the neighbourhood of Buju _Pinus longifolia_ was common on the south side of the valley.

From Badarwar to the summit of the Padri pa.s.s, and throughout the descent, clay-slate had been the prevailing rock. It varied much in appearance, and latterly it alternated with a conglomerate, and was often very fragile, splitting into thin shaly layers. Near the village of Dewar, a hard bluish limestone occurred in considerable quant.i.ty, close to the river.

[Sidenote: DISTRICT OF CHAMBA.

_June, 1848._]

The general direction of my journey, while descending this valley, had been south-east, the elevation of the mountains on my left hand having been too great to permit me to turn to the north. On this march, however, about three miles from its termination, at a village called Dewar, I left the road to Chamba, which there crosses the stream and proceeds direct over low hills to the Ravi, while the valley (and my road) turned suddenly to the north-east. A little below my camp at Buju, the river resumed its former direction, and, uniting itself with a large stream descending from the northward, took a southerly course, to join the Ravi.

[Sidenote: VALLEY NORTH OF CHAMBA.

_June, 1848._]

Along the valley, which descended from the north, ran the road from Chamba to Chatargarh on the Chenab, and on the 7th I proceeded in that direction. The two streams, at their junction, flowed through an extremely deep rocky ravine, so that I had several fatiguing ascents and descents before I succeeded in pa.s.sing into the valley which I wished to ascend. I was, however, gratified, at the highest part of the road, where I turned for the first time fairly towards the north, by a superb view of the snowy range, towards which I was now travelling. On the 8th and 10th of June (having halted on the 9th) I continued to ascend the valley, encamping on the latter day at 8000 feet. During both days, many parts of the road were very rocky and difficult, with frequent steep ascents. At other times, when it was more level, very long detours were necessary, to pa.s.s deep lateral ravines. The valley was in general open, and the hill-sides only sparingly wooded, though at intervals along the stream there was a fine and dense forest of oaks, horse-chesnut, laurels, and _Celtis_.

The ranges of mountains on both sides were tipped with snow, and from my camp of the 10th the snowy range in front appeared so close, that I could scarcely give credence to the a.s.surances of my guides that I was still a good day's journey from its base.

Since I had left Jamu, the weather had been very uniform. The mornings were generally fine, with a cloudless sky and little or no wind; towards the afternoon, or if not then, certainly in the evening or during the night, clouds collected, and it rained heavily. This was of daily occurrence; sometimes the rain lasted for several hours, but before morning the sky was always serene. The atmosphere was hazy, as is usually the case in the Himalaya during the dry season, before the accession of the rains.

[Sidenote: ALPINE VEGETATION.

_June, 1848._]

On the 11th, I continued to ascend the valley. At the commencement of the march, the hills were bare and open, and the vegetation was still entirely that of the middle zone. There was a good deal of cultivation, and the wheat was still green. After crossing several ravines, the road began to ascend rapidly through a wood of small trees of holly-leaved oak, interspersed with numerous small patches of cultivation. Among the corn, _Adonis aestivalis_, and a number of other common Kashmir weeds, were abundant, and apricot-trees were commonly planted. By degrees, other trees were mingled with the oaks, and the forest became very dense, with luxuriant undergrowth of _Indigoferae_, _Spiraea Lindleyana_, and _Philadelphus_, and a vine was common, climbing up the trunks of the trees. Numerous open glades, covered with a luxuriant herbaceous vegetation of dock and other rank plants, were met with in the forest, which, though not so beautiful, a good deal resembled that of Mahasu, near Simla. On the opposite and shady side of the valley, the forest seemed to be chiefly composed of pines.

As the elevation increased, silver fir and alpine oak began to appear, and soon became the only trees in the forest. The ravines were now all full of snow, the oaks were still in flower, and there was little or no vegetation under their shade, except in swampy places, where a bright yellow _Caltha_ and a pink _Dentaria_ were in full flower. I encamped at 10,600 feet, on an open gra.s.sy spot overlooking a deep ravine full of snow, which lay between me and the snowy range in front.

On emerging from the forest, which extended close to my camp, I found myself surrounded by a truly alpine vegetation. _Rhododendron campanulatum_, which is certainly, when _en ma.s.se_ and in full flower, the pride of our northern Indian mountains in early spring, was in vast abundance and great beauty. The hills around were covered with birch; _Rhododendron lepidotum_, _Gaultheria trichocarpa_, _Deutzia corymbosa_, willows, and many other alpine shrubs, covered the rocks, and the moist gra.s.sy sward of the open spots was adorned with the brilliant flowers of _Primula denticulata_, _Corydalis Govaniana_, _Gagea_, _Caltha_, and other plants. The sky was brilliantly clear, the very heavy rain of the preceding day having, for the time, quite removed the usual haze, and the view from my tent was superb. The last village in the valley was many miles behind, and no cultivation was anywhere in sight. The opposite spurs, which rose, like that on which my tent was pitched, abruptly from the snowy ravine, were beautifully wooded, up to the limit of forest, while all above was covered with snow.

[Sidenote: ASCENT TOWARDS SACH Pa.s.s.

_June, 1848._]

On the 12th of June, I crossed the snowy range into the valley of the Chenab. At starting, the road lay through forest, which covered the precipitous face of the rocky hill overhanging the deep ravine above which I had encamped. After crossing the ravine, which was full of snow, the road ascended a bare steep slope, which was swampy and covered with _Caltha_ and _Primulae_. Every other part of the face of the hill was occupied by a dense jungle of shrubs, almost impenetrable from the prostrate position which their branches had taken from the pressure of the winter's snow. Very stunted bushes of _Quercus semecarpifolia_ const.i.tuted the greater part of this shrubby jungle.

With it grew _Rhododendron campanulatum_, a cherry, and a birch, whose silvery trunks rose conspicuous above all the others. This dense covering of shrubs being confined to the lower part of the slope, the road soon rose above its level, and continued obliquely along the face of the bare gra.s.sy hill, rising very gently, and by degrees approaching the line of snow. I observed that the line of the highest level of trees varied much according to the exposure, being more elevated on the shady side than on slopes exposed to the sun. The snow level, as might have been expected, was extremely indefinite, varying with the degree of inclination of the surface, with the absence or presence of trees, and especially with the exposure. On the slope facing the south, it was about 12,000 feet, while on that opposite it descended among the trees several hundred feet lower. Close to the snow, among rocks and in swampy places, the alpine vegetation was extremely luxuriant and beautiful.

After skirting the snow for perhaps half a mile, I descended a little to cross a ravine, and immediately after began to ascend rapidly over snow, which was hard and firm, so that it was traversed without difficulty. Throughout the whole ascent, there were at intervals steep slopes and ma.s.ses of rock bare of snow, and even on the smallest of these spots vegetation was making rapid progress, under the encouragement of a powerful sun and abundant moisture. The plants observed were all alpine: among the number were several _Primulae_, and species of _Draba_, _Potentilla_, _Sibbaldia_, _Ranunculus_, and _Pedicularis_. The ascent continued steady to the top of the pa.s.s, which was a ma.s.s of bare rock, quite free of snow, and elevated 14,800 feet. The pa.s.s (the name of which is _Sach Joth_) was a deep depression in the crest of the range, which rose on both sides to a considerable height. The ridge was a ma.s.s of black slate rock, in highly inclined strata, on which no snow lay, and which absorbed so much heat from the sun, that a number of minute plants were not only vegetating but in full flower. _Primula minutissima_ and a yellow _Draba_ were common, and a little _Ranunculus_ and _Potentilla_, with one moss and a species of lichen, also occurred more sparingly. The view from the pa.s.s was extensive to the southward, but to the north entirely intercepted by lofty precipitous ridges, distant not more than a mile. The morning had been beautiful, but before I reached the summit, a high wind had sprung up from the south, drifting heavy watery clouds over the crest, from which there were slight showers of hail.

[Sidenote: DESCENT INTO THE VALLEY OF THE CHENAB.

_June, 1848._]

The descent on the north side was over snow, commencing a few feet from the rocky crest of the pa.s.s. After the first few hundred yards, the snow-bed was very steep, and perhaps covered a small glacier.

Further on, the mountains on both sides closed in so as to form a narrow valley, the course of which I followed for many miles, before I could find a bare spot upon which to encamp. The valley was bounded on both sides by exceedingly steep rocky mountains, sometimes quite precipitous, which soon became bare of snow. After descending rapidly for a considerable time, patches of juniper appeared on the hill-sides, succeeded by birch, and soon after by a few pines, which, from their shape, were, I believe, silver fir. A little lower, pines became frequent wherever the mountain-sides were not absolutely precipitous; _Picea_ and _Pinus_ excelsa were first recognized, and a little lower down _Abies Smithiana_; deodar did not appear till I had nearly reached the end of the day's journey. I encamped at 8500 feet, on the first available bare spot, among a few pine-trees.

From the summit of the pa.s.s till within a few hundred yards of my encampment, snow was continuous in the valley along which I descended, covering the stream and the whole of the level portion of the valley for many miles after it had melted from the steep sloping hills on both sides, on which vegetation was already making rapid progress.

This snow-bed was not in the least icy, but consisted of pure snow, much compressed and often dirty. Its slope followed that of the valley, and its surface was quite smooth till close to its termination, where it was broken up into fragments by the fall of portions into the stream below. The greater permanence of snow in valleys and ravines than on mountain slopes seems to be due to its acc.u.mulation there during the winter to a great depth by avalanches from both sides.

FOOTNOTES:

[18] I have been told by Dr. Jameson that he has met with it in the Kangra hills, but that he has never seen it in Mandi.

CHAPTER XII.

Marked change in the Vegetation -- Bridge over Chenab -- Pargwal -- Description of Chenab valley -- Asdhari -- Chatargarh -- Road turns up valley of Butna -- Vegetation of Chenab valley -- Chishot -- Snow-beds -- Camp at 10,500 feet -- Ancient moraines -- Glacier -- Camp at 11,500 feet -- Rapid ascent along glacier -- Camp on moraine, at 14,600 feet -- Change of weather -- Ascent towards pa.s.s over glacier -- Cross Umasi La -- Descent -- Immense glacier -- Encamp in Tibet, at 13,800 feet -- Open valley of Zanskar -- Padum -- Great change of climate -- and in vegetation.

As a great part of my baggage and some of my servants did not reach camp till after dark, in the evening of the 12th of May, I halted on the 13th. I was encamped in a very narrow valley, on both sides of which lofty mountains rose very abruptly. The spurs which projected into this ravine were all of very peculiar configuration, their northern face being uniformly quite precipitous, while to the south, though still steep, they were green and sloping. I ascended on the southern slope of the spur, nearest to my tent, to a height of perhaps 1500 feet, without obtaining any extensive view of the valley of the Chenab, though I afterwards found that I was not more than two miles in a direct line from that river, but that the rocky mountains right and left, retaining their elevation till they were close to it, completely interrupted the view in every direction, except directly down the ravine, where a small portion of the snow-topped mountains beyond the river was visible.

[Sidenote: VEGETATION OF CHENAB VALLEY.

_June, 1848._]

From the great elevation of the mountains which I had just crossed, I was prepared to find a marked change in the aspect of the vegetation, and I was not disappointed. The steep slopes were covered with a most luxuriant herbage, above two feet in height. A tall panicled _Rheum_ was very common, and numerous _Umbelliferae_, _Silene inflata_, _Geranium_, and _Pteris aquilina_ were abundant. The most remarkable plant, however, from the extreme quant.i.ty in which it occurred, was an Asphodelaceous plant (_Eremurus_, Bieb.), the long scapes of which, from four to five feet in height, covered the hill-sides in countless myriads. These scapes were clothed, for nearly half their length, with a profusion of elegant white flowers, very slightly tinged with a pale yellowish green. I met, during the day, with most of the characteristic plants of the Kunawar flora; as instances, I may mention _Ephedra_, _Dictamnus_, _Rosa Webbiana_, _Dianthus_, and _Scutellaria orientalis_. The arboreous vegetation was much the same as on the other side of the pa.s.s. The right side of the ravine was well clothed with pines, of all the four ordinary species; the left side was usually bare, the northern faces of the spurs, which are generally wooded, being too precipitous, but in the hollows there were a few small clumps of trees, princ.i.p.ally pine, walnut, and sycamore.

[Sidenote: VALLEY OF CHENAB _June, 1848._]

On the 14th of June I resumed my journey. The ravine in front was p.r.o.nounced by my guides impracticable, and, as I afterwards saw, not without reason, as it gained the Chenab by running down an almost precipitous rocky slope between 1200 and 1500 feet in height. The road ascended the steep hills to the right rather abruptly, inclining to the north at the same time, till it gradually wound round the northern angle of the mountain range which formed the side of the ravine, when I found myself looking down on the valley of the Chenab from a height of about 3000 feet above the bed of the river. Unfortunately the day was foggy, with a light drizzling rain, or no doubt the view would have been magnificent. After rounding this rocky angle, the road ran parallel to the Chenab, but in a direction contrary to its course, and continued to rise very gently among shady forests, with scattered patches of snow. I conjectured at the time that an immediate descent was prevented by precipices below; and I afterwards ascertained from the opposite side of the river that such was the case. After about a mile and a half an extremely abrupt descent commenced, at first through dense forest, but afterwards among numerous fields and scattered houses, const.i.tuting a large village between 8000 and 9000 feet in elevation. Fruit-trees were abundant, princ.i.p.ally walnut, of which there were many magnificent trees. The crops of wheat were not yet in ear.

[Sidenote: PARGWAL _June, 1848._]

Below the village lands the road entered a forest of deodar, and continued to descend rapidly. The deodars continued nearly to the river, a few hundred feet only at the lowest part being covered with high brushwood, princ.i.p.ally consisting of _Fothergilla_. The Chenab (or Chandrabhaga, as it is always called in the mountains) is a n.o.ble-looking, rapid stream, running through a deep rocky channel. It is crossed at a considerable height above the water by a good and substantial wooden bridge, from which the course of the valley could be seen both up and down, to a considerable distance; and in both directions the river flows between lofty ranges of mountains, generally very rocky and precipitous, and often finely wooded. I did not determine the elevation of the bed of the river, but believe that it may safely be stated to be about 7000 feet. After crossing the Chenab the road ascended very abruptly to the village of Pargwal, in which I encamped, at an elevation of about 8500 feet. On the lower part of the ascent the forest was much more luxuriant than on the opposite side, and than it usually is on slopes facing the south: this was caused by the great depth and narrowness of the ravine through which the river flowed.

This day's march was rendered unpleasant by rain, which commenced about seven A.M., and continued to fall steadily till near sunset; the sky being completely overcast, and the day nearly calm. It was, however, very gentle, so that the quant.i.ty which fell during the day was beyond a doubt much less than would have fallen with constant rain for an equal length of time in the outer ranges of mountains, where no snowy range is interposed to stop the rain-clouds. It did not rain again while I continued in the valley; still one day's experience would of itself be quite insufficient to warrant any conclusion, were it not that the inhabitants describe the climate as tolerably dry.

Their account is, that the rains continue lightly at intervals for about a month from the middle of June, after which they cease entirely. I have already pointed out that the climate of lower Kunawar is precisely the same in character, and these two valleys are equally similar in situation with respect to the mountain ranges.

[Sidenote: DESCRIPTION OF CHENAB VALLEY.

_June, 1848._]