14th.—We proceeded nine and a quarter miles, throughout until reaching a grove near Gundamuck: the road lay over undulating ground, is more sandy than stony, and in two or three places it is raviny, and requires to be made. Then the road emerges into a fine sort of valley, dipping down to a small stream with many sedges. In the bed of the stream, willows occur, and mulberries about it: we then ascended and halted just beyond the ascent. Water and dhoob grass are both plentiful, as well as supplies of grain, pomegranates, and grapes, as yesterday; Bajree.
A fine view is obtained of Sofaid-Koh, which forms the southern boundary of the valley; many villages, with cultivation in a very sandy soil. Small partridge very abundant. A fox observed. The ravines wherever there is water, crowded with Typha, and Saccharum; oaks are seen in abundance on the mountain to the south; left the Soorkhab river after fording it near yesterday’s camp; the bridge is quite useless for cattle, as the ground is rocky and broken on this side, no pains having been taken to carry the work to the road; cypresses, planes and mulberry trees in the gardens: Cannabis, also one patch of cotton cultivation was passed.
No descent, but rather small ascent on the whole, say 200 feet, the ascent from the principal nullah crossed being equal, though much shorter than the descent to it.
15th.—We halted: many rivulets descend near us from the Sofaid-Koh; and the water in these is beautifully clear; many villages and mills with several beautiful spots occur, well shaded with trees, poplars, mulberries, and figs. The objects of cultivation are millet, Indian-corn, rice, and wheat; this last just sprung up: many bedanah pomegranates, but none I think of superior quality.
All the low hills here, and indeed between us and the boundary ranges of the valley, are of sandstone, generally very slightly held together, here and there more firm, and distinctly stratified towards the upper surface. The surface consists of conglomerate, formed of boulders imbedded in the same kind of sandstone as that below; often very friable, occasionally it is as hard as flint. In the sandstone below, a few stones occur here and there; but I saw no fossils. The upper surface of these hills is remarkably stony, all the stones being more or less rounded.
Several new plants were found in these ravines, a Lythrum, a very aromatic species of Compositæ, Samolus in some of the swamps with Typha, which swarms in every ravine and ravinelet, Rubus, Clematis, Bergia, Ammannia, Lythraria, Chara, Xanthium.
The plants of tropical forms are, Celosia of Digera! Polanisia, Andropogons, two or three.
The tropical cultivation consists of cotton, the usual annual sort; Indian-corn, Pennisetum, and rice.
The fish are, four kinds of Cyprinidæ, including one Oreinus, and one loach.