8 1 4 Report on subjects connected with Affghanistan. [No. 118. 



The transition from the absolute barrenness of the Hindoo Koosh 

 to the finely clothed Himalayas, certainly takes place somewhere to the 

 north of Pusheet, or between it and Jugdalluck. It would appear 

 to be almost sudden, both firs and the Zaitoon ceasing abruptly ; the 

 Baloot only straggling as far as Jugdalluck, about which it is a stunted 

 tree, very much like a holly. During my stay at Olipore, I was of 

 course anxious to ascertain to what causes the general barrenness 

 of the AfFghan mountains was to be attributed. Independently of con- 

 sideration of climate, a primary cause appears tome to exist in the want 

 of soil. Tillable soil exists on the mountains around Olipore, which 

 are consequently inhabited, and partly cleared. That soil is rich, and 

 of considerable depth, the bare rock being only exposed where the 

 inclination of the strata approaches so near the perpendicular, that no 

 lodgment of soil can take place. 



The bare mountains, however, present very different circumstances ; 

 they are almost entirely, or quite, devoid of soil, rocks project in every 

 direction, the intervening spaces being strewed with angular debris 

 by no means sufficiently comminuted. These mountains are never 

 cultivated, and sustain nothing but arid-loving thorny and aromatic 

 species, which almost invariably occur solitarily. 



The Sufaid Koh is the range best calculated for the complete inves- 

 tigation of the extreme inequality in the distribution of forest, for it 

 unites in many places the characteristic features of both series of 

 mountains, and it is this circumstance which leads me suspect, that the 

 bareness is in some measure independent of climate. 



The matter is of some importance connected with any attempt that 

 may be made to improve this deficiency in the dominions of His Ma- 

 jesty Shah Shoojah. 



On the climate of Affghanistan I am not able to present any details, 

 Climate. such being only compatible with a residence of some 



continuation, as in all mountainous countries a great variety of local 

 climates will be found to exist. 



The general peculiarities, as compared with North-western India, 

 are the confinement of the rainy season to the winter and early spring 

 months, and the great dryness of the remainder of the year. 



The peculiarity of the climate of the higher districts is excessive 

 winter cold ; of the lower, excessive summer heat. Even at Candahar, 



