The entrance to Jallalabad, or rather to its suburbs, presents the usual desolate, disorderly appearance, of such places in this country; the ruined walls to the city; the sandy barren soil, and the odious looking low hills between it and the Sofaid-Koh, present as sad and melancholy a picture as could well be met with. The same desolate, disorderly, dirty appearance is to be met with in most Asiatic capitals, particularly those that have been subjected to independent misrule: while the more distant surrounding villages look cheerful, and as clean as can be expected: the appearances immediately around the chief towns are always bad. To what is this owing? is it to their being more completely under the thumb of a rapacious governor? to the insecurity of property, or to defect in the laws? or to all these causes together?
At Cabul it was just the same, particularly on the Peshawur side, where stagnant pools, half destroyed mosques, and mutilated trees present a total contrast to the smiling valley of Kilah-i-Kajee.
At Shikarpore the same.
The most common fruit tree in the gardens here is a sweet lime: grapes are brought in from the villages of Sofaid-Koh, they are the same sort as those at Gundamuck: Narcissus, Rosa, Cerasi sp., Mirabilis, stock, Cupressus, mulberry also in gardens, Bheir of waste places, Salsola, Artemisiæ, two or three: Kochia villosa, Peganum, Ærua, Croton of Candahar, Ricinus, Joussa of wet places, Lippia, Typha latifolia, angustif., Azolla, Riccia, Cyperaceæ, several Lythrarieæ, Potamogeton, three species. The fish here will not take a fly, and the bottoms are too foul and stony for worm-fishing, the largest sort of fish is somewhat like a Barbel. Jackdaws and Corvus, alter atratus, dorso ventre griseo: very few quails. Furas common.
27th.—To Ali-Baghan, distance six and a half miles, road winding, generally good: after it crossed the dry bed of the nullah, it then becomes rather undulated extending over raviny ground; it then crosses the broad bed of the stream, in which there are swarms of bulrushes, then the same sort of sandy ground leads to camp, which is near the village Ali-Baghan.
The river here is much increased, much more deep; banks alluvial, steep; soil deep. Chenopodium sp., very common, but too much eaten up to be recognized, also Salsolæ sp.
Nothing new observed. We passed the break above-mentioned in the northern hills, whence issues the Coomur Nuddee. Serratuloides very common in sandy undulations. Porcupines and foxes. Beds of grass in islands of the river Barikab.
28th.—We proceeded to Bankok, twelve and a half miles from the encamping ground, having turned nearly due south, in order to avoid the slope, which is seen in this direction from Jallalabad; then a valley, with low hills on either side, is passed; then the road ascends over undulating ground, until 500 feet is gained; then a long and gradual descent is traversed over a very stony plateau.
No water nor cultivation on the road, nothing can exceed its barrenness. Ærua Nerioides, Lycioides, Andropogon albus, are the principal plants on the plateau; Kochia common, and a few straggling Bheirs, small rock pigeons. Geology unchanged, sandstone and conglomerate, with enormous boulders.
We passed the gorge through which the Cabul river runs. The road, by this is said to be only six miles, but is only passable by pedestrians and horsemen.