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Small fields of tobacco were seen before reaching Pak Kong Hou the first station on the North River, from which place the railway follows the east side of the river northwards.
The river runs between high hills on both sides and as it is more or less in view right up to Yingtak some very pretty scenery was passed.
The hills are covered with shrubs and small trees but large trees are nowhere in evidence except around the villages.
The railway station at Yingtak is on the east side of the river but the town itself is on the west side and as the hills outside of the town looked more promising than those near the railway we crossed over by ferry.
Immediately to the west of the town we came across a field of buckwheat (Polygonum Fagopyrum) in full flower, a mass of pink and a very pretty sight. Next to this was a field of bearded wheat in process of being harvested.
The hills which are of limestone formation only rise to about 500 or 600 feet at this place and there was not much difficulty in investigating their flora. At one time they must have been used for quarrying as numerous abandoned quarries were seen completely overgrown with vegetation.
At the foot of one of the hills Trachelospermum jasminoides was met with in flower covering several hundred square feet of rock. Hypericum chinense, Crataegus pyracantha, Paliurus orientalis, Melastoma candidum, Rosa moschata, Rosa microcarpa and Pittosporum pauciflorum, all in flower, were some of the commonest shrubs met with at this place.
In grass lands at the base of the hills the commonest herbs were a species of Lamium, Euphorbia pekinensis, Ranunculus acris and Prunella vulgaris.
Pine trees were planted on the hills but otherwise there was nothing bigger to be found than the Crataegus.
We stayed at Yingtak for the night and proceeded down river next morning by boat to Lien Kong Hou, about 15 miles from Yingtak, stopping at such places as seemed to be of interest. The most striking feature on the granitic hills on this stretch of the river was the large quantity of Rhododendron Mariæ in flower. The flowers vary in colour from white to deep lilac and as both sides of numerous ravines were simply one mass of flower from the river banks to as far up the hills as the eye could see, they formed a most charming picture.
Other common plants met with were Pieris ovalifolia, Photinia variabilis, Loropetalum chinense and a species of Ilex, all of which were in flower.
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