April 6th.—­Left Quettah for Kuchlak.  We traversed the sandy plain and then ascended the gravelly slope to the pass traversed before reaching Kuchlak, the ascent and descent were about equal, but the former was long and gradual, the latter rapid and short.  The features of the country are precisely the same; the pass is short, the descent to the ravine, which in the rains is evidently a watercourse, short and steep, not 100 feet.  The mountains forming the sides are steep; and those to the left, bold and romantic, with here and there a small tree.  The plain of Kuchlak is like that of Quettah, well supplied with water-cuts and one small canal, but miserably cultivated, and with very few villages.  The hills forming its west boundary are low, rugged, and curiously variegated with red and white.  Tuckatoo forms part of its eastern boundary:  no snow is visible on its face towards Kuchlak:  a few low rounded hillocks occur in the centre of the valley.  The chief vegetation round the camp, is Santonica.  We encamped close to the western boundary of the valley, about two miles from the grand camp:  total distance of the march thirteen and a half miles.  The climate is very hot and variable; thermometer ranged to-day from 40 degrees to 86 degrees.

The chief vegetation of the gravelly slopes is as marked as ever, and differs entirely from that of the sandy tillable portion; it consists of Centaurea fruticosa, C. spinosa, Anthylloides or Ononoides, Astragalus spinosus, and Staticoides, another thorny Composita occurs, but is not common, the herbaceous plants are Cruciferae in large numbers, as well as Compositae; of Boragineae, a good many, some Labiatae, a large Salvia:  towards the tillable lands or where gravelly places occur among these, Asphodelus is common with Cheiranthus; one or more fruticose Dianthi occur in these places, and a curious shrubby Polygonum.

In dry watercourses Cytisus is common, with a host of small Cruciferae, Boragineae, and Compositae; Papaveraceae are very common with Glaucium.

The novelties in the pass were Ficus, Lycium, some grasses, Onosma. (See Cat. from Nos. 411 to 430,) Marchantiaceae.

7th.—­Proceeded to Hydozee, distance eight miles.  The country is very barren, diversified by curious low hills, of a red, white, or yellowish colour, divided by small bits of plain, which in some cases were a good deal cut up by ravines.  Passed immediately on starting, the Sudoozye Lora, here a sluggish muddy stream, knee-deep, twenty yards wide, and in addition to a bad dry cut, we passed likewise another little stream with a pebbly bottom and rapid current.

The crops composing the very little cultivation seen before arriving, were backward and scanty:  so were those at Hydozee.  The chief vegetation is Santonica; here and there are gravelly spots with Centaurea fruticosa, spinosa; Statice, Salvia, etc. re-occur.  The commonest shrub along the watercourses is Lycium, with another Lycioid thorny plant.