All the mountains are wooded at a certain height, and in greater quantities, very different however from Himalayan forests, being dotted in parts, rather than uniformly clothed with forest, Andropogon one of the ordinary spring forms:  the churs or islands in the river are also covered with Andropogoneous vegetation.

16th.—­To Pushut, or rather to within one mile of it, rain throughout the day accompanied by an unpleasant wind down the valley.  Road except for the first mile, during which it passed through cultivation, troublesome, otherwise with the exception of two ravines, at one of which the horses were taken out of the guns, very good:  valley narrow, say three miles, the boundary ridges to the north presenting as it were, truncate faces to the valley, all the mountains at certain heights are well wooded.

17th.—­Rain continued since, almost without intermission, very dirty weather, but no wind.

Snow on the hills around, almost within 1,500 to 2,000 feet of this, the mountains to the south are well wooded, the woods occurring here and there in forests; snow is said to fall here occasionally.

18th.—­The attack took place this morning, and failed on account of the weather, which was sufficient to damp any thing, and which prevented the powder bags from exploding, as well as a second cask of cartridges.  The men were withdrawn about twelve, rain pouring down, ammunition of the guns being expended, and that for musquetry quite useless; a few more rounds would have demolished the entrance gateway and brought it down bodily; loss severe, twenty five men killed, thirty-two wounded, several dangerously.  The fort was well defended, and evidently by a mere handful of people.

19th.—­Last night the fort was evacuated as well as that on the opposite side, and the Syud has made off into the hills.  It cleared up in the morning but is now as threatening as ever, the ditch of the fort is twelve or fifteen feet deep, but like all Affghan ditches it is narrow.  The parapets were very slight, so that a more powerful battery would have kept down their fire completely; no injury had occurred to the inner gate except its being off one of its hinges, or rather out of one of its sockets.  The entrance was thus round the gate, not through the gateway:  it was protected by a thick screen of brushwood and mud, all of the shots from the second position had lodged in the wall close to the side of the gate; every thing was carried off, except a little grain, and some gunpowder.

20th.—­Continued rain.

21st.—­Snow within 500 feet.

22nd.—­Moved camp.

23rd.—­Continued rain and sleet, almost passing into snow.

[Section of Kooner valley:  m436.jpg]