82 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL TTTSTOHY SOCTETY, Vol. IX. 



of transport animals. Along certain sections of the Gilgit road beyond the 

 Burzil Pass, the local supply being practically nil, a good deal of expense is 

 necessarily incurred by carriage. 



With the exception of the village sites, where cultivation is carried on by 

 means of irrigation channels, the hill slopes on either side of the road, in 

 consequence of the very small amount of annual rainfall, are extremely bare 

 of vegetation, and what there is is coarse and unpalatable. The most 

 abundant plant on these hill-sides is a species of worm-wood {Artemisia ?nari- 

 tima), which mules and donkeys will eat for lack of anything better. I have 

 seen no record of any species of Artemesia, several of which are known to 

 occur in India and along the north-west frontier, as affording fodder for 

 ponies and mules. But two Himalayan species, vis., A. pdrviflora and 

 A. sacrorum, have been mentioned as being eaten by sheep and goats. 



A certain amount of grass and weed herbage is to be found along the edges 

 of irrigated village fields, which, even were it not required by the villagers for 

 their own animals, would prove to be but a small contribution. 



Large quantities of grass and weeds of sorts had to be procured last summer 

 from the nearest warps lying within the more elevated moist zone, and 

 accessible from the main valley by certain nullahs. The grasses and other 

 plants collected from these localities should afford excellent fodder in the 

 form of hay. The great drawback to this source of supply is the expense of 

 cutting and the carriage. 



The section between Bunji and Gilgit offers at present the greatest 

 difficulties, as there are so few villages in the neighbourhood. There are. 

 however, several abandoned village sites, where, I am informed, attempts 

 have been made, after repairing the old water channels, to grow crops. In a 

 dry rocky or sandy country it is wonderful how luxuriant the growth of 

 vegetation becomes by irrigation alone. Every opportunity should therefore 

 be taken to utilize any surplus village water, and as far as possible to repair 

 and make use of the old water-channels of the abandoned villages. By the 

 use of manure, of which there should be an ample supply, considering the 

 large number of animals daily passing up and down the road, a considerable 

 quantity of green stuff might be rendered available. 



I have reason to believe that large quantities of valuable fodder might be 

 prepared locally in the form of silage. Many nutritious plants are rejected by 

 animals by reason of the thorns or bristles with which they are protected. In 

 a comparatively rainless and rooky country like Gilgit this is the usual 

 character of the spontaneous vegetation. The same plants, which only 

 camels or donkeys will touch in a fresh state, would, after being siloed, 

 become palatable and wholesome food for ponies as well as for mules. 



I left Gilgit in the afternoon of the 10th of August for Minawar, and on 

 the following day rode to Domel in the Indus Yalley, close to the flying 

 bridge erected by Captain Aylmer, R.E. The views from here of Nanga 



