The hills continue with toothed ridges, near Dai Hap, where water is abundant, but not in the form of a river.  Thymelaea occurs in abundance, with a Mimosea fruticosa humilis:  a curious hairy-fruited Polygonum et Peganum, is among the most common plants.

25th.—­To Khoshab, distance twelve miles, over a large level plain, either sandy, and then generally cultivated, or gravelly, and then uncultivated:  road open:  passed two dry beds of rivers:  one must be of large size, but is very shallow.  A new Tamarisk occurs along it; no trees are visible until we approach Candahar:  vegetation continues much the same. Santonica, (see above) Centaurea spinosa, Astragalina (Ononoides recurs), Staticoid, Asphodelus, Mesembryanthoid, Peganum, are the chief plants, especially on gravel; most of the small Cruciferae have disappeared, Labiata-Salvioides continues; a curious subaphyllous Composita occurs, Iris persica is not uncommon; another Iris is found here and there in profusion, with Gnidia in sandy spots, Compositae, Monocotyledons of Abigoon are common in shingle.  New rock pigeons.  Fine madder cultivation in khets.  Of birds the yellow hammer occurs.  Villages numerous, poor, and though built of mud and straw yet present abundance of small domes.

In these dry hot plains the prevailing wind is westerly, blowing very strong in the heat of the day, and having a tendency to become hot:  the thermometer is here 98 degrees.  The cultivation of wheat is very general around our present encampment which is within four miles of Candahar, the wheat is fine; Lolioides occurs in it.

26th.—­Halted:  Candahar is hid from us by some low hills, on the surmounting of which a large straggling place is obscurely visible, interspersed with trees, the valley is much smaller than that in which we are now, which is very extensive.  Munjit cultivation is conducted by deep trenches, it is a different species I think from that of the Himalayas.  The bed of the Turnuk is now dry and very shallow:  and the hills near us are extremely barren, the chief vegetation being Paederioides vestila and Staticoides cymosa, Cheiranthus continues.  The vegetation is very poor as indeed it has been since leaving the Khojeb Amrah, nor is there any appearance to be seen of a better autumnal vegetation.

Candahar is visible at a distance of six miles, from some low hills to the north of our camp.

27th.—­Moved to Candahar, skirting the low hills just mentioned and passed through two villages, a mile from Candahar in a fine open plain.