542 Wood's Report on the River Indus. [No. 115. 



risk fringes the river, Jail or Pelloo the desert ; the latter as a fuel is 

 not superior to Baun. 



5. Tamarisk. — From the sea to Kalabagh, this wood is more or less 

 plentiful ; almost any quantity of it is procurable ; but the large wood is 

 distant from one to twelve miles from the Indus, and considerable 

 expence and delay must necessarily be incurred in transporting it to the 

 river. Tamarisk is the common firewood of this country. 



6. Kurreel. — It is plentiful in Sinde ; but makes an indifferent fuel ; 

 it gives out volumes of smoke, but emits no flame. This wood is gene- 

 rally crooked, and its fibre being hard, it is advantageously used for 

 knees of boats, and wherever curved lines, strength, and durability 

 are sought to be combined. 



7. Loohera. — Between lake Munchur and the mountains, grows 

 a tree of this name, of a dwarfish size, and very common ; as a fuel it is 

 even worse than the last described. 



8. Tallee. — This tree is not common on the banks of the Indus, and 

 the few that do occur, are found near villages, in single trees. It 

 attains a large size, and is much in request amongst the boat-builders. 

 It burns well ; but the tree is too valuable to be cut down solely for 

 firewood. 



9. Babool or Buhber. — This tree is plentiful in Sinde ; but becomes 

 less as we ascend the river. It makes an excellent fuel. 



Shikargahs or Hunting Forests. — They are numerous below Sehe- 

 wan ; but above that town, they are not found. The trees they contain 

 are mostly Tamarisk and Babool. These forests at some places fringe the 

 river for three and four miles ; but their medium width seldom exceeds 

 one. In a few of them are trees of a large size ; but far the greater 

 number are merely extensive thickets, containing saplings of sorts, tall 

 grass, and reeds, the spontaneous offspring of a rank inundated soil. 



In December 1835, I made several experiments with the Indus 

 steamer to ascertain the relative strength of wood and coal fuel. The 

 result was as follows : — Tamarisk, when newly cut down, would not 

 generate enough steam to keep the engine, though working only one- 

 half power. If the billets were large and thoroughly dry, it answered 

 the purpose better ; though I consider this wood at best but a very 

 indifferent fuel. Mangrove and the Babool trees are much superior ; 

 burning equal proportions of the two last, the furnaces were reple- 



