“This Bamean valley is the strangest place imaginable, its barrenness and the variegated colours of the rocks convey the idea of its volcanic origin, and give it a look as if it had come out of the furnace.  I cannot make out where the stones so universally found all over the slopes of the mountains, came from, for very generally they seem water-worn.  I find no great peculiarity in the flora of this side of the range, except an abundance of odd-looking Chenopodiaceous plants, probably resulting from the saline saturation of the soil.  There is a very singular spring on the other side of the range, about 11,000 feet above the sea:  the water very clear, with no remarkable taste, but every thing around is covered with a deposit of a highly ferruginous powder.  I shall write next from the fossil locality, which is said to be about forty miles from this.  I am as stout as ever, but by no means so strong.”

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Bamean:  August 21st, 1840.

“I am now out of the region of trees, excepting a poplar, of which I will send you a bit, as the same tree grows in much lower places.  The want of rings in wood is by no means unusual in tropical vegetation.  For the production of rings, some annual check to vegetation is required:  their absence is particularly frequent in climbers.  The walnut will not be a good instance, because even if you can get it from Java, it is a tree that requires cold, and must consequently be found at considerable altitudes.  Your instances must be taken from subjects that can bear a great range of climate:  you have some in the apricot, vine, etc.  I will not fail in sending you what you want from Cabul, and also from Peshawur, in which almost the extremes of temperature can be contrasted.  I will also get the woods of apricots, cherries, etc., at the highest elevations on my road back, as I hope to pass through the grand fruit country of Affghanistan.  No Jungermannias are obtainable in this part, nor anywhere indeed, except towards the true Himalayas.  I do not remember having seen the pomegranate growing at Cabul:  the place is too cold for it.  I think however, I can get some from Khujjah, where snow lies in winter.  I leave for the Provinces early in October, and shall travel 30 miles a day.  I want to get to Seharunpore, 15 or 20 days in advance of my time, as I must run up to Mussoorie and fish in the Dhoon.  I shall be in Calcutta in all February.”

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Cabul:  September 26th, 1840.

“I despatch to-morrow the first of the bits of wood, the duplicates will be sent on the 28th or 29th:  on this latter day I leave for Peshawur, and right glad am I that the time has come at last.  I will send you the same woods from Peshawur, but shall scarcely be able to send you pomegranate from any thing like a cold place.

“On receiving your specimens of vine, the following question occurred to me.  If wood is a deposit from the leaves or fibres sent down from the leaves, how is the presence of wood to be accounted for in tendrils, which have no leaves, but yet which are evidently branches?  The theory of the formation of wood, which considers it as above, is deemed ingenious, but it will not I think be found to be true.  The bark evidently has a great deal to say to the matter.