VEGETATION OF BRITISH BALUCHISTAN. 289 
accompanying sketch-map shows the position of the principal 
places of the country; and my botanical collections were made 
within the tract of which the extreme corners are Chaman on the 
west, Sibi on the south, and Anambar on the east—that is to say, 
over an area of some 7000 sq. miles. 
Physical Features. 
The country is divided into two main drainage areas, the 
watershed between which is formed by an irregular line of lime- 
stone and conglomerate hills, running from alittle east of Quetta 
to north of Kach, and then taking an abrupt turn to the east 
to Spiraragha. The area to the west is much the smaller of the 
two, and is drained by what is known as the Peshin Lora 
(Lora being the local name for river), the principal tributaries of 
which are the Bärshor Lora, the Surkhab Lora, which starts 
from the watershed at the head of the Zhob valley, and the 
Kakar Lora, which receives the drainage of the Gwal and Quetta 
valleys. The larger area to the east is divided into many valleys 
by ranges of limestone running more or less east and west ; the 
drainage finding its way in a southerly direction through the 
rifts, so that eventually the streams of the Bori, Thal-Chotiali, 
Kawás, Shahrag, Hurnai, and Sangán valleys find their way 
into the Nari river, the greater part of whose water is diverted 
where it debouches from the bills, for irrigating the lands round 
Sibi, the surplus continuing to flow down the Nari until it even- 
tually loses itself in the desert. 
Sibi is situated at the north end of the “ Pat," or desert, which 
extends from Jacobabad, and is 500 feet above sea-level. A short 
distance beyond Sibi the first hills are entered, and the country 
rises rapidly in a series of rough and irregular ranges, between 
which are high valleys, such as Quetta (5500 ft.), Peshin 
(5000 ft.), Thal (3000 ft.), Bori (4000 ft.), and Shahrag (4000 ft.). 
The ranges often attain 10,000 ft.; aud the highest peak, 11,700 ft., 
is on Zarghun, a huge mass of conglomerate a few miles east 
of Quetta; while Khalipat above Shahrag, and Takatu north of 
Quetta, both ranges of hard limestone, are only slightly less 
elevated. 
Although there are many large river-beds, and the country is 
much intersected by water-courses, these are for the most part 
dry during the greater part of the year, or only contain small 
perennial streams; but many of them become torrents at the 
time of heavy rains. 
