Read Ebook: Journals of Travels in Assam Burma Bhootan Afghanistan and the Neighbouring Countries by Griffith William

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"I enclose a bit of Sphagnam, a curious moss, with curious incomplete spiral cells in the leaves. I dare say it will bear preservation in Canada balsam. I have received a new microscope, a queer-looking thing, very portable; one object glass of a quarter inch focus, by Ross; two eye- pieces magnifying linearly 200 to 300 times. I have put it up, but I am not well enough to decide on its merits. Now that I have arranged all my things, I am literally frightened at the work I have to do.

"I am quite annoyed at the idea that German artists make better microscopes than English. I was aware that the lenses were better, but otherwise I imagined that any comparison would be vastly in our favour. I am curious to know the price, and where to apply for one, as your account makes me quite ashamed of mine. Who knows what a fine penetrating power of 1100 may not disclose. I am very much pleased with your idea of anointing cuts with nitrate of silver; this hint I will bear in mind.

"I enclose the first list of fish, No. 2, not that it is of much use.--What nonsense it is to collect without knowledge.

No. Native Name. Family. REMARKS.

All the above from the Indus, at Shikarpore.

No. Family. River. REMARKS.

No. Family. Locality. REMARKS.

"As I considered on my arrival at Peshawur in December 1839, that a great deal remained to be done, I obtained permission to remain another season in Affghanistan. I immediately mentioned my wishes of travelling to General Avitabili, who strongly advised me not to attempt leaving Peshawur in any novel direction, as the whole of his district was much disaffected. Soon afterwards I heard of an expedition being on the point of leaving Jallalabad for Kooner, and I determined on joining it. I re- traversed the Khybur Pass alone, and arrived at Jallalabad just in time to go in the advance. I was present at Pushut, 18th January 1840; and on the return of the force I remained behind with Captain Macgregor. In February 1840 I accompanied Captain Macgregor to Chugur-Serai, and thence to Otipore or Chugur-Serai-Balu on the immediate frontier of Kaffiristan, and through his influence I was enabled to remain there, and to increase my materials in an extremely interesting direction. I remained about Otipore for some weeks, making arrangements for penetrating into Kaffiristan and little Cashgur, and in daily expectation of being joined by the late Capt. E. Connolly; all my plans, which first seemed to promise success, were completely frustrated by the disturbances which broke out in Bajore, consequent on Meer Alum Khan's absence at Jallalabad. Capt. Connolly barely escaped with his life from the hands of the Momauds. Meer Alum Khan found on his return towards his government that he could not leave Chugur-Serai, and at last, circumstances threatened so much around Otipore and Chugur-Serai, that Meer Alum Khan insisted on my leaving Otipore and on returning with him to Jallalabad. I did not leave a moment too soon, for shortly after, Syud Hoshin turned Otipore by crossing the hills to the north of Deogul, and very soon possessed himself of Otipore. Meer Alum and I reached Jallalabad in safety, having been attacked once on the road.

"I remained at Jallalabad a few days, and was driven thence to Khaggah by the necessity of obtaining medical aid. I reached Khaggah in a high fever, and was confined to my bed for six weeks: during my severe illness, I experienced the greatest kindness and attention from Dr. Thomson and Dr. Andrew Paton, of the H. C. European Regt.

"Early in July I proceeded to Cabul for change of air, and as soon as I recovered a little strength, started to join Lieut. Sturly, who was surveying on the Toorkistan frontier. I met that Officer at Syghan the day he left to prosecute his surveys, which had been interrupted by the Kamard disturbances: he was recalled to Syghan, in consequence of heavier and more serious disturbance.

"I returned to Cabul, as I found it impossible to proceed beyond Syghan, and then waited with impatience for a season that would enable me to cross the Punjab without great risk to my still debilitated constitution.

"My establishment of collectors consisted of unintelligent Affghans, who were particularly prone to abrupt abscondings, and my supplies of materials and carriage very limited.

"The botanical collection is as extensive as could be expected from the nature of the country and the climate. It is in excellent order, consisting of about 1500 species, and a great number of duplicates. This collection has been formed on the principles which have guided me on former travels. Those principles I conceive to require the collection of every form in numbers, and in various localities, so that the geographical limits of each may be estimated, and the examination be open. They also require information as to habitat, locality, climate, whether the plants are gregarious or not, and whether they contribute to giving peculiar features to the country. I do not hesitate to say that this collection contains almost all the plants that existed in flower or fruit along the line of march of the army between Cabul and Syghan, about Chugur-Serai, Otipore, and Pushut, and in the neighbourhood of Khaggah.

"The extent over which it was formed is about 1,600 miles, and on the variety of geographical position a considerable part of its value depends. If the plants between Cabul and Peshawur are less rich, as my journeys between those cities always occurred at unfavourable seasons, the deficiency has been lessened by my friend Dr. Ritchie.

"The Ornithological portion of the collection, consists of about 350 specimens, is in good order, and contains many objects of interest, valuable for throwing some light on the geographical distribution of birds.

"To the fish of the various tracts I paid considerable attention, but owing to the difficulties of travelling and of climate, the collection has suffered severely. At Shikarpore I made an extensive collection of the fish of the Indus. I had collected most of the fish of the river, of the Bolan Pass, of the streams of Quettah, and of the Urghundab, near Candahar, unfortunately I relied too much on the preservative powers of alcohol. Subsequently I took the additional precaution of preserving skins separately; and it is to these which amount to about 150 specimens, that the collections are chiefly limited. The collections contain the fish of the Cabul river, between its source near Sir-i-Chushme, and Peshawur, of the Helmund at an altitude of 11,500 feet, of the Bamean river, and of the Chenab, Ravee, and Sutledge.

"This collection is particularly interesting, as showing that while the plants, quadrupeds, and birds of the southern and northern declivities of the Kohi-Baba, the continuation of the Hindoo-koosh, are much alike, yet that a total difference exists in their fish.

"Lord Keane, and Sir Willoughby Cotton, left me in complete possession of my own time, a great kindness due no doubt to the considerate instructions of Lord Auckland, but for which I was not the less grateful.

"I always found Sir Alexander Burnes very considerate and very willing to forward my views, and put me in possession of information. The late Dr. Lord also showed himself anxious to assist me in my duties, and very kindly asked me to join the Mission to Toorkistan, so suddenly put an end to by a suspected outbreak in Kohistan.

"To Captain Macgregor I was under great obligations during the whole time I continued in his district. Through his influence I was enabled to remain at the outer borders of Kaffiristan; and that deservedly warm respect which he was held in by all the chiefs, would, I am confident, have gained me access into Kaffiristan, and towards Cashgur, at any less unsettled period. I have seen Captain Macgregor in the closet and in the field, and I cannot sufficiently express the respect with which I have had cause to regard him in both situations.

"Captain Sanders, of the Bengal Engineers, was always eager to swell my stock of materials, and during periods of occasional indisposition, I relied almost entirely on him. Captain Sanders had also made for me a collection of plants between Candahar and Herat, which, I regret to say, was nearly entirely destroyed in crossing one of the rivers on that route.

"It is to Dr. Ritchie, of the Bombay Medical Service, the companion of the justly celebrated Major Pottinger, during his return from Herat via Jhomunna, that the Botanical collections are mostly indebted. Dr. Ritchie not only placed unreservedly at my disposal a very interesting collection made on that journey, but also a larger one made between Peshbolak and Peshawur. Both these are of considerable value, the one shows that the Affghan forms prevail as far as Herat on both sides of the Paropamisus, the other shows that Affghanistan, even in its hottest parts, has a majority of European forms. To the contents of these collections, notes of the localities are also added, enhancing their value very considerably. I may be excused for adding, that Dr. Ritchie is acquainted with route surveying; in this and his knowledge of Botany, he possesses two valuable requisitions of a traveller.

"Dr. Grant, of the Bombay Medical Service, formerly in Medical charge of Dr. Lord's Mission, liberally presented me with an excellent series of specimens from the valley of Syghan.

"While I am beyond measure indebted for Zoological collections, to Captain Hay, of the European Regiment."

"The following notes addressed to Emanuel Fernandez, plant collector at Malacca, may perhaps be useful as containing instructions for the collection and transmission of plants and seeds. They are perhaps worthy of insertion on other grounds, as an example of the painstaking, and patient manner in which Mr. Griffith made his wishes known to the persons employed by him in his pursuits."

"Before you put in the palms and fruits with other collections, you should see that they are quite dry, as otherwise they rot and injure the dried plants. When you send up more fruits, etc. put them into open rattan baskets, so that they may be aired.

"If you can get flower-pots in Malacca buy two or three dozen, and whenever you get seeds sow them in a pot, and keep them, until you have enough pots filled to occupy one of the cases, then put mould between the pots, and sow more seeds in this mould, fasten the lid down and send off the box to Singapore."

"The cases of plants, etc. have arrived: the fresh plants were nearly all dead.

"You planted them very well, and cleverly, but some how or other the lids of the boxes were nailed down, and so the plants died; because plants will not live without light.

"Some of the Ebool seeds have sprouted, one Lanjoot arrived alive, and also the Pakoo Galowe.

"I will send soon two glazed cases, in which you may put plants as before, and seeds of palms, or any good plants: sow them in the same manner, and three or four days before the cases are despatched water the earth and plants moderately; then screw down the lid, when the plants, if they have rooted in the earth, will not die, because the glass admits light to them. But to be sure of the plants having rooted, you must keep the cases with you for three weeks, and if any plants are sickly, take them out and put in others.

"I send a list: when your next despatch arrives, I will increase your pay. If you send plenty of seeds, etc. often, that is once a month or six weeks, I will keep you in my service even if I do not come back to Malacca.

"I also send a box with a large bottle in it of spirits of wine, this is for monkey cups . Take the finest ones you can get of all sorts, and put them in the bottle, leaves and all, do not squeeze them into the bottle, then send it to me."

"Send me up some ripe fruits and seeds of the Epoo, those you sent were not ripe. If you can get any ripe ones, also sow some with the palm seeds."

"When you prepare Rotangs do not cut off the stalk of the leaf close to the stem, but six inches from it, and do not cut off the thorns, but tie all up in mats or gunny bags: at the same time send the leaves of each dried in paper like other plants and flowers, all with names written plainly in English and Malay.

"Send live plants according as you receive boxes for them."

"Whenever you find ripe fruits or seeds, dry them in the sun, and then send them to the Post Office for despatch in paper bags. Sow palm seeds in open boxes as you did before, the Ebool having come up."

PRIVATE JOURNALS OF WM. GRIFFITH, F.L.S.

Regarding the natives, I have little to say. They are a stout-built, squat, big-legged hill tribe: the women in regard to shape being exactly like their mates; and as these are decidedly ugly--somewhat tartarish- looking people, very dirty, and chew pawn to profusion--they can scarcely be said to form a worthy portion of the gentler sex. They appear to be honest; but that is a quality which, from the example of their European lords, they are said to be losing fast. They have no written character; every thing being transmitted by tradition, and performed by the interchange of tokens. They drink like fish, and manufacture a bad kind of arrack, the pernicious effects of which were experienced by the European invalids when the Sanatarium was in existence. They pay respect to their dead by the erection of a sort of kairns and large erect slabs of sandstone rounded off at the upper end: of these, I believe, they put up three or five to each friend, according to their means and, probably, rank. The Churra people cultivate nothing but a little cotton, and perhaps a species of Eleasine. They depend upon the plains for their support and supplies, and this is good management since rice at Terrya Ghat is sold at 70 or 80 seers a rupee. Their hire is, considering the cheapness of their food, very expensive; a man being rated at four annas a day, a woman at three, and a boy at two. I should add, that they have no caste.

The climate is certainly very cool and cold, the thermometer ranging from about 56 to 66 degrees in-doors at this time of the year. The rains are said to be the coldest part of the year; they are excessive, commencing in April and ceasing in October. It occasionally rains for fifteen or sixteen days in succession, and without intermission; and nine or ten inches have been known to fall in twenty-four hours. Since we have been here, inclusive of this, we have had four days of wet weather, of which three were continued rain. Both were ushered in by the sudden irruption of heavy mists from below, which soon spread over the country, obscuring every thing. These sudden irruptions occur during the partial breaking up of the rain, during which time the valleys are completely choked up with dense mists, the summits of the hills on the opposite side to that on which one stands being alone visible. After the rains were over, in the first instance, the plains, or rather the mass of haze hanging over them, presented a most curious spectacle.

The coldest weather we have yet experienced was at Maamloo, on the 27th, the thermometer at 8 P.M. being at 52 degrees. This is remarkable, as Maamloo is rather below Churra. There is however a good deal of wood round the place.

Moflong is a bleak exposed village and the bungalow or residence for travellers very bad. The number of European forms we found to increase considerably about this place. The only woods that occur are of fir, but the trees are of no great size; their frequent occurrence, however, stamps a peculiar feature on the scenery. We here experienced nearly three days of continued rain, and, as the place is bleak, we were miserable enough. We left for Myrung on the 9th, and the greater and all the first part of the long march was very uninteresting. At Mumbree, however, there is a decided improvement, and the scenery is very good. One here notices the occurrence of woods--of oaks, etc., and their form reminded me somewhat of the woods of Buckinghamshire. No woods of fir occur; all the trees occurring isolatedly. I should mention that the country between Molee and Moflong is quite peculiar in geological structure, abounding in Cyanite, the masses of which are of very considerable size. I imagine that the vegetation farther on in this direction would be more rich in European forms than elsewhere, at least between Churra and Mingklow.

Myrung is certainly far superior in every point to any place that we have yet seen; and, as the climate is peculiarly fine and the bungalow good, the degree of enjoyment is as great as can be expected. The features of the country are similar to those of Mumbree. The groves or woods are composed chiefly of oaks, intermixed with Magnolias, which attain a very large size. These forests seem all to have a northern aspect. Orchideae abound in these woods, and so far as herbaceous forms go, European vegetation is on the decrease. From the bungalow one has occasionally a remarkably fine view of the Himalayas, mountains intercepted by large tracts of very high land, probably Bootan. The coldest weather we have experienced here was when the thermometer sank to 46 degrees; even in the middle of the day the sun is not oppressive. It is singular enough, that the first attempts, so to speak, at a Fauna occur here. The woods abound with small birds. I shot one squirrel, with a very short tail and rounded head. Red deer occur, though rarely. Two or three solitary snipes may be found during a day's excursion, and perhaps a brace of quail, which are nearly as large as English partridges. Pheasants are reported to occur in the woods. I should add, that both here and at Nunklow snipe of a very large description, and of the habits of the solitary snipe, are found in small numbers. They are very brown, as large as a wood-cock, and their cry is that of a common snipe. Lieutenant Townsend informs me, that these birds are a totally distinct species. Lieutenant Vetch tells me, that the Khasiyas declare that they are the females of the wood-cock, in other words, wood-hens, and that in March wood-cocks abound in the places with these wood-hens. He likewise informs me, that the only difference he could ascertain to exist between these birds and wood-cocks, consists in their having very short and thick legs.

I have seen two of this particular description, but have never shot any.

I may add, that we were on the hills about thirty-eight days, of which seven and a half were rainy, a proportion of 1 in 5.5.

From this place the view of the Himalayas and of the intervening Bootan hills is very fine. The chain is of considerable extent, and presents three grand peaks, of which the most westerly one is the largest. They do not appear very distant, and are distinctly seen at this season at all times of the day. They are more soft and picturesque towards evening, at which time the different shades are better developed. The degrees of ascent of the Bootan hills are well shewn; the hills forming the lowest range being of no considerable height. It is at once obvious, that the ascent into Bootan from this place would occupy several days.

The view to the S. and S.S.W. is barren enough, and is completely flat; the country presenting nothing whatever but high grass, with an occasional peep of the river. That to the north is, owing to the Himalayas, very striking and picturesque.

Cultivation is carried on to a great extent about Tezpoor, and the district is populous, although few villages are to be seen, as they are all concealed among trees. Paddy is the principal grain cultivated, and this is carried on in low places, which appear on a casual examination to have been originally beds of rivers. Captain Matthie however tells me, that many of these have abrupt terminations and commencements, such may have been old jheels. Sursoo, opium, and sugar-cane are likewise cultivated, especially the former.

During our journey hither, and indeed en route from Kujoo Ghat, we passed over a clay soil and through a dense jungle, comparable to which I have seen but little. Our direction has been nearly south from the above place. The jungle consisted chiefly of trees, here and there large patches of bamboo or tobacco occurring: there was but little underwood. Among the trees the most gigantic was a species of Dipterocarpus, probably the same with that I have gathered on Pator hill, Mergui. We picked up likewise very large acorns with a depressed lamellated cap, and two fruits of Castanea, one probably the same with that from Myrung. But of all the vegetation, that of ferns is the most luxuriant and most varied.

The greatest diameter of the stem of any plant that I saw in this place, might be two or three inches, certainly not more.

This plant here occupies an extremely limited space, and its greatest, and indeed almost only extent, is from south to north. It is in one spot excessively thick, and many of the plants had attained a considerable size, but the largest had been cut down, when it was visited by people from Suddiya in search of tea some short time ago. It had just passed flowering; all the plants looked well, better I think than those of Kujoo. The soil was very much like that of the Kujoo and Negrigam jungles, and was remarkable for its great dryness and looseness, in spite of the long continued and heavy rains. That near the surface was dark brown, below yellow brown, and the deeper it was examined the more yellow it seemed to become. We satisfied ourselves that its depth extended lower than two feet from the surface. The space the plant occupies in any numbers certainly does not exceed forty yards in length, by twenty- five in breadth. About fifty yards to the north several plants occurred, but the soil here was of a much darker tint, although it appeared to be nearly as dry as the other. The accompanying diagram may give some idea of its situation.

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