16th.—­To Abigoom, eight and a quarter miles, through a similar country up a valley in a NNW. direction; the valley is narrowed towards the middle, and is a plain of considerable inclination, the chief rocks passed are limestones.  No fodder for camels, and little enough on the road for horses; the chief vegetation consisting of Nerioides, Paederia involucrata, and small tufts of Kuss-kuss grass; Ruwash is common, Lycium album; Salsola prima are not common, and the Bheir is rare.  A new and curious plant looking like Kureel was found, male flowers with large semi-antheriferous bearing disc.  Apocynum viminale not uncommon, and not ruined by cattle, Prenanthoid albiflora, Echinopsides, a fine Begonia, B. punicoides, arbuscula; Salvadora also occurred.  The inclined valleys are very shingly and bouldery.  The mountains as barren as ever.

There is at Beebee Nanee a running streamlet, in which small Mahaseer, Nepuroid, Gonorhynchus and Barbus may be found; also a species of Cancer.  We were encamped close to the cliffy termination of a limestone range, in which Linaria, Trichodesma, Cynoglossum, Ruwash, Labiata, and a most singular Telepheoid polygalous looking plant were found.  There is some fodder along the water for horses, but for camels scarcely any:  we accordingly lose six to ten camels now daily.  There was a curious echo from the cliff.

17th.—­To-day we halt at Abigoom, which is at the extremity of an inclined plain, and 2,500 feet above the sea; some of the boundary hills are considerably higher, the valley is shingly and bouldery, covered with the usual plants, but more scantily:  Nerioid, Paederia involucrata, Lycium albidium, Apocynum viminale.

I went to some wheat cultivation yesterday afternoon about two and a half miles off, in a small valley to the south-east.  The wheat was fine, all bearded, most of the Dadur plant occurred in it with some curious novelties, Boraginea, Cynoglossum, Compositae, Cuscuta, and a new Reseda.  The Melilotus and red Anchusoid were not found, Plantago, were among the most abundant.  A single Furas tree and some Kureel were seen near the wheat.  The weather unsettled; cloudy; rain fell at night and early this morning.  A cafilah or caravan from Candahar with figs and raisins passed us.  Rock pigeon of Loodianah and the small partridge were observed.  There is a streamlet here.

18th.—­Detained by bad weather, which threatened the whole of yesterday.  The river came down during the night, flooded, and upset some of the tents, damaging many things, but not carrying off much.  It rained smartly almost the whole night:  we moved this morning to rather higher ground, but not so high as to preclude all danger should the river rise again.  A dawk man arrived last night, bringing a handful of tulips which he said came from Shal; it is a small species, foliis subtortis undulatis caule 1-flora, flore amplo aureo subodora.