EXCURSION TO SHAH BILAWUL. 553 
like patches of flame even 100 yards off, so crowded are the 
brilliant scarlet flowers on the twiggy leafless branches. 
But crossing the Vehrab river, which winds round the base of 
Lakan, the vegetation became profuse. Rain had fallen in abund- 
ance, and the bed of the river was studded with deep pools, be- 
tween which the smoothly-ribbed sand, and the rolled stones, and 
the margin-bushes with straws and dirt entangled in their branches, 
evidenced the late force of the current, swollen by torrents which 
had poured down 2000—3000 feet. 
How pleasant it was, proceeding onwards. Tufts of vents 
Grasses, and vast patches of the Fan Palm, and masses of the 
sweet smelling Gibsonia, filled up the little water-courses, and 
every where was heard the faint tinkle of the goat’s bell, and the 
deeper boom from the herds of buffaloes and oxen, and every now 
and then, up the side of some tall hill, the white sheep and the 
brown goats would commence their winding ascent, stopping at 
each little tuft to browse, yet still ascending, till the broad hill- 
side was one mass of life. The elegant Acacia Faruesiana (which 
in the hills takes the place of Acacia Arabica of the plain,) filled 
the air with perfume, and the very baggage camels snorted with 
joy at seeing all kinds of food so plentiful, and especially did they 
eye the Salvadora Indica, and stretch out their long necks in 
the act of marching, and break off mouthfuls. Plantagos, Reseda, 
Oligomeris, Ochradenus, Didesmus, Anticharis, Trichodesma, Evol- 
vulus, Convolvulus, Gypsophila, Arnebia, &'c., commenced imme- 
diately, and occupied me to Shah Bilawul. ! 
Shah Bilawul is a narrow ravine, 13 miles long, by from 40 feet to 
40 yards wide, which expands at the upper end a little. Here it is, a 
regular funnel, the rocks rising on the sides to 2000 feet (as I found 
by boiling water,) and down their sides trickled cool springs of water, 
which collected and formed a babbling brook down the valley. - 
The Faqueers, with great taste, had planted all kinds of trees, 
Mangoes, Tamarinds (25 feet round), Neem (Azadirachta), Albizeia 
Lebbec, Cordia Myxa, Pomegranate, Parkinsonia, Babool (Acacia 
Arabica), Baver (Ac. Farnesiana), Rottlera, Bahun (Populus Fu- 
phratica), Pandanus odoratissima, Eugenia, Sweet. Lime and Date 
