The soil at first is very fine, finely pulverized, brownish as we proceeded onwards, becoming more and more sandy.  Hills of some height, apparently very distant, are seen ahead due north, and to the west.  We passed one village to the left, two canals of small size, and some Bagree cultivation.  A small ridge with a hillock occurred after passing the village, otherwise all was flat.  And about this the jungle was thin, entirely of patches Kureel, Rairoo, and Furas, Peepul.

We had a violent north wind yesterday evening with some rain.

23rd.—­To Rogan, distance 11 to 12 miles:  country generally flat, presenting here and there sandy undulations, generally bare of vegetation.  Salvadora, Jhow, Furas, Kureel, Rairoo, continue; Furas and Rairoo most common; a new Chenopodium and a Salsola, or a plant of the same genus as that met with yesterday, swarming in some places, both species were common in some parts, in others one of the two only occurred.  Road generally excellent, level and unbroken.  Two small ghurrees or forts occurred, with a large patch of cotton, and still larger of Bagree:  a small Sedoid-looking plant with yellow flowers, and one or two other (to me) novelties occurred:  Heliotropium, Fagonia, Joussa, Bheir.  In those parts in which loose sand had become accumulated, it not only formed banks, but every bush was submerged in it.  The fresh sand must be derived from decomposition of the hard level plain by the action of the air:  yet there should be a regular gradation in size of the waves; those nearest the windward side of the desert ought to be the smallest.  Rock pigeon of Loodianah seen.

There are two ghurrees or forts at the halting place, both small; the water is tolerable.  The chief trees are Salvadora and Rairoo.

24th and 25th.—­Left in the evening and marched all night through the desert, which commences within two miles of Rogan, and towards which place vegetation gradually becomes more scarce until it disappears entirely.  This sandy waste is upwards of twenty miles in extent:  in the direction we traversed it, NW. or NNW., it is almost totally deprived of vegetation; one or two plants, such as Salsoloid, being alone observable near its borders.  The surface is generally quite flat, in some places cut up by beds of small streams:  the surface is firm, and bears marks of inundation:  tracks of camels, etc. being indented.  We reached Bushore at 5.5 A.M.; the camels performed twenty-six miles in ten hours.  We halted for four hours in the centre of the desert and tried to sleep but the cold was too great, striking up as it were from the ground.  The camels marched through without halting, and we suffered only one loss amongst them next day.  The occurrence of this peculiar desert is unaccountable, especially its almost absolute privation of vegetation; for many other places, equally dry, have their peculiar plants, such as Salsola, Chenopodium, Furas, Rairo, Ukkoo, Kureel.