ad runs off from the Nunklow nearly opposite Monei, near to which
village one passes; the village is of no great size, and as well as
others in this direction is inhabited chiefly by blacksmiths, the iron
being procured from the sand washed down the mountain torrents; the sound
of their anvils when beaten is very soft and musical, not unlike that of
a sheep bell. The road to the rock is very circuitous; it finally
ceases, and for an hour one traverses ridges on which no path exists,
having the usual vegetation. The rock is certainly a vast mass, forming
a precipice of 700 feet to the westward, on which side it is nearly bare
of vegetation, gradually shelving to the east, and covered with
tree-jungle, among which huge mosses are to be found. At its foot some
fine fir trees occur, one at its very base measured nine feet in
circumference, but had no great height. The forest consists of Oaks,
Pines, Panax, Erythrina Eurya, Gordonia.

The base of the rock is covered with mosses, Hepaticae, a Didymocarpus,
Caelogyne and some other epiphylical orchideae, among others Bolbophyllum
cylindraceum.

All these continue to its apex, except the mosses and Hepaticae, which
are gained by clambering, and proceeding up fissures clothed with
grasses. The apex is rounded, presenting here and there patches of
grass, Aira, and Nardus, together with a few stunted shrubs--Viburnum,
another Rhododendron, and Didymocarpus common, Caelogyne in profusion,
Bolbophyllum cylindraceum in abundance, mosses, Lichens, an Allium also
in abundance on the slopes, Stellaria in the woods towards the middle.

The view to the westward in particular was pretty, embracing a fine well-
wooded undulated valley, with several villages and a stream of some size.
The plains of Assam and the huge Brahmapoutra were likewise seen, but not
very clearly. The distance from Myrung to the Kullung rock is certainly
not less than eight miles, the time it took was 4 hours. The altitude of
the rock is 5,392 feet, temperature 76 degrees, water boiling at 202.5.
Wild hog are found round its base. {168}

_October 14th_.--I left for Moleem, the march is long and fatiguing;
the road leaves the Moflong road at about four miles from the village of
that name, continuing over similar barren hills, clothed with scanty
grass. On reaching Morung firs become common, but they are small. The
view of Moleem, from this direction is remarkably pretty; the country
being better wooded, esp