16th.—Proceeded to Futtehabad, eleven and a half miles. The road leaves the valley after crossing a stream with a ruined bridge, like that at Soorkhab, but of two arches, and ascending a little way, then winding along over undulating very stony ground; this continues until we descend steeply and along the Neemla valley, a mere ravine, historically interesting, as the field on which Shah Soojah lost his kingdom in 1809, and for a fine tope of trees: then crossing a streamlet, we ascend a little way over sandstone, then another stream, which we follow for 500 yards, and ascending a little, we proceed thence to camp, along a slight slope of very stony, generally very level ground, where we halted on a rivulet with a wide grassy bed, Lythrum growing around.
No change appears in the vegetation: the surface very barren in stony parts, chiefly Artemisia, Saccharum, Andropogon albus, in ravines, Capparis common, also Ærua and Lycionoides.
The northern boundary of the valley is comparatively low, and from Sofaid-Koh to this is an uniform slope, broken by ravines; here and there by small hills; ravines occasionally dilating into small valleys, the only parts in which cultivation is to be seen. This is so far different from the usual formation where the valleys occupy the level tract between the slopes from either boundary range. Neemla is a very confined space for any thing like the battle said to have taken place here, the rising grounds inclosing the small space being too much broken for cavalry.
The rocks consist of conglomerate at top, below sandstone, layers of both alternating near the surface: a break occurs (nearly opposite) in the hills, this break is minutely undulated. [{417}] Rock pigeons were seen on the march by Thomson, and small partridges. I find that though to our senses there was comparatively but little descent, that the barometer and thermometer indicate one of 1,500 feet. The Neemla river must be the boundary between the hot and cold countries alluded to by Burnes.
In spite of this descent, and our small altitude, about 3,000 feet, but little change if any occurs in the vegetation, and none in the general features of the country; the Apocynea of Dadur and Bolai (Nerioides) has re-appeared.
At this season (October), throughout the way we came from Cabul, there is a curious white efflorescence covering the Shootur Kari, I do not know what it is, but it is not Conferva. A good deal of forest is seen on some of the ranges to the north of this, bearing from camp about NNE., certainly not firs, perhaps oaks.
19th.—Yesterday we went to the Soorkhab, which runs east and west along the northern boundary of the valley; half the distance down the bed of this stream the ground is strewed with boulders, thence to the hills, and excepting the bed of the Soorkhab, is one sheet of cultivation, consisting of large quantities of cotton and sugar-cane, this latter of small size, and not very juicy, castor-oil plant, Corchorus (Pat), Sun, Tel., radish, and among the other plants cultivated, the Mudar is common: Nerioides of Dadur; Epilobium sp. is the chief Boreal form. This is one of the richest districts I have seen.
Trees—Bukkhien, [{418}] Furas, Ficus, Cupressus, with much rice cultivation.
The vines are trained on mulberries, as Burnes says, or the Lilyoak. Pomegranates are also to be mentioned among the fruits of this place.