1848.] Observations made on a Botanical Excursion. 375 



Mudar, a very handsome road-side plant, which I had not seen be- 

 fore, but which, with the Argemone Mexicana was to be a compa- 

 nion for hundreds of miles before me. All the views in the pass are 

 very picturesque, though wanting in good foliage, such as Ficus 

 would afford, of which I did not see one tree. Indeed the rarity of the 

 genus (except F. infectoria) in the native woods of these plains I have 

 traversed, is very remarkable. The Banyan and Peepul appear, (as 

 the tamarind and mango and Mahowa ?) always planted. 



Dunwah, at the foot of the pass, is 633 feet above the sea, and nearly 

 1000 below the mean level of the highland I had left. Every thing 

 bears here a better aspect ; the woods at the foot of the hills afforded 

 better botanizing; the Bamboo (B. stricta?) is green instead of yellow 

 and white ; a little castor oil is cultivated, and the Phoenix sylvestris 

 (low and stunted) appears about the cottages. 



In the evening left Dunwah for Bahra, the next stage, over very 

 barren soil, covered with low jungle, the original woods being apparent- 

 ly cut for fuel. 



February Wth. — Left Bahra, alt. 477 feet (from one observation 

 at sunrise only) at daylight, for Sheergotty,* where Mr. Williams was 

 waiting our arrival. Wherever cultivation appears the crops are 

 tolerably luxuriant, but a great deal of the country is very barren, 

 yielding scarcely half a dozen kinds of plants to any 10 square 

 yards of ground. The most prevalent were Alax scandens, two Zizy- 

 phi, and the ever-present Acacia Catechu? and Carissa carindas. 

 The climate is however considerably warmer and much moister, for I 

 here observed dew to be formed, which I afterwards found to be usual 

 on the low grounds. That its presence is due to the increased amount 

 of vapor in the atmosphere I shall prove, the amount of radiation, as 

 shown by the cooling of the earth and vegetation, being the same in the 

 elevated plain and lower levels. 



The following is an abstract of the Meteorological observations I 

 was enabled to make. From these it is evident that the dryness of the 

 atmosphere is its most remarkable feature, the temperature not being 

 great, and to this, combined with the sterility of the soil over a great 

 part of the surface, must be attributed the want of a vigorous vegeta- 

 tion. Though so favorably exposed to the influence of nocturnal radia- 

 * Alt. of road, at 2S4th mile-stone, 474 ft. 



