142 Sketch of the Route and Progress of [April, 



weeds of woe; summer houses and once gay retreats were tumbled from 

 their exaltation ; they were in heart-sickening ruin. Even the tree& 

 suffered grief and vexation ; a violent tempest a few years before had 

 up-rooted some of the finest, and they now lay low with their drooping 

 heads in the water." At the town of Hosein Abdali, is a saint's tomb, 

 around which is a fine stream of water full of fish. One of the great 

 roads to Kashmir passes this place, and strikes into the hills, bringing 

 the traveller to Kashmir in seven days. After leaving Rawal Pindi, 

 a causeway cut through a hill is passed ; it is excellent of the kind, but 

 one does not exactly feel convinced of the important utility assigned it. 

 In the centre of it, on one of the walls, is a Persian inscription, denoting 

 that it had been constructed in the time of Shah Jehan ; but much of 

 the context was obliterated. From Hosein Abdali our travellers 

 made their way towards the Indus ; here they were met by Hari 

 Sinh, who shewed them every attention. 



It is now necessary to advert to the nature of the country passed be- 

 tween Lahore and this river. Between Lahore and the hills, on which 

 stands Rotas, is an uninterrupted level plain, confined by the Himalayan 

 branches of hills on the north, and various checquered and intersected 

 plains on the south. They passed over the three principal streams of the 

 Paujab ; the Ravi, the Chinab, and the Jelum, and the most populous 

 and best cultivated part of the Panjab. The country, &c. as far as 

 Rotas, in appearance resembled Hindustan : the people, their cus- 

 toms, their houses, their crops and cultivation, their dress, all 

 appeared but little modified. The flatness of the country, the 

 aspect of their towns and villages, surrounded by groups of trees, gave 

 little or no indication of change ; but beyond Rotas, the country as- 

 sumed broken and highly contrasted features ; small ranges of hills met 

 them on the right and left ; small streams were frequently passed. 

 The elevation of the country, according to Dr. Gerard's barometric 

 observations, now became above two thousand feet above the level 

 of the sea. The climate was materially modified, and they even expe- 

 rienced hoar frost, and sand ice, as late as the 10th and 12th of 

 March. The climate was good, and the air temperate all day. With the 

 nature of the country, the inhabitants also seemed less polished, severer 

 in their manners, and less easy in their circumstances ; the population 

 was also scantier, the villages fewer, and far between : the northern hills 

 now frowned more immediately upon their course, and tended to increase 

 the comparative desolation of the country ; the stories of the murderous 

 Gakers, the tales of the successful resistance or easy conquest of the 

 strong places they passed, harmonized with the scenery. They now felt 



