1863. | Memoranda on the Peshawur Valley. 225 
the extreme, there being no such thing as forest, and it is only to- 
wards the base of the surrounding hills, where small streams frequent- 
ly occur (whose waters are, however, rapidly dissipated by irrigation 
and evaporation) that any considerable amount of shrubby vegeta- 
tion is seen. This consists mostly of Acacia Modesta, Olea Euro- 
pea, Dodonea Burmanniana and Reptonia buxifolia, which con- 
tinue abundant as one ascends the hills (here, as elsewhere, the fact 
being noticeable that the southern aspect of the heights is less ver- 
dant than the northern;) while on the dry and barren low ground, 
the most conspicuous shrubs are scattered plants of Zizyphus Jujuba, 
Adhatoda vasica, Capparis Aphylla, Salvadora, Vitex Negundo (in 
dampish spots,) and Tecoma undulata. 
Under these circumstances, all timber too large to be supplied by 
the plants above noted, is afforded either by the cultivated trees of 
the valley such as the mulberry, and sissoo, or by the timber rafts 
brought down the Swat and Cabul rivers, which consist chiefly of 
deodar, with perhaps other pines. The large fire-wood supply for 
the cantonment is furnished by the above named shrubs, and large 
quantities mostly of oak (Quercus Ilex) are brought from the Khaiber. 
From all I can learn, it appears not unlikely that, ere many years 
elapse, the supply of fire-wood for Peshawur at reasonable rates, will 
be difficult or impossible. 
The climate of Peshawur may be shortly described as the extreme 
of that of the Panjab generally ; 7. e. there are great annual variations 
of temperature, great daily variation, especially in the cold season, 
a very dry atmosphere throughout most of the year, and a very 
limited rain-fall; the last occurring, not at the period of the usual 
“rainy season” of India, but in winter. J am sorry that I have not 
at my command any very lengthened series of observations on the 
meteorology of the district, but I have made use of the best series 
procurable, viz. observations on the temperature, humidity of the 
atmosphere, rain-fall, and barometrical variations made with the in- 
struments supplied by Government, and extending over most of 
1859-60 and the whole of 1861. For these I am chiefly indebted 
to Dr. Hugh Clark, Bengal Artillery. 
Temperature. 'The observations on temperature were made nine 
times daily during part of the above period, and four times daily, 
during the remainder, and may be considered reliable. 
