524 Account of the Koh-i- Daman, [Junk, 



availed ourselves of the first opportunity afforded by a slight inter- 

 mission in our business and started from Kabul about the middle of 

 October; Lieutenant Leech, and myself having the further intention 

 of proceeding to the top of Hindu Kiish, he for the purpose of recon- 

 noitring the pass, and I to pick up any stones, plants, or animals that 

 might occur in the way. 



Our first day's march was sufficiently barren, being chiefly occupied 

 in passing over the low slaty ridge which separates the valley of Kdbul 

 from that to which we were proceeding, but on the second morning 

 having gained the entrance of Shakar-darrd, our entire road was one 

 succession of gardens. The trees had already put on their beautiful 

 autumnal tint. The mountains exhibited the grandest varieties of light 

 and shade. Clouds still lingered amongst their inequalities and rested 

 here on a speedy cliff, there on a lengthened streak of snow which, deep 

 in a ravine, had resisted the whole force of the summer's sun. The dead 

 nettle, the thistle, the dog-rose covered with hips, the may with its 

 glistering hair berries, the wild mint, fennel, lavender, and a thousand 

 other well known plants perfumed the air or recalled our recollections 

 to our native land. The morning was calm, grey and autumnal. We 

 were filled with a tranquil pleasure. 



Our tents were pitched at the entrance of the Bagh-i- Shah, a garden 

 planted by Shah Taimur. We entered and found it spacious and 

 beautiful though in decay, many of the loftiest poplars (Chinars*) had 

 lately been cut down by orders of Muhammad Abkar Khan, but so 

 great was the abundance of shade, that their fall would scarcely have 

 been noticed had they not lain in our path. At the farther end was an 

 ascent which we climbed and from which the most glorious prospect of 

 vale and hill, sunshine and shade, mountain and rivulet, garden-and 

 woodland, burst on our view. There had formerly been a garden house 

 on this spot, and beneath we could perceive where the water dammed 

 in had formed a lake, but the dam was destroyed, the lake was gone ; a 

 decayed tree had fallen across the bed of the rill which had formerly 

 supplied it, and its waters diverted from their course had spread them- 

 selves over the adjacent flats, and converted them into plashy swamps. 



It struck us as not a little singular that amidst so great a profusion 

 of vegetation animal life seemed all but totally extinct. A few 

 magpies, sparrows and pigeons with an occasional chikor ( Tetrao 

 rufusj were the sole representations of the winged tribes, as were a 

 small lizard, and a frog, of the reptiles. The greater number we were 

 told had emigrated for the winter towards the warmer regions of Jala- 



* Platanus Orientalis. 



