To define the Khorassan Province also, by its being destitute of wood or trees.  Note its passing off from this character between Ghuzni and Quettah, see Marryott’s letter about Kooner, compare with Mazenderam forests.  Fine plane trees occur here, all the vines are trained on mulberries.  What is Burnes’ holly oak, or lily oak?

Rubus occurs, Ranunculus stolonifolia, a cold season plant, Euphorbia ditto, and the usual Peshawur forms.

28th.—­Fine weather; clouds however, still flying about.

29th.—­A fine morning; in the afternoon threatening, night cloudy, all the clouds come down the ravine! except when the wind occasionally shifts to west.

30th.—­Fine weather, although still unsettled.  I procured the other day a few specimens of trees from the hills to the south of this, among these which amount only to a few, are one Myrtus, an Olenia, both of which bear me out in assuming that the woody vegetations of these hills will present a curious transition between the genuine Australio-European and the Himalayan forms.

31st.—­Almost every isolated rock in this country is covered with ruins which vary much in extent, and are often barely perceptible, but careful looking will detect them in all situations about gorges, and such places.  From the rivers running under rocks, the paths which must be resorted to, at least at this season, are very difficult.  It would be curious to speculate on the different state of preservation of these ruins, and the singular people to whom they are due.

The soil of this valley is very deep in places:  in one place on the opposite side of the river, it is twenty-five feet at least, the depth obviously diminishing towards the bed of the river, or the lowest part of the valley.

[Section through river valley:  m440.jpg]

In this valley, at least about here, curious round thatched huts are visible about villages, intended for religious females, they are closed except at a small door.

Cotton much cultivated.

The Jala, or float skins used for crossing rivers, are inflated by bellows of the usual description, this causes delay as some require to be inflated very often owing to the eagerness of those who want to be ferried over, and who rush indiscriminately on the Jala which, from the rafts being few and far apart, occasion delay; such ferries were not intended for impatient travellers; nothing can show the want of intelligence of the people more than this abominably slow method of crossing rivers; here, there is little excuse for it, as wood is abundant.

The Culminating peak to the west of the north Dhurrah, shows that here, as elsewhere, snow lies longer on the north than south sides:  it also affords a curious instance of the various disposition of snow:  those angles of its faces presented to the south having none, or little snow; or does this depend upon the faces having different declivities?