J 839.] Lieut. Invin's Memoir of Afghanistan. 873 



of moderate depth, but the water sometimes brackish. Towards the 

 Indus the quality of the soil and water improves, but the country is 

 still sandy. Mukulwad, on the other hand, beyond the Indus, is a stiff 

 and hard clay of an ashy colour ; in process of time it may assume 

 a different character. On the one hand the Indus is continually en- 

 croaching on it, and washing it away. Where that river has mixed 

 its sand with the original clay, the quality of the soil is plainly im- 

 proved. On the other hand, towards the Daman and the hills, are con- 

 siderable tracts of sand incumbent on the clay, and impregnated with salt; 

 the rains annually bring down more sand and spread it on the clay. 

 The original soil on the right of the Indus, even as far as Shikarpoor 

 appears to have been clay, and clay is even now predominant ; but to- 

 wards the river a portion of sand has been introduced from its waters ; 

 and towards the hills sand or stones, or both, have been washed down 

 by the rains. South-west of Dera Ghazee Khan, which is the capital 

 of upper Sindh (see paragraph 25) on the road to Seeweestan, are the 

 sands of Dajul, which if extensive would constitute a desert. Largee, 

 (see paragraph 14) is sandy and unproductive. The plain of Eesa 

 Khel is a clay or clayey loam of the best quality ; it is of a dark 

 red colour ; its breadth is inconsiderable, and the Indus is daily dimi- 

 nishing it. The same changes in short are here operating as in 

 Mukulvvad, for here also we find a tract of barren and saline sands 

 under the hills. The water of the Koorm after rain is of a bright red 

 colour, and it deposits a loam of good quality. The district of Bunnoo 

 is sandy, or a sandy loam. In the country of the Murwuts, which lies 

 to the right of that river, and south-east of Bunnoo, are some tracts 

 of sands very similar to those already mentioned ; such also occur 

 between Bunnoo and the districts of Malgeen and Kohat. These dis- 

 tricts however have as yet received but little injury, from their neigh- 

 bourhood possessing an excellent soil, which may be called a clayey 

 loam. The colour in Kohat is black or grey, but in Malgeen red. 



97. The original soil, and that which still predominates in the 

 plains of Peshawur and Bajour is a clayey loam; there are now 

 however several exceptions deserving of notice. Opposite to Chhuchh 

 is the plain of the Mundeers, or lower Yoosufzyes, the soil of which 

 is of the same kind and quality with that of Chhuchh. On the other 

 side of the Cabul river the Khutuks possess the south-eastern corner 

 of the plain of Peshawur, which is light, often stony, and of indiffer- 

 ent quality ; more to the west, but still under the hills, are Oormul and 

 some other places in which the soil is sandy and naturally poor. 

 The Mihmund's lands are generally a clayey loam ; and the Khuleel's 



