river. On the opposite side of this plain, on the side of
a hill just sufficiently high to terminate the vista down
the valley by which we descended from the pass, stands
the town of Sungnam ; while the cultivated lands, which
form a wide belt, scarcely higher than the level of the
river, were entirely out of sight till we arrived close to
thè precipitous bank parallel to the river. Here the descent
was abrupt to the bed of the Ruskalan. The bank
was alluvial, with enormous boulders, and was covered with
tufts of Ephedra, a remarkable leafless plant with rod-like
branches, which is abundant in every part of northern
Tibet, especially in the driest and hottest exposures. It
extends also occasionally into the partially rainy district,
being found in Kunawar nearly as far west as the bridge
of Wangtu.
Sungnam is one of the principal places of Kunawar,
dividing with Kanam, which we did not visit, the claim
to be the principal seat in the Sutlej valley of the Buddhist
religion. It contains numerous temples and monasteries,
with also a considerable industrial population.
Cultivation occupies a great part of the valley, and
extends up the course of the stream to a considerable
distance. The level tract along the river has in many
places a breadth of nearly a quarter of a mile, and the
town occupies a ridge on the mountain side, to which
a gently-sloping road leads from the bridge by which we
crossed the Ruskalan.
The elevation of Sungnam above the level of the sea
is 9000 feet. Still the vine thrives well, the steep slopes
facing the river being covered with vineyards : the grapes
were not yet ripe. The principal fruit-trees are apricots
and apples. Willows and poplars are also frequent in
the village; a new species of the latter being for the
first time observed, with leaves white and downy underneath,
which appears in no way to differ from Populus
alba, the common white poplar of Europe.