28th.—­Proceeded to Jhilun.  The road is at first steep, as it passes down along the Rotas river, about three miles from thence it is good, extending over a plain to the Jhilun.  Fine cultivation observed on all sides, and of various sorts, chiefly Bajra and Kureel.  Dhah abundant, but not arborescent, Euonymus, Peganum, Bheir, and Phulahi, the latter very dwarfish.  Mimosa albispina and Adhatoda very common.  The commonest tree in these countries is Bheir, and a very handsome tree it is; Nihi-joari cultivated.

Sun and Tel occur, the last is very common.  Yesterday a new cultivation presented of a Composite plant, called Kalizeen, used as spice or musala for horses.  The birds observed were Haematornis, Crateropod, Sylvia, Alauda cristata, Alauda alia in flocks.

The town of Jhilun stands immediately on the right bank of the river of that name, it is a large and flourishing place.  The river is about 200 yards broad, not rapid, but here and there deep, and the bed at this place forms one undivided channel.  The right bank on which the town stands has a stony sloping shore, the left is sandy.

It is a mistake to suppose that the hilly country ceases here, on the contrary, it crosses the Jhilun.  At the ferry this river runs through a large valley, bounded to the west by hills like those to which we have been accustomed; to the east it is bounded by a low chain, which runs parallel with the general course of the river.  The valley is open only to the north and south.

Otters, tortoises, and Mahaseer were seen in the river.

29th.—­To Sera, twenty-four miles, half the distance extended over the uncultivated base of the hills, and then over the low range itself, from which at two points, fine views are obtained of the vast plain of the Punjab.  Throughout this vast surface the vegetation is exactly the same—­Euonymus continuing, Peganum and Phulahi forming chief vegetation; numbers of white partridge occur.

In the plains Dhah is found in profusion, especially where the cultivation is not extensive.  A new Acacia appears, the Kikkur, forming groves about most of the villages.  Noticed the Physaloides of Lundykhanah.  Encamped under a fine Mimosa and Bheir near an old Serai which forms part of the village, with a splendid view of the Himalayas stretching away from east to west.  It appears from this direction as if there was only one low range between the plains and the culminating range of the Himalayas.  Nothing like these mountains has been seen in Khorassan.  The chief cultivation about here is Nihi-joari, then Bajra—­why is the former always bent?

Prickly pear common from where we crossed the Jhilun river.

A curious metamorphosis of Sesamum is of common occurrence:  the calyx being unchanged, while the corolla preserves somewhat its shape, but is foliaceous, the other organs are much transformed, the ovary less so than the stamina, but generally much enlarged; ovules in leaves inside.  This is worthy of examination, as it shows very plainly the origin of the stigmata from the placentae.