38 SOANE VALLEY. Chap. II. 



buried to the axles in sand, and the draught bullocks were 

 rather in the way than otherwise. 



The body of water over which we ferried, was not above 

 80 yards wide. In the rains, when the whole space of 

 three miles is one rapid flood, 10 or ]2 feet deep, charged 

 with yellow sand, this river must present an imposing 

 spectacle. I walked across the dry portion, observing the 

 sand-waves, all ranged in one direction, perpendicular to 

 that of the prevailing wind, accurately representing the 

 undulations of the ocean, as seen from a mast-head or high 

 cliff. As the sand was finer or coarser, so did the surface 

 resemble a gentle ripple, or an ocean-swell. The progressive 

 motion of the waves was curious, and caused by the lighter 

 particles being blown over the ridges, and filling up the 

 hollows to leeward. There were a few islets in the sand, 

 a kind of oases of mud and clay, in laminae no thicker than 

 paper, and these were at once denizened by various weeds. 

 Some large spots were green with wheat and barley-crops, 

 both suffering from smut. 



We encamped close to the western shore, at the village of 

 Dearee (alt. 330 feet) ; it marks the termination of the Ky- 

 more Hills, along whose S.E. bases our course now lay, as we 

 here quitted the grand trunk road for a rarely visited country. 



On the 16th we marched south up the river to Tilotho 

 (alt. 395 feet), through a rich and highly cultivated 

 country, covered with indigo, cotton, sugar-cane, safflower, 

 castor-oil, poppy, and various grains. Dodders {Cuscutd) 

 covered even tall trees with a golden web, and the 

 Cajpparis acuminata was in full flower along the road side. 

 Tilotho, a beautiful village, is situated in a superb grove 

 of Mango, Banyan, Peepul, Tamarind, and Bassia. The 

 Date or toddy-palm and fan-palm are very abundant 

 and tall : each had a pot hung under the crown. The 



