THE BABUL. 271 



but are of great importance in preventing the 

 sand left in tlie bed of the river; when the inun- 

 dation subsides, from drifting over the country, 

 and ruining many fertile districts now under 

 cultivation. The sand is in many places heaped 

 up against the outside trees to a height of 20 

 or 30 feet, and extends from two to three 

 hundred yards in width. This does not appear 

 to injm'e the babul trees at all, and the trees 

 form a jaerfect barrier, preventing the sand 

 blowing inland. Such is particularly the case 

 about a mile below Jerruck, where a portion of 

 the bed of the river, about seven miles in length, 

 and from one to three in breadth, is dry for 

 two-thirds of the year. This is composed en- 

 tirely of fine sand, and were it not that the 

 Veran forest lies between this bed of sand and 

 the cultivated land, the entire fertile tract be- 

 tween Shaikh Taroo and Jerruck would be 

 destroyed by its drifting. 



In the Appendix marked D will be found a 

 list of the timber and fruit trees and bushes in 

 Sindh, taken fi'om the late Dr Stock's account of 

 them. 



The babul is the common forest tree below 

 Sehwan. The babul and bahn abound be- 



