The vegetation of the slopes here partakes of the nature of the Khyber pass, the prevailing feature consists in coarse tufts of Andropogonous grasses, Lycioides occurs, also Periplocea, also Cryptandoid, Euonymus, these are on the cliffy ridge of limestone alluded to, 2 sp. of Astragalus, Solanum jacquini?  Schaenanthus, Sedoides pictum very common, a small fern, apparently a Cryptogramma, Grimonia, Tortula, a Bryum, three or four lichens, one Marchantiacea found under boulders or in crevices of rocks, one Salsola, Fagonia, Dianthoid, Statice common, Onosma, Artemisia one or two, a large Cnicoid.

The only new feature is a shrubby dwarf fragrant Composita, foliis albis subobovatis, dentatis grossiusculi margine revolutis.

24th.—­A break after a very wet night, cloudy throughout the day.

25th.—­A fine day, particularly towards evening, beautifully clear.

26th.—­No rain, but very cloudy, cold north-east wind.

27th.—­Rain very threatening, a disgusting country in which it is impossible to take exercise without a strong guard:  no means of access to the beautiful forests visible in several directions, and the natives are so intractable that it is impossible to induce them to bring in specimens of their various trees, the only things about which I am anxious.

In the meantime I have begun to use the theodolite, and getting approximations to the height of those peaks remarkable for their features of vegetation.

It is curious that no pines are visible on any range south of the Kooner river, until we reach those heights on the opposite side of a very conspicuous ravine, up which the Bajore road runs.  To the north, on all the ranges of sufficient height, fine forests are visible, especially of firs, other large-crowned trees exist, forming the bulk of the forests, below the limit of the pines, but never grouped as those are, but occurring isolatedly, these I call generally, Baloot woods, i.e.  Quercus Baloot.

The only means I have of gaining any idea of the composition of these forests, are derived from the twigs and branches, which are used by the natives as pads for the loads of wood which they bring into for sale, and which almost consequently are from the lowermost limits of woody vegetation.  To go among the woods unguarded, is impossible, and secondly, the weather is very bad.

Memoranda.—­That it cannot always be deficiency of soil which causes the extreme barrenness of the usual Khorassan mountains, because on the Kalo Pass to Bamean, nearly 13,000 feet high, the soil is abundant; but in this case, height may interfere.

It is obvious between Kooner and Cabul, that the transition from absolutely treeless mountains to well-wooded ones occurs nearer to Kooner than Cabul, because the Hindoo-koosh about Cabul, and to the eastward, is said to be treeless.

How interesting will the examination of these woods be, how different will be their flora from that of Khorassan proper!