870 Lieut. Irwin's Memoir of Afghanistan. QNov. 



91. The immediate environs of Delhi are of a sandy soil, though not 

 a mere sand, and generally of a yellow colour. In the northern road 

 to Lodhiana after a few stages the soil becomes more and more 

 loamy and black. The soil of Paneeput is a fine sandy loam. At 

 Umbala, which lies on the left of the Kughur, the soil is a deep loam 

 or mud, of a dark brown colour and great strength. Kughur and 

 Sursootee running in a muddy soil are narrow and deep, and hence a 

 slight fall of rain makes them impassable. The Markunda, which the 

 traveller crosses between Shadeepoor and Lundee, before he reaches 

 the Sursootee, ultimately falls into that stream ; it runs in sand, and 

 is shallow and broad. At Sirhind and as far as Lodhiana the soil 

 has a greater proportion of sand than on the banks of the Kughur. 

 The soil of the country of Bhutner is various. The cultivated parts are 

 loam or sandy loam ; some of the pastures contain tracts of sand hills, 

 and others of level hard clay. Under the great northern hills the soil 

 has a great proportion of mud, of a rich quality and much natural 

 moisture. In the road between Delhi and Lodhiana, water in wells 

 is found at moderate depths, but to the left hand, in Hureeana and 

 Bhutner, we come to places where the wells are of considerable 

 depth. 



92. In the Dooab or country lying between the Sutluj and Beah, 

 we find the soil to possess considerable variety, but on the whole it may 

 be described as a sandy loam of excellent quality, very little elevated 

 above the surface of the rivers, and the wells are consequently shallow. 

 The Beah runs in sand, and sweeps away in its waters sand of a yellow 

 colour; the Sutluj in the rainy season is more turbid and muddy. 

 The right bank of the Beah is high and sandy, and there seems to be 

 a gradual descent thence to the Ravee. The soil of this part of the upper 

 Punjab has a great proportion of sand, but yet has sufficient firmness. 

 The remaining two Dooabs have a less proportion of sand, yet little 

 loam is to be seen. In some places tracts occur which are naturally 

 sterile. In the upper Punjab, the greatest cultivation, though perhaps 

 not the greatest population, is in places near the great range of hills 

 which bound it to the north-east, the soil there having less sand and 

 being of superior quality. On the whole strangers have too high an 

 opinion both of the natural advantages and of the population of this 

 province. Its water is much boasted of, and that of the rivers may 

 deserve praise, but that of the wells is seldom good. 



93. In this respect it is much excelled by the Dooab of the 

 Plydaspes and Indus, in which the water is peculiarly good. I must 

 be understood as speaking of that in or near the Embassy's route from 



