THE AFGHAN DELIMITATION COMMISSION. 9 
any young trees of this species, but always old specimens, in some localities forming 
thin forests and always on mounds. These may be the remains of dense forests, the 
soil on which the intermediate trees grew, and the trees themselves, having been 
gradually washed away 
Near the Hamun, owing to the land lying so low as to be easily flooded by the river, 
we traversed immense tracts of the country covered with a dense thicket of a small 
species of tamarisk, reaching twelve feet in height. Between De-dodaand Ibrahim-abad 
this growth was being burnt down. ‘Two reasous were given for doing this; one that the 
land was going to be reclaimed for cultivation, and the other that it was to enable 
natural grasses to grow up for the use of the sheep, of which there were very large 
flocks in these parts. At Padda-sultan we encamped on low-lying ground, which was 
covered with a luxuriant bed of succulent grasses, much to the delight of our animals. 
The chief of these grasses was Panicum antidotale, which here grew three feet high, 
springing from great bush-like, woody rhizomes, covered with a dense woolly soft 
pubescence, and was associated with Eragrostis pocoides, Helochloa scheenoides, and a 
species of Æluropus. Creeping amongst them and in great luxuriance was the wild state 
of Cucumis Melo, covered with fruit, none averaging over an inch and a half in 
length. Whilst young the fruit is pubescent, on ripening perfectly glabrous. These 
were eaten with avidity both raw and cooked by the camp-followers. I must say that 
the ripe fruit has a most delicious aroma sufficiently tempting to induce anyone to eat it. 
Near this we saw a weir laid across the river, to supply water for immense irrigation- 
works, which are still maintained on its left bank. This weir has to be replaced 
annually, as during the high floods it is always carried away. 
At De-doda Pluchea caspia formed dense bushes, from three to four feet in height, 
giving excellent cover to black partridge. Solanum nigrum grew in quantity, and was 
employed as a pot-herb by the camp-followers. Between Rudbar and Koh-haja I picked 
up what turned out to be the portion of the stem nearest the root of a species of Bala- 
nophora. A Baluchi camel-man told me it was well known in his country, where it was 
called Labbu, and that it was collected for feeding camels on. А large Orobanche is 
similarly named and employed for the same purpose. То those likely to traverse 
Baluchistan it would be as well to note that a large and apparently new species of 
Balanophora exists in those regions. Along this portion of our journey the art of house- 
building was to be seen in its most primitive forms, from the arched bower of tamarisk- 
rods, leaving the sides so as to form a sort of open lattice-work, for the free inlet of 
any passing breeze, the top covered with grasses and Alhaghi to give shade, to those 
built for a colder climate, having the sides filled up with rushwork and soil, or 
replaced by natural bricks, with a flattish roof supported by stems of tamarisk or other 
like material and covered with matting, boughs, and clay. The form of these structures 
was chiefly circular, imitating a domed roof as nearly as possible, considering the 
material employed. It may be desirable so explain what is meant by “natural bricks.” | 
In one of the first letters Dr. W. Н. Russell, the ‘Times’ correspondent, wrote from India 
during the mutiny, he spoke of part of the country as “a land producing bricks. "TOM . 
flooded land where clay has been deposited, after the water has evaporated, the clay 
SECOND SERIES.—BOTANY, VOL. III. с 
