The banks are low and rather bluff, the vegetation continues the same, but Jhow is far the most common plant. Bheir, Babool, and the Seerkee Saccharum continue; the cultivation is the same; Calotropis Hamiltonii. Mittunkote appears, from a distance of two coss, a place of some size, with a somewhat conspicuous dome. Immediately behind it are the Soliman Hills, of no great altitude; and, except at the bases, which are covered with black patches of forest, they appear uniformly brown, otherwise there is nothing to vary the monotony of the scene, scarcely any trees being visible. On stopping for breakfast, a general scene of embracing among the dhandies or boatmen and their friends occurred; women were also embraced in the usual way, but with apparently less tenderness or warmth than the men. The boats tracking up, have masts, but the goon or rope is seized with both hands, a plan far less advantageous than that adopted on the Ganges and Bramahpootra, where the principal tracking is exercised by a bamboo placed over the shoulder, farthest from the goon.
28th.—No change worth noticing. The current continues rapid. The hills visible, running parallel to the river, and ending very gradually. Typha is very common, and in some places Arundo.
29th.—We remain in sight of, and generally continuing in the same direction as the hills, which run out very gradually indeed. Scarcely a tree is to be seen, and very few villages. The country continues to have some vegetation. The Sofaida is now found in flower, it is the Ban of the natives of these parts; the former name indicates in Persian, a tree, said to be wild Poplar, with which this has an obvious affinity. Saccharum Seerkee very common, growing in tufts and covering extensive tracts. Scarcely any cultivation is to be seen along the river, and altogether a very small proportion is rendered available. River very much subdivided: towards evening the sky is obscured to leeward by the smoke arising from burning jungle. Waterfowl are very common along the Indus; especially wild geese, which frequent open streams, whereas ducks, etc. haunt places which only communicate with the main streams during floods: myriads of Bogulas, (the general name for herons,) were seen yesterday in a compact body. The Soliman mountains are by no means rugged, and this only in one or two places, where they become peaked. In Mr. Elphinstone’s account of a Journey to Cabul, the limestone said to be found in the desert contains shells; it would be most interesting to compare this with the limestone of Churra more especially. Mr. E. also mentions a wild rue as forming part of the very scanty vegetation of the desert; the chief plants being Kureel, which is a Capparis; Phoke ---- and Bheir. Mr. E. also says that the material of which the tope of Manikyalah is built, resembles petrified vegetable matter, an observation to be kept in view. The mottled kingfisher occurs throughout, but is commoner in southern latitudes of India.
Alligators abounded to-day, and it was curious to see them basking in the sun with flocks of herons so close, that at a little distance they appeared to be perching on the backs of the alligators, or rather crocodiles. Again saw a man swim the Indus by means of a mushuk or inflated skin: he swam very rapidly, and with great ease; half his body nearly being out of the water; he reclined on the skin and kept the aperture by which it is inflated in his mouth, carrying his clothes on his head. Passed Chuck about 4½ P.M. The country appears populous hereabouts.
30th.—We have seen a good many boats today employed in carrying grain to the camp; the smaller ones are not unlike Bengal boats, having a high stern; all on the Indus however have square bows and flat bottoms.
The Jhow has increased in size in some places as has Sofaida, which is occasionally a moderate tree, and it is now more advanced in flowering: the temperature having visibly increased. The river puts on the same features and is much subdivided; the channels by which we have come, are not above 400 to 500 yards in breadth, yet there is often seen to be a waste of low sand banks stretching to a great extent, and the extreme banks are very remote, so as generally not to be visible.
31st.—Arrived at Uzeeypore about 9 A.M. Here we found horses and camels for our conveyance to Shikarpore. Uzeeypore appears to be a well frequented passage of the river, although we did not see any ferry boats. Bukkur is visible from it, apparently occupying a hill almost to the extreme right of a low range running south-west; it is seven or eight coss distant. We left for Shikarpore about 2½ P.M. and reached about 7 P.M.: the distance is said to be twenty-four miles; the road is generally very sandy, although the sand is not very deep; the substratum being solid. We passed some cultivation and a few villages, at one of which (Khye) there is a neat sort of fortification; here we changed horses. The jungle throughout consisted of Furas, Tamarisk, Salvadora, Phulahi parva, the prickly Leguminosa, with the habit of Fagonia, Calotropis Hamiltonii, Saccharum.
Shikarpore is not visible until one reaches the clearing around the town; in the twilight it appears to be a very large place.
February 2nd.—We do not proceed to Larkhanu, as daily news from Hyderabad is expected. I see nothing likely to interest me about this place; there is absolutely not a flower to be got any where. The jungles consist of Jhow, small Furas, Rairoo, a small arbusculoid Mimosa, Kureel, and Ukko, Calotropis Hamiltonii; Bheirs shrubby; one of the most abundant plants is the Joussa or prickly Leguminosa, with the habit of Fagonia; some of the saline loving Compositæ, No. 51, frutex 2-3 pedalis, foliis carnosis lanceolato-spathulatis, sessilibus. Corymbis et Cymi axillaribus et terminalibus pauci capitat. Floscules inconspicuis, also occurs. Near the Shah’s tents there is a grove of Phulahi, all more or less demolished, and a good many Khujoors. Hares and grey partridges appear common. The changes of temperature are very great; in the mornings and evenings it is cold; in the afternoon the thermometer reaches as high as 82°.
9th.—Shikarpore is getting hotter every day: thermometer ranges from 40° to 85°.