27th.—­To Ali-Baghan, distance six and a half miles, road winding, generally good:  after it crossed the dry bed of the nullah, it then becomes rather undulated extending over raviny ground; it then crosses the broad bed of the stream, in which there are swarms of bulrushes, then the same sort of sandy ground leads to camp, which is near the village Ali-Baghan.

The river here is much increased, much more deep; banks alluvial, steep; soil deep.  Chenopodium sp., very common, but too much eaten up to be recognized, also Salsolae sp.

Nothing new observed.  We passed the break above-mentioned in the northern hills, whence issues the Coomur Nuddee.  Serratuloides very common in sandy undulations.  Porcupines and foxes.  Beds of grass in islands of the river Barikab.

28th.—­We proceeded to Bankok, twelve and a half miles from the encamping ground, having turned nearly due south, in order to avoid the slope, which is seen in this direction from Jallalabad; then a valley, with low hills on either side, is passed; then the road ascends over undulating ground, until 500 feet is gained; then a long and gradual descent is traversed over a very stony plateau.

No water nor cultivation on the road, nothing can exceed its barrenness.  AErua Nerioides, Lycioides, Andropogon albus, are the principal plants on the plateau; Kochia common, and a few straggling Bheirs, small rock pigeons.  Geology unchanged, sandstone and conglomerate, with enormous boulders.

We passed the gorge through which the Cabul river runs.  The road, by this is said to be only six miles, but is only passable by pedestrians and horsemen.

One village of some size is situated in the south towards Sofaid-Koh; from the plateau as well as from our camp, a curious and characteristic scene is visible to the north, showing a barren lofty range with peculiar undulations at the base, as well as the isolated hills jutting up above its surface:  the trees and villages being confined to the course of the river which may be thus traced by its fertility.  In this last direction there is a good deal of Abadi, but nothing comparable to that about Jallalabad.

At camp Serratuloid australasicus, very common, as indeed it was yesterday; foliis verticalibus in consequence of both surfaces being stomatose, the base of the leaf is so twisted as to present each surface equally to the light.  It is curious that all such leaves have the veins prominent on both surfaces, showing a relation between the veins and the stomata, the more stomata the larger veins.

29th.—­To Bassoollah, eight and a half miles, the road for guns is good throughout; better perhaps than any yet met with, from the soil being sandy.  We came by a straighter road, and a very bad one, instead of diverging to the south, and rounding a range of hills, we entered these, and passing through a gorge coming upon marshy ground, running for some distance along the Cabul river, to which we were here quite close.  Passed several villages about the mouth of the gorge, which is a short one.