J839.] on the Tenasserim Provinces, $c. 1005 



which is peculiarly visible at the present juncture of affairs with that 

 power. Maulmain being the main point from which an invasion and 

 conquest can easily be accomplished, without being obliged to plunge 

 at once, as in the last war, into the hostile territory. 



3. Their natural wealth consists, in a number of valuable produc- 

 tions, unknown at the first time of their occupation, and which are 

 more or less wanted in India, such as tin, iron, coal, teak, and other 

 valuable timber, and a host of other minor productions. 



4. They afford the best possible field for European enterprize, being 

 adapted for every kind of tropical cultivation, affording therefore the 

 greatest inducement to make them the resort of Europeans. 



Art. II. — Memoir on the Climate, Soil, Produce, and Husbandry of 

 Afghanistan and the neighbouring Countries. — By Lieut I ravin.' 



PART III. 

 Section, III. — Of Animals. 

 143. These countries have for the most part the insects and reptiles, 

 noxious or otherwise, of the neighbouring ones, and present in this de- 

 partment little subject for remark. The warm and moist, abound the 

 most in flies, musquetoes, and scorpions. Peshawur is famous for the 

 last, but their bite is not mortal. During the spring months flies are 

 very numerous, but before midsummer they are greatly diminished. 

 White ants are but few, and in Cabul and the west, there are none. 

 The musqueto is only troublesome in Cabul for about forty days of 

 midsummer. Khoorasan in general is a dry and temperate country, and 

 has few musquetoes ; but there are exceptions to the rule, and particu- 

 larly Hirat and Seestan. The musqueto of Seestan is remarkably large 

 and troublesome. It is pretended they are produced in the fruit of a 

 certain tree, which is, however, not peculiar to that country. To 

 escape their attacks, the natives sleep in what they call pusheekhanas, 

 which are made of the cotton stuff, in Hindoostan called guzee, and 

 which is either made in the country or imported from that to the west. 

 The horses which have not this defence, are so severely bitten as to 

 bleed from the effects, and roll themselves with the pain. The end of 

 summer and the autumn is the season of the musqueto there, as in 

 most other places. Wasps are most numerous in the cold countries. 

 Snakes are found in all except the very coldest, but most of them are 

 innoxious Futihabad, between Jellalabad and Cabul, abounds in 



1 Continued from p. 900. 



6 N 



