1839.] Lieut. Irwin's Memoir of Afghanistan. 897 



tan. The tamarind and neem become rarer as we leave our provinces, 

 and are unknown in Peshawur, as are the kudum, bel, khinnee, tota, 

 moursuree, jand, kyr, burhur, kuthur, kumrukh, dhak, and some 

 others. In Jellalabad are lost, in addition to those, the seesum, banyan 

 tree, peepul, lusora, jamun, kuchnar, umlats, semur, senjhna, babool, 

 peeloo, aoonla, and some others. The date tree reaches Jellalabad, but 

 extends no further in this parallel. In the south it extends through 

 Bulochistaninto Perna; and in Bulochistan it is very abundant, and a 

 main support of the population. In Kilat however it is not found by 

 reason of the cold, nor is it seen in Toorkistan or in any part of the 

 north of Khoorasan. 



134. In India gum is extracted chiefly from various species of the 

 genus mimosa, which includes the kyr, babool, jand, and chhokur, 

 of which the last only reaches Peshawur, but there is a species of 

 mimosa, bearing a great resemblance to the first, but not found in our 

 provinces. It is very common on all the low hills between the 

 Hydaspes and Indus, and is called Pholoo, and yields gum, which 

 besides being useful in medicine is sometimes eaten. It does not 

 grow in the cold climates. It has been used with great advantage as 

 a hedge round a fort. In Cabul and the countries of the west where 

 none of this genus are found, gum is extracted from the cultivated 

 trees of orchards, the jujube tree, the wild almond shrubs, and the 

 mastich. In Toorkistan the gum mastich is used for fixing colours in 

 the dyeing of chintz. These are not the only tree3 from which gum is 

 extracted both towards India and in the west. The jujube is not seen 

 east of the Indus, perhaps is not seen east of the valley of Cabul, but 

 there, and in the west, it exists both wild and cultivated. The mastich 

 is not very abundant on this side the Indus, but beyond that river it is 

 found on most of the hills, except the warmest, and it bears the cold of 

 the Huzara mountains. To the west it extends to Persia, and in 

 a northern direction it crosses the Jaxartes. It is seldom found far 

 from hills. 



135. There is a certain plant in Toorkistan, and elsewhere, which is 

 called Seehuk, and its roots yield a coarse resin. The pine species 

 yield the best, and tar is also extracted from them. In remote 

 situations it is more common to rive the tree with wedges than to saw 

 it into planks. Pines are not found in all situations even of the cool 

 countries, but prefer the steep sides of hills, never being found indigenous 

 to plains or tame featured hills. There are some now growing at Herat 

 planted by the late Nooa Moohummud Babunee. They are plenti- 

 fully found on the sides of the great northern range, and the Bebur, 



