Artemisiae, Astragali, Statices, Rosa, bastard indigo, Cerasus.  The orchards are now assuming their autumnal tint, Salvia pinnata, Canus aliusque, Ruwash.  Chough, ravens, nuthatch, and chakor here occur.  Heavy snow is observed on the eastern portions of Hindoo-koosh, which are quite barren.  The best way to the fir tract I find on enquiry will be to follow the bed of the stream up to it.  Fields are being now ploughed and sown.  Thermopsides very common here in old cultivation:  it affords decent fodder for camels.

10th.—­To Barikab, distance ten and a half miles; the road extending down the Tazeen ravine, over a tract with a considerable descent for about nine miles; on passing a long dark looking rock and its spur, the road then leaves the bed, and ascends over low undulations of easily detachable conglomerate, and sand; then a short but rather steep ascent occurs for 200 feet, passing over an easily friable sandstone, either existing as grains slightly adherent, or caked; thence the descent passes over the preceding sort of conglomerate, to an abominably barren ravine, drained by a very small stream.

The road only once leaves the bed of this ravine, but soon rejoins it before finally turning off.

The mountains present the same features; where no outcrop of strata occurs, they are rounded, brown, and very barren, with here and there an Ilex; towards the end of the raviny part in one or two places, more wood than usual occurs, forming scattered thickets.  Fraxinus, the older branches of which have much smaller leaves, Thymelia of Chiltera, Cerasus canus, and alius, Senecionoides, Compositae, Artemisiae, Polygonum frutescens, which last is not uncommon throughout.  Equisetoides becomes common towards the black rock.

Where the road turns off from the ravine, a Khubar or tope occurs, shaded with two or three large Xanthoxyleae now in fruit, called Khinjuk.

Snow visible from Barikab to the north, but generally in ravines.  The country continues abominably barren, we passed the entrance of the Lutabund pass, near the black rock, but without seeing it:  no difficulty occurs on the road, except from the jolting of stones.  There is however no forage to be had at the halt, and but little fodder.  A sprinkling of holly-looking bushes are seen extending over the lower ranges of Hindoo-koosh.

11th.—­Jugdulluck, ten and a half miles from our last encampment; on leaving Barikab we commenced ascending, winding over undulating ground for a short distance, until we reached the main ascent, which is short, but moderately steep:  thence we descended steeply for perhaps 500 feet, hitherto the road extended over sand hills, with quantities of stones.  On reaching the foot of the steep descent, we then descended gradually over a long stony inclined plane, then entered undulating ground, descending from which the road took us over a small stream, which we followed up, soon entering a gorge, up which we continued till we reached Jugdulluck.  This gorge is the finest and boldest we have seen, the rocks forming precipitous cliffs 2,400 feet high, which often hem in the road, and confine it to a breadth of a few feet, sufficient merely for a gun to pass.