From Lahore to Simla.
Lahore is surrounded by a ditch and wall, the work of former emperors’ of Delhi; the environs of the city, particularly towards M. Court’s residence, are studded with mosques, etc. mostly half ruined, and the ground is literally strewn with old bricks, so that the city must at one time have been an enormous one.
Seikh troops in large numbers are cantoned round to the east and south-east skirts of the town, in low pucka barracks.
Several low mounds apparently unconnected with ruins, occur in this direction.
I arrived to hear of the death of Kurruck Sing, who was burned the same day with five women; after the ceremony a scaffolding fell down, wounding Nehal Sing dangerously in the head, and killing the son of Goolab Sing. Late in the evening the Maharajah was senseless.
It is a curious thing, that the prince who this day ascended the guddee, and Goolab Sing, had been active intriguers against Kurruck Sing, who is said to have had his death hastened through chagrin at witnessing Nehal Sing’s usurpation of power.
6th.—Not much cultivation was observed on the road to-day, which extended over a naked marshy saline plain, or through a Kureel, and small Jundy and Phulahi district.
To Kanah, seventeen miles—Jundy, Kureel and Bheir occur extensively. Jundy is a low prickly shrub, Mimosa. There is something curious both in the surface of the cavity enclosing the seed, and in that of the seed itself of Acacia serissa. The former presents the distinct appearance of a straight line, originating in the same spot as the funicle, and terminating in a very well marked, circular depression; it is formed by the funicle as far as the cells of the legume. If a section be made through the seed longitudinally and its cell parallel with the plane of the legume, this mark will be found on both sides of the cell, but more distinct on one than the other.
The mark on the seed by no means relates to this, at least it does not correspond with it, for it consists of a somewhat reniform elevated ridge, the ends of which do not meet, but one of which originates from an elevation to which the depression would seem to respond. The straight line does not correspond with the funicle, which is not straight, but is pushed up in a curved form against the upper edge of the cell.
It corresponds, however, with a straight subclavated line running from the hilum to the elevation whence the curved line originates, although this correspondence is not always well marked.