29th.—­We remain in sight of, and generally continuing in the same direction as the hills, which run out very gradually indeed.  Scarcely a tree is to be seen, and very few villages.  The country continues to have some vegetation.  The Sofaida is now found in flower, it is the Ban of the natives of these parts; the former name indicates in Persian, a tree, said to be wild Poplar, with which this has an obvious affinity.  Saccharum Seerkee very common, growing in tufts and covering extensive tracts.  Scarcely any cultivation is to be seen along the river, and altogether a very small proportion is rendered available.  River very much subdivided:  towards evening the sky is obscured to leeward by the smoke arising from burning jungle.  Waterfowl are very common along the Indus; especially wild geese, which frequent open streams, whereas ducks, etc. haunt places which only communicate with the main streams during floods:  myriads of Bogulas, (the general name for herons,) were seen yesterday in a compact body.  The Soliman mountains are by no means rugged, and this only in one or two places, where they become peaked.  In Mr. Elphinstone’s account of a Journey to Cabul, the limestone said to be found in the desert contains shells; it would be most interesting to compare this with the limestone of Churra more especially.  Mr. E. also mentions a wild rue as forming part of the very scanty vegetation of the desert; the chief plants being Kureel, which is a Capparis; Phoke ——­ and Bheir.  Mr. E. also says that the material of which the tope of Manikyalah is built, resembles petrified vegetable matter, an observation to be kept in view.  The mottled kingfisher occurs throughout, but is commoner in southern latitudes of India.

Alligators abounded to-day, and it was curious to see them basking in the sun with flocks of herons so close, that at a little distance they appeared to be perching on the backs of the alligators, or rather crocodiles.  Again saw a man swim the Indus by means of a mushuk or inflated skin:  he swam very rapidly, and with great ease; half his body nearly being out of the water; he reclined on the skin and kept the aperture by which it is inflated in his mouth, carrying his clothes on his head.  Passed Chuck about 4.5 P.M.  The country appears populous hereabouts.

30th.—­We have seen a good many boats today employed in carrying grain to the camp; the smaller ones are not unlike Bengal boats, having a high stern; all on the Indus however have square bows and flat bottoms.

The Jhow has increased in size in some places as has Sofaida, which is occasionally a moderate tree, and it is now more advanced in flowering:  the temperature having visibly increased.  The river puts on the same features and is much subdivided; the channels by which we have come, are not above 400 to 500 yards in breadth, yet there is often seen to be a waste of low sand banks stretching to a great extent, and the extreme banks are very remote, so as generally not to be visible.