As soon as we opened out from the pa.s.s, the vegetation almost entirely changed; the hills a.s.sumed a rounded form, covered with low bushes, and were much less rocky. Umbelliferae, l.a.b.i.atae, and Compositae abound, some of them deliciously fragrant: an Astragaloid spinosus very common, a shrubby Cerasus, Thalictrum, Hypoxis, and small Cruciferae abundant. The chief vegetation consists of gra.s.ses in low round tufts; Anemone, Tulipa, etc. all small. After crossing a low range we came into the valley, which is almost entirely covered with an Artemisioid odoriferous plant; no verdure was visible, even on the snowy ranges. We encamped close under a ridge about two and a half miles to the north of the summit of the pa.s.s.

_21st_.--Halted: there being some water collected in attempts to form a nullah from the last rain, it is quite brownish and opaque, but deposits no sediment, and makes good tea, although disagreeable to drink in any other form. I walked out in the afternoon into a valley to the west, close to our encampment, and thence ascended a hill 600 feet high at least.

This valley like the one in which we are encamped is covered entirely by an Artemisioid, a very fragrant plant, each shrub of which is distinct; mixed with it are tulips, several small Cruciferae, and a Fritillarioides.

The same Artemisioid is also the chief plant on all the hills: it is mixed, but in small quant.i.ties with Cerasus pygmaeus, Equisetoid, Caragana, and one or two shrubby l.a.b.i.atae; and also especially above, with a curious Astragaloid looking plant. The herbaceous plants are numerous, consisting of very fragrant Umbelliferae, bursting into leaf; tulips, Fritillarioides, Trichostema, Erodium, Iris, Thalictrum, Senecio, Boragineae 2, Gilenacea, several tufted Gramineae, Berberideae, Ranunculoides, Myosotis, Anemone cracea, Asphodeloid, Mesembryanthoids; of mosses Tortula, Grimmia.

_22nd_.--Proceeded to Sinab, a distance of fifteen and three quarter miles, up two valleys, no ascents. These valleys are elevated towards the mountains and generally depressed in the centre: in some they stretch out a long way from the mountain to which they may be imagined to belong.

The mountains seen from a distance jutting out from perhaps the centre of a plain, look curious. The vegetation is generally Artemisioid, and very fragrant: the first valley in its depressed portions was covered with a Salsoloid looking plant, to the exclusion of Compositae, but these last recurred in the higher parts.

With the Compositae, swarms of small Cruciferae occur; that with purple flowers and pinnatisect leaves being the most common. Very rugged hills are visible to the north-east and north of our route, presenting a very different appearance from the usual aspect: they are steep to the east, and present inclined slopes to the west.

_Sunday_, _24th_.--Halted this day. Little new occurs in the valley, except a few trees out of leaf and flower, which, though trees here, yet the species are not so elsewhere. At this place are the heads of the river of Pisheen, which appear to arise more artificially than naturally from _Kahreezes_, or wells dug in a rude way, and communicating by subterranean channels; those nearest the natural outlet of the water being the shallowest. The vegetation is the same; there is a little cultivation, but nothing to indicate any descent. The amount of population is not great; and the hills to the west are covered with snow.

The chief vegetation is _Santonica_. In cornfields Fumariaceae, Adonis, Cruciferae, Pulmonaria, Arenaria, Hordei sp., Tulipa lutea, and Hyacinthus? may be found.

The vegetation of the plains, inclusive of Santonica, consists generally of three or four small Cruciferae, Tulipa lutea.

I went to the west towards the snow, and found in the river here an aquatic Ranunculus, foliis omnibus immersis, floribus albis, Chara is common; gravelly slopes commence some distance from hills, covered with Santonica, Astragaloid spinosus, Leguminosae, a spinous Statice, Cytisus argenteis, Composita floribunda carnosa.

The mountains are covered with ma.s.ses of rock. One tree occurs with a Fraxinus? a Thymeleous looking shrub, Cytisus, Caragana. The herbaceous plants are very numerous, Compositae, Cruciferae, small Leguminosae, Berberideae, Isopyroides, Crocus? Gentiana, Onosma and other Boragineae, Umbelliferae, Silenaceae, especially small Arenariae; Cupressus commences about 6,500 feet, near the Cypress an Arctium occurred, at least it has the habit of that genus, Onosma, a curious Boraginea calyce sinubus bidentigeris, demum plano! ampliato bil.a.b.i.ato! clauso, quasi hastato lobato, nucibus compressis, 2, Sedums 4, Arenariae, a fine Gentiana, Crocoides, Iris, Ornithogaloides or Trichonema occurred, with many others. The greatest elevation attained was about 1,200 feet above the camp. Chikor and the smaller partridge were seen.

_25th_.--Marched to Quettah, eight and a half miles up the valley over a delightful road. The valley is cultivated, and many villages are visible with their orchards, consisting of mulberry trees, cherries, and apricots, surrounded with mud walls; the houses miserable, and all trees out of leaf: the crops under cultivation are more advanced, but depend on irrigation, some salad-bearing plant occurred cultivated in trenches like asparagus: the fields are clean, and sometimes well manured. A Veronica allied to V. agrestis, 2 or 3 Euphorbiaceae, a very well defined Plantago, Hyacinthus, and a pretty Muscari, were among the novelties; Juncus, Chara, Carex, occurred in some marshy spots. I was most struck with the occurrence of at least two species of Lucerne, or Trefoil: wells are common, and water abundant. The climate is delightful, temperature 49 degrees at 9 P.M. in a tent.

_26th_.--I ascended towards a snowy range to the ESE. of our camp, crossing a cultivated portion of the valley extending to the gradual slopes so universal between the level portion and the bases of the mountains, and which are always covered with shingle, and occasionally much cut up by watercourses. Turning a ridge I ascended up a ravine, rather wide and easy at first, but becoming gradually narrow, and at last difficult. On coming to its head I rambled some distance higher among precipitous rocks, the ground generally covered with loose shingle, giving bad footing. The rocks too were treacherous, often giving way under the feet. I was still 1,000 feet from the summit, which is the second range between our camp and the snow but which is not visible from the camp. From it I saw the camp, and the valley of Pisheen beyond the termination of the Tuckatoo range. Water boiled at 196 degrees 7', making the height about 8,300 feet, in my (new) Woollaston instrument at 686; temperature of the air 46 degrees 5'. Nothing occurred to repay me for the fatigue of the excursion. Junipers or cypress form the chief arbusculous vegetation, but even these are scanty; they commence at 6,500 feet, and continue to the snow: Fraxinus occurred about 7,000 feet, and another tree of which I could make nothing, it being out of flower and leaf. Compositae were the prevailing vegetation; but of these, only the remains were found, which were very fragrant. A large th.o.r.n.y Leguminous shrub out of leaf, etc. looking much like a Rosa, Equisetoides, etc.; of mosses, Weissia Templetonii, and Tortula, so that in these there is very little variety; the debris of one Hepatica occurred.

At the foot of the mountains, the only place out of the valley where any vegetation is to be found, Asphodelus, radicibus luteis, foliis triangularibus, a fine plant coming into flower, Cytisus, Caragana, Narcissus? Cruciferae, among them a small Draba, Cerasus pygmaeus, Peganum, Salsoloid of Mumzil, Trichonema, Myosotis, Gentiana of Chiltera, Buddlaea, Carex; indeed the vegetation is precisely the same as at Chiltera. The only novelty was Bardana in flower, and it proves to be a cruciferous plant of large size.

On the stony slopes, a shrubby spinous Centauroid, foliis pinnatifidis glaucis, Cytisus, Caragana, Asphodelus and Cheiranthus are the prevailing plants. No Santonica is found about here.

A new Iris occurs in abundance: near this in wettish parts of the valley a Vicia, Muscari, Hyacinthus and others as before. The chief cultivation is wheat, irrigated in plots: the soil when saturated with water, forming a clayish, adhesive, finely pulverulent ma.s.s, which cakes on drying. A watermill for flour, having a horizontal wheel acted on by the stream as in Bootan occurs; the grain drops in from a pyramidal cone fixed over the two horizontal stones, in the upper of which there is a hole. The apparatus is very rude.

The height attained by me on the eastern ridge being about 8,300 feet; that of the 2nd range, will be 9,300 feet at least, and the height of the peak or highest ridge, cannot be less than 11,000 feet.

30th.--Continue to halt. There is a good deal of cultivation about this place, but the crops will not be ripe before August: it is princ.i.p.ally wheat; munjit is also cultivated on trenched ground: the young sprouts have a good salad-like flavour. The Suddozye Lora runs through the valley, about two miles from the town: it is a small stream, crowded here and there with bulrushes, sedges, etc. Towards its banks there is a good deal of Santonica, but elsewhere there is no good fodder, and wherever this is the case the camels eat Iris, and destroy themselves. The valley is sprinkled over with villages and orchards, and is picturesque enough.

In one spot, where water runs over the surface, it is delightfully green and velvety, covered with short gra.s.s and trefoil, Carex, etc.

In cornfields in this direction, Berberidea ranunculiflora is very common, Muscari, Hyacinthus, Taraxac.u.m, Plantago. Of animals the Jerboa, sent to Macleod by Mr. Mackenzie, of the Artillery, several specimens having been caught here: presenting affinities obviously with the hare, and a.n.a.logies with the Kangaroo. Macleod has just given me, from his namesake of the 3rd Cavalry, a tadpole-like animal, very similar to one from the Khasiya Hills. I fear it is a tadpole, but I keep the specimen lest it should be a Lepidosiren.

The orchards here consist of cherry, and a pomaceous tree which also is cultivated at Shikarpore, and on the skirts occasionally of willows, which, were they unmutilated, would be handsome trees. The Punjabi name of the pomaceous one is _Sai-oo_, of the cherry or plum _Aloochah_.

Senecionoid glauca is extremely common towards the river, but is not eaten by camels. In the streams arising from springs a Myriophylloides is very common; as also in some places, Ranunculus aquaticus, Beccabunga, Mentha piperitioid, a Sicyoid, Juncus, Coniferae, and Cariceae, all small.

Along the banks of the river, there is a good deal of a small th.o.r.n.y shrub with white bark and fleshy clavato-spathulate leaves. Themopsis is extremely common, Crucifera glauca ditto, Peganum less so, Achilleoides is very common. In damp spots a Lotus (out of flower) occurs. The ground is covered in many places with an efflorescence of saltpetre.

_Quettah_.--The country was so disturbed throughout the greater part of the line, and attacks on followers so frequent, that I did not go out so much during the last few days as I otherwise would. The only plant that seems to a considerable extent local, is the larger Asphodel, which is however found occasionally towards Kuchlak. Within the last few days vegetation has rapidly progressed; the orchards bursting into leaf, and the whole plain, where uncultivated, is a.s.suming a greenish tint. I have nothing to add respecting the botany, except having found Ceratophyllum and two species of Chara, one a very interesting species from having the joints furnished with semi-reflexed, very narrow leaves, it is apparently Dioeceous, there is also a Naiad, much like that found at Dadur. No Lemnae occur among the vegetation: there is some sort of pea cultivated: but the chief object is wheat, then next to it in extent is Lucerne, which is cultivated in plots; the ground being laid out as in wheat, so as to allow of irrigation.

The climate is variable; rain generally falls every four or five days, before this happens it becomes hot and hazy, afterwards it is very cold and clear: the alternations are hence very great. From the thermometer immersed in the fount of a spring gushing out from a _Kabreeza_, the mean temperature would appear to be 56 degrees. Water running in cuts close to it, was 66 degrees. A Tauschia occurs in abundance near the spot, and is remarkable for ill.u.s.trating the nature of the leaves of the upper parts; it is curious that all such have a peculiar aspect. (For other plants of this neighbourhood, see Cat. and Icones.)

The town although the third in Khora.s.san, is a miserable place and has a deserted aspect, the houses are of the most temporary construction, and the hill is crowned by a poor half-ruined _kucha_ fort; the gates of the town are ornamented with wild goats' horns and heads. There is no trade, and the place is stated to be plundered often by Caukers.

Orchards--apricots of large size, and very large cherry trees, a pomaceous plant with the habit of poplar, occurs; the Ulmus of this place is one of the largest sized trees; no walnuts.

_April 6th_.--Left Quettah for Kuchlak. We traversed the sandy plain and then ascended the gravelly slope to the pa.s.s traversed before reaching Kuchlak, the ascent and descent were about equal, but the former was long and gradual, the latter rapid and short. The features of the country are precisely the same; the pa.s.s is short, the descent to the ravine, which in the rains is evidently a watercourse, short and steep, not 100 feet. The mountains forming the sides are steep; and those to the left, bold and romantic, with here and there a small tree. The plain of Kuchlak is like that of Quettah, well supplied with water-cuts and one small ca.n.a.l, but miserably cultivated, and with very few villages. The hills forming its west boundary are low, rugged, and curiously variegated with red and white. Tuckatoo forms part of its eastern boundary: no snow is visible on its face towards Kuchlak: a few low rounded hillocks occur in the centre of the valley. The chief vegetation round the camp, is Santonica. We encamped close to the western boundary of the valley, about two miles from the grand camp: total distance of the march thirteen and a half miles. The climate is very hot and variable; thermometer ranged to-day from 40 degrees to 86 degrees.

The chief vegetation of the gravelly slopes is as marked as ever, and differs entirely from that of the sandy tillable portion; it consists of Centaurea fruticosa, C. spinosa, Anthylloides or Ononoides, Astragalus spinosus, and Staticoides, another th.o.r.n.y Composita occurs, but is not common, the herbaceous plants are Cruciferae in large numbers, as well as Compositae; of Boragineae, a good many, some l.a.b.i.atae, a large Salvia: towards the tillable lands or where gravelly places occur among these, Asphodelus is common with Cheiranthus; one or more fruticose Dianthi occur in these places, and a curious shrubby Polygonum.

In dry watercourses Cytisus is common, with a host of small Cruciferae, Boragineae, and Compositae; Papaveraceae are very common with Glaucium.

The novelties in the pa.s.s were Ficus, Lycium, some gra.s.ses, Onosma. (See Cat. from Nos. 411 to 430,) Marchantiaceae.

_7th_.--Proceeded to Hydozee, distance eight miles. The country is very barren, diversified by curious low hills, of a red, white, or yellowish colour, divided by small bits of plain, which in some cases were a good deal cut up by ravines. Pa.s.sed immediately on starting, the Sudoozye Lora, here a sluggish muddy stream, knee-deep, twenty yards wide, and in addition to a bad dry cut, we pa.s.sed likewise another little stream with a pebbly bottom and rapid current.

The crops composing the very little cultivation seen before arriving, were backward and scanty: so were those at Hydozee. The chief vegetation is Santonica; here and there are gravelly spots with Centaurea fruticosa, spinosa; Statice, Salvia, etc. re-occur. The commonest shrub along the watercourses is Lycium, with another Lycioid th.o.r.n.y plant.

The low hills were in some cases stratified, the strata in others and perhaps in most were indistinct: most were rounded, but the outlines at a distance were very diversified. The novelties today were a fine vesicular calyxed Astragalus, an Isatidea, tulip of red, orange, and yellow, indiscriminately mixed, Papaver Rheas, Cheiranthus lapidium, Asphodels both sorts, but the second and larger one is uncommon, Iris _Stacyana_ very common in sandy places, Iris agrestis, most common about Suddozye, Adonis, and Ranunculus Anemoides occurs. Snow on north side of Tuckatoo mountain as heavy as on Chiltera; the valley of Pisheen is here a miserable place, narrower than that of Quettah.

_9th_.--Advanced to Hykulzyea, distance twelve miles to the town, about eleven through a similar country with that previously noted, and until the expanded part of the valley of Pisheen is entered the aspect is very barren; the road extends between low rounded hills. After crossing the valley of Hydozyea, three streams are pa.s.sed, none of any size. Botanical features continue the same, Santonica being still the prevailing plant.

The curious frutex pluvinatus of Sinab re-occurred, together with an additional subspiny Astragaloid shrub and a small Ruta. The hills are covered with distinct small shrubs, never coalescing into patches.

Peganum continues in addition to the other plants: Glaucioides has aqueous juice, Papaver Rheas ditto, the other smooth-leaved one has it slightly milky.

Lycium and Tamarisk 4-fida is rather common: Hykulzyea is a far larger place than Quettah, but miserably defended. The houses are very inferior, consisting of thatch and mud. The cultivation of wheat is rather extensive around. Many villages are seen towards the hills to the north and NNE.; also one or two forts, but not a tree is to be seen in the valley which is comparatively very large and very level. The hills to the north have the ordinary appearance; those separating us from the valley of Hydozyea, more especially the lower ranges, are so confused that they look like a chopping sea, and present a red and white colour.

The rock pigeon of Loodianah is common about Hydozyea. A few novelties occurred in the vegetation, the chief of which being a large Salvoid l.a.b.i.ata, a plant which is very common throughout Khora.s.san from Sinab in gravelly spots. Leguminosae, Boragineae, Compositae, Cruciferae, and l.a.b.i.atae, are the prevailing plants; Salsola tertia not uncommon. Birds as before, Alauda cristata, and Sylvioides being the most common; no red legged crows were seen. Rock pigeons are abundant.

_10th_.--March to Berumby, distance thirteen miles, the road very bad in one or two places: the first difficulty being a rather deep ravine, the second a nullah, with water knee-deep, and very high precipitous banks, yet both these had to be pa.s.sed. Much of the baggage was not up at the encampment until 5 P.M., although we started at 3 A.M., but the nullah was literally choked up with camels. No change in the vegetation has appeared, except in the occurrence of large tracts of Tamarisk, which tree reaches to nearly the same size as the _Jhow_. Very little cultivation is to be seen; the villages are tolerably numerous, especially near the hills forming the north boundary of the valley.

_11th_.--Entered the pa.s.s which is at first wide, with a gradual ascent, but which soon becomes narrowish, with a good though gradual and easy ascent: the mountains are of no height, and they are not generally precipitous: no limestone, but much clay slate occurs. The ravine up which we pa.s.sed, or rather watercourse, was well stocked with Xanthoxylon, some of large size as to the diameter of trunk, but very stumpy: water is found not far from the entrance: some cultivation also occurs and one large walled village, Dera Abdoollah Khan, lay to our left. Not much change in the vegetation: Xanthoxylon is almost entirely confined to ravines, Cerasus common, and one or two other p.r.i.c.kly shrubs, and a Ruta, Onosma, Linarea, coming into flower, are among the novelties.

We encamped where the pa.s.s becomes narrow, and the ascent steep, and where water is plentiful, but the stream being soon absorbed does not appear to run down the main ravine at this season.

_12th_.--Halted, to make the road where the main ascent commences about 400 yards from our camp, and which is about 300 feet high; thence there is a descent, and afterwards an ascent to about 600 feet above the camp, whence the _low_ plains of Candahar are visible, as well as the range to the north of which Candahar stands. The road is good compared with places elsewhere to be seen, and for common traffic on camels may be easy enough; but for guns, it is steep and difficult. The way it has been made by the Engineers is admirable and rapid; three other pa.s.ses without roads, and in their rude natural state are as yet to be crossed. The pa.s.s here is narrow, none of the hills rise more than 1,000 feet above it, they are easily accessible, and are composed chiefly of clay slate.

Chikores are frequent. The cuckoo was heard to-day, as well as a beautifully melodious t.i.tmouse, with a black crown: a fine eagle, or falcon was seen.

The hills are as usual barren, all the shrubs are th.o.r.n.y, and all the plants unsocial, never coalescing into any thing like groups. The Xanthoxylon is found throughout in ravines up to nearly 7,000 feet, the utmost height of the pa.s.s. Fraxmus of Chiltera also occurs, Cerasus primus, in abundance, Cerasus alius, tertius, not uncommon, Berberis!

here and there in ravines, Equisetoides, Caraganoides altera; the most common shrubs of any size are Cerasus primus. The other shrubs consist of the low customary Compositae, and Astragaleae, Umbelliferae are common, among which last the Nari, a species of a.s.safoetida occurs? A beautiful Iris is common, as well as tufts of Berberideae, Asphodelus major, and which is much eaten when cooked as a _turkaree_ by our hungry followers, Eryngioides, Aconitoides, a Valeriana, three new small Veronicae, small Cruciferae, Silenaceae, Boragineae, and l.a.b.i.atae, form the bulk of the herbaceous vegetation. An Arenarioid, Muscoid, Cruciferae, common at the head of the pa.s.s. A large Acanthoid leaved Umbellifera, a Rheoides papillis verrucosum, this is a true Rheum, and when cultivated becomes the _Ruwash_ of the Affghanistans; it is very common on the Candahar face of the pa.s.s, particularly about Chokey, where it is in flower.

_13th_.--Proceeded to Chokey, not quite four miles. The top of the pa.s.s may be reached by three or four pa.s.ses. I went by one to the right, which is easy enough, and the descent from which is much better adapted for camels than the made road, which is very steep, with two sharp turns, but soft. The descent thence is gradual, down one of the ordinary ravines, well clothed with the usual shrubs and Xanthoxylon: our camels were a good deal f.a.gged, but more from the halt at the pa.s.s, where some cathartic plant abounds and weakens them very much, than fatigue. The view from the top of the pa.s.s is very extensive: the plains are seen to have nearly the same level, and are divided here and there very frequently to north-east and north, by the ordinary mountains.

_14th_.--Halt; water here is not abundant, and is obtained from driblets and pools; around these, the surface is covered with a rich sward, which affords fine fodder for a small number of horses. In the swampy spots, _Beccabunga_, Anagallis, Mentha, Carex, Glaux, apparently identical (so far as a memory of 7 years may be trusted,) with the English plant, the small variety of Leontodon, Medicaginoides, Phleum, and the very small Amaranthoid, Polygonea, occur.

The hills around Chokey, and below it are rounded, those towards the pa.s.s being more steep. They are covered with Centaurea fruticosa, and C.

spinosa, a favourite food of camels when it has young shoots, Santonica, Statice, all of which grow precisely as before, Boragineae, Compositae, l.a.b.i.atae, and Papilionaceae, are the predominant forms, and mostly of the same type: I observe a tendency among Boragineae to have cup-shaped nuts.

Generally speaking, the plants are the same as those before found. Rheas, Papaver, Glaucium purpureum, especially the two last are common, l.a.b.i.ata salvoides, Iris persica, and crocifolia (rare), Trichonema, Gentiana, Alyssoides.

The novelties were Rheum, Silena fruticosa, Linaria, Ruta, Astragalina, 2 small Silenaceae, Iris, Glaucium aureo-croceum, a beautiful Boragineae with cup-shaped nut, Lotoides, an Hippophaoid looking shrub, Scrophularia sp. singulous, Malthioloids spiralis, Allium, Glaux, Nitella, etc. (See Catalogue 482 to 516.) Graminea very common, Rottboellia and Anthistiria, 2 curious forms, the other more northern, Umbelliferae common, Nari much less so than on the south face.

The vegetation of the summit which is nearly 7,000 feet, and of peaks which rise 600 to 700 feet above the pa.s.s, has no change, except the abundance of Cruciferae and Muscoides; Cerasus is the chief shrub; Thymelaeus frutex occurs at 6,500 feet. The prevailing rock is clay slate.

_16th_.--Marched to Dund-i-Golai, distance fifteen miles, we first descended gradually to the plain, and then traversed this until we skirted some low hills, about one and a half mile, from which a pool of water was situated, where we halted, and which was fed by a small cut coming from some distance. The road was very good throughout, the water- cuts although not unfrequent, being either shallow or skirting the left of the road. The vegetation continued the same as about Chokey, until the plains were reached, but the p.r.i.c.kly shrub, habitu Berberidioides, became more common in the water-cuts below than I had seen it before, while Santonia, Centaurea spinosa, and the plants of Chokey, disappeared as we reached the plain, except some few herbaceous forms, which continued throughout. I was much indisposed during this march, and for the time we halted at Dund-i-Golai, a period of four days, was unable to go out, but Capt. Sanders and my people brought me many novelties, which I have not yet noted down. The chief vegetation of the plain is Salsola tertia, the surface is level and firm, clothed with scattered Salsola and a few stunted herbaceous plants, among which a yellow Centaureoid, a Crucifera siliquis junioribus clavati 4-gonis, were the most common, there was also a curious Thiscoid looking plant. A considerable change commenced about the low hills, a Thymelaeus shrub, some curious gra.s.ses, an Erodium, a Santonica, occupying the places of the former shrubs, and Dipsacus or Scabiosa becoming very common. The height of this place is about 4,040 feet, the climate most variable. Fahr. thermometer 48 degrees to 105 degrees in single roofed tents. No cultivation seen, a pool of water is situated near the hill, and a little is reported as situated half-way between this place and Chokey, this however I did not see. The country is much parched up, and bears every appearance of always having been so; no remains of tanks, villages, etc. visible.

Painted partridges were seen; and the eggs of a large bird like a plover?