This gorge is picturesque, the sides being generally precipitous.
The plants of these hills are, Umbelliferæ very common, Statice 2, Carduacea, Ephedra, Labiatæ of Karabagh vel similia, Arenarioid out of flower in the crevices, a large Mattheoloid, Leucades, Dianthoides foliis undulatis, Artemisiæ two or three, one a peculiar one, No.--a shrubby Astragalus, stunted scraggy Polanisia of Cabul? Campanula of Karabagh in the bed of the stream, Cnicus of Kot-i-Ashruf, and Salvia are excessively common, Artemisia pyramidalis, two or three: mosses occur on the banks, and several Gramineæ, see Catalogue 1,005, etc. Cnicus alius, Verbascum.
30th.—We continued ascending gradually, crossing a low ridge covered with sward, and then descended to surmount another ridge, which appeared to me to be as high as the top of the Oonnoo. We thence descended, crossing several small ridges; and, at about the distance of five miles from the commencement of the day’s journey, suddenly turned north, entering a gorge of the usual structure, drained by a small stream, and thence came on the Helmund, not much increased in size as compared with the point at which we had seen it first, but in a comparatively wide and partly cultivated ravine, containing three or four ruined forts. We continued a quarter of a mile down the Helmund, then ascended up a considerable stream through a similar gorge, until we reached an encamping spot, after performing thirteen and a half miles. The barometer at the Helmund stood at 21.206, thermometer 63° in sun.
Kohi-Baba is first seen from the first ridge, but it is seen beautifully from the second, and still better from some distance beneath this; it is a noble three-peaked ridge, the eastern peak is the largest, and of angular, conical shape. The other two are rugged; the central one is perhaps the highest; the lower portions cliffy, evidently slaty.
The river up which we came after leaving the Helmund, is fully equal to that in size; it is very rapid: the ravine is very narrow, occasionally widening into swardy spots. We encamped nearly opposite Kohi-Baba, the conical peak of which here seems a huge rounded mass, with heavy patches of snow, particularly along the northern ridge: the second range to the south is very precipitous and cliffy: at this place a small streamlet falls into the river from the direction of Kohi-Baba.
No particular change in vegetation is observed: two or three Umbelliferæ, a Scrophularia, Geranium, Ranunculus aquaticus, Herba immersa, foliis anguste loratis, Potentilla, Panserina, a new Graminea.
The most common plants are still Carduaceæ and Salvia; Rosa occurs also, (Senecionoides ceased some time before) Statice, Scutellaria common, Verbascum, Euphorbia linearifolia, Linaria ditto, Mentha: no change in water plants, or in those of the sward, Chenopod. fæmin. villos, coarse grass, No. 998, common; the chief new feature is Ruwash, the dead red leaves of which are abundant. Two villages were passed after leaving the Helmund, both ruined, yet all spots cultivated, several with Cicer. Watercourses as high up cliffs and hills as 100 feet above the river.
A dreadfully cutting dry wind blows down the ravine, and in our faces all the way. Limestone cliffs occurred, about which the vegetation became rich, more especially near a bridge consisting of trees thrown across a narrow portion of the river, at a point where the stream is very deep; near this are two willow trees of a different species. A fine Rosa, a new Epilobium, Aconitum, Salisburifolium, a small Crucifera, one or two Compositæ, a curious Polygonum, a Rumex, a Dianthus, Silene, three or four Umbelliferæ, among which is the yellow Ferula? of the Kojhuk pass, two or three new Leguminosæ, Saponaria, Silenacea inflata, Cerastium may be found among them, or in the fields close by.
31st.—We ascended the high bank or cliff over the bridge, and continued up the ravine which lies over the river, but whose bed is too narrow for a road: we passed two or three villages, the road undulating over ground covered with granite boulders, or rather small masses, rounded only when exposed to weather; the bottom of each undulation is covered with sward and giving exit to a small stream; sometimes we came on the bed of the river. At six and a half miles we came on a fort, used as a custom house, and diverged again to the east up a ravine; the Arak road continuing along the river. We passed another fort, and then commenced the main ascent of Hajeeguk. In a ravine to the left, 100 feet above us, was a large mass of half frozen snow: barometer at the foot of main ascent 20.320, thermometer 80°. The ascent is rather steep, but easy enough: barometer 19.755, thermometer 80°. Thence the descent was steep for about 800 feet, and then gradual for four or five more, when we encamped on sward. From the top of the pass we had a beautiful view of the ridge of Kohi-Baba, running about WNW., presenting a succession of fine bold rugged peaks, the conical mass was not seen well, as there is heavy snow on it, and on some other parts of the ridge.