184 Account of the Lower Derdjdt. [No. 3. 



those who served on the frontier of Upper Sindh and Kachchi in 

 the years 1839 to 1843, as the Kahun Hills, but more strictly 

 speaking a portion of the Surukh Koh or Eed Mountains which 

 form the northern boundary of Beluchistan in this quarter. 



The highest portion of the Suliman range varies in breadth from 

 eight to fifteen miles or more, with a belt of about two or three 

 miles, consisting of tupahs or small portions of table-land, and 

 immense piles of rock, forming the highest peaks, and which, being 

 composed of a very hard black lime-stone, have been the origin of 

 the Persian name, Koh-i-siah, and the Sanskrit term Kala-Pahar, 

 both of which signify the Black Mountain. It is considerably less 

 in height towards the south of the Takht or throne of Suliman, than 

 that mountain itself, which Vigne calculated to be about 9,000 

 feet in altitude; and thus we may safely calculate the average 

 height to be from 7 to 8,000 feet. The whole range can be dis- 

 tinctly seen from the fort and camp at Multan about the time 

 the sun sets behind it, on a clear day, or after rain ; and in 

 the winter the higher peaks are generally capped with snow. Its 

 sides and ravines are densely covered with pine forests which attain 

 a great height in many places. The other trees which flourish there 



are the Zaitiin or wild-olive, the Kahwur or Kahwar 



the Kunar, (Ziziphus jujuba), the Arak (Salvadora Persica), the 

 Mughelan (a species of Mimosa or Acacia), the Ketmum or Kareh 



the Pulah < the Shisham (Dalbergia Sisu), the 



Pis, a kind of reed used in making excellent mats, and several others. 

 Springs of the purest water flow on all sides, and in many places 

 form small cascades. 



The principal wild animals found in this range are, tigers and 

 black bears in the higher parts, panthers, hyenas, wolves in great 

 numbers, jackals, foxes, deer, ibex, antelope, parra or hog- deer, 

 the gud or mountain sheep, the mdr-Jchor, or serpent-eater, and 

 other smaller animals. The birds are various classes of the 

 falcon tribe, and the more common birds of prey, partridges, pigeons, 

 doves, etc. 



The second range is called the Surukh Koh, or Ked Mountains 



from its being comprised of a red coloured stone as hard as the 

 blacker stone of the higher range. 



