ome disobliging!

The potters fashion their earthenware entirely with their hands, the
upper half is finished on a flat board; the lower being added afterwards;
the finishing is done chiefly by a wet rag, the operator revolving around
the pot. The vessels chiefly used for carrying water are oval, these are
covered with black glaze.

Some Didymocarpi very fragrant, one near Chindupjee most grateful,
resembling quince and sandal wood; the odour is permanent, and appears to
reside in the young leaves before their expansion: Iris, Hypericum,
Viola, Ligust., Ranunculus, Verbasena, Gymnostomum, Serratula arenaria,
Veronica.

CHAPTER XIII.

_Return of the Mission from Bootan_.

_May 9th_, _1838_.--We left Punukha at twelve, having been delayed
throughout the morning, on account of coolies. We crossed the palace
precints, and the two bridges unmolested. Our road lay in the direction
of our entering Punukha for some time, but on the opposite bank of the
river. We gradually descended throughout this portion. Then at about
eight miles turning round a ridge, we followed a ravine to the west, some
distance above its base, gradually descending to the watercourse draining
it. Thence we ascended in a very circuitous route to Talagoung, the
castle of which is in a ruinous state: it is visible from the place
whence one turns to the westward.

Up to this point, which was certainly 1,200 feet above Punukha, no change
occurred in the vegetation. The country remained barren, the ravines in
favourable places being clothed with underwood, and as we increased our
elevation, with trees. Noticed a Bupleurum, Viburnum sp., Ficus obliqua.

At 3,500 feet, Sambucus, Bupleurum sp., Potentilla as before, Gentiana
pinnata, Serissoides, Campanula.

At 3,800 to 4,000 feet, Pinus longifolia more common though still a
stunted tree; Emblica, Paederia cyaneum, Q. tomentosa, Primula Stuartii,
Parochetus, Pogonantherum, this is a most common grass about here, it
becomes more stunted as we proceed lower, and its extreme elevation does
not exceed 6,000 feet, Acorus very common, Adhatoda!

At 4,000 feet, Simool, Dipsacus as before, Aspidium, Macrodon,
Rhododendron minus re-appears.

On rounding the ridge, although we did not increase our elevation, the
country became more wooded. In some places Q. robur, Gordonia, Pyrus
were common, others and the greater portion were composed of Pinus
longifolia, Bucklandia re-appears at 4,500 feet, Aza