Ascended the cliff by the gateway of the Kulloo valley, and found the line of fortifications, with good loop-holes and parapets extend two and a half miles up, a few houses likewise occur. The path leads through the face of the solid rock: abundant defences, with arched buildings occur above: this cliff is almost totally separated from the upper citadel by a ravine: the citadel has four lines of defences surmounting a steep ridge with outworks on the Kulloo river, the bed of which is 60 yards broad.
7th.—Proceeded to Erak, six miles. We crossed the Kulloo-Rood, and immediately ascended its right bank, 100 feet high; then descended into the ravine up which we continued, then leaving it we struck over the spur of a high mountain; the ascent being about 1,000 feet, thence we commenced a steep descent, of 5,600 feet into the Erak valley, up which we proceeded for two miles distance and encamped. From the top of the pass, a fine view is obtained of Kojhuk, and the valley of the Bamean river, presenting a rich and varied surface beyond description, with beautifully sculptured rocks, of purplish-red colour, which are seen up the Kulloo, close to Kojhuk.
The hills and ravines are however very barren, nothing but Salsola occurs. At the top of the pass a section is partly laid open, shewing a mass of conglomerate, twenty to thirty feet thick, resting on red clay. This conglomerate being less acted on by water than the clay, the rocks often assume curious shapes, and are occasionally even fungiform.
We observed here a new partridge, at least one to which we were not accustomed; it is almost the size of chakor, black on the back, with a grey neck, and very shy; chakors abundant here in coveys. The valley of the Erak is very narrow, but well cultivated, and with a good many villages.
All the mountains in this direction have rounded shapes or outlines, the precipices variously curved, the surfaces are thus formed by the action of water on the outer strata; when this is once exposed, the changes appear often rapid, as may be imagined in a country of such low winter temperature. Caves occur in the Erak valley, chiefly situated in a dirty white conglomerate.
8th.—Halted and encamped eight miles up the Erak ravine on a swardy spot: the road easy, ascent bad in some places, but generally good, particularly for the latter part of the march: the rocks in some places rising in abrupt rugged cliffs, generally rounded, slaty. We passed one mass of snow about two miles from camp, botany good, especially about the snow; so much so, that it employed me all day.
Caragana appears at about 10,000 feet, a Tamerioid of large stature in abundance, Asphodelus, not as I thought a Mesembryanthemum, but a beautiful and very distinct species; see Catalogue for other plants.
Our camp is within one and a half mile of the head of the Erak ravine, where snow occurs in two large masses; patches of snow also occur on the ridge or a little below it; these ridges rise about 1,200 to 1,500 feet above us.