314 



DESCENT OF THE SUTLEDGE. 



The most varied vegetation occurs along the nullah, but consists 

 entirely of aquatic or sub-aquatic plants ; among these the most com- 

 mon are two or three Scirpi, particularly a large rush-like one, a large 

 Sparganium, a very narrow leaved Typha, Hydrocharis ! a pointed 

 leaved Villarsia, Potomogetons three or four, one only natant ; Chara, 

 Naias, Ceratophyllum, Ulva, Valisneria, Marsilea, Herpestes, Jussieua 

 repens, Fumaria common in fields. 



The town is a large bustling place : the houses low and regular, and 

 of a somewhat picturesque style, built of brick, the streets are wide 

 and regular, having been laid out by our officers. There is a good deal 

 of trade, and the place is filled with Cashmereans, who may be seen 

 working their peculiar shawls, and producing very beautiful dyes. 



January 22nd and 23rd. — Violent south-east winds during the day ; 

 abating at night. 



February 4th. — Arrived at Hurreekee, having halted on the previ- 

 ous day at Mokhoo, a small village, with the usual style of mud fort. 

 The marches were as follows : from Loodianah to Ghosepoora is eight 

 miles ; to Boondree, eight miles ; Tiraia, ten miles ; to Durrumkote, ten 

 miles ; to Futtygurh, ten miles ; to Hurreekee, ten miles. Thus Hurree- 

 kee is at least eighteen miles from Durrumkote, although we had been 

 told it was only five. The country near Loodianah, and perhaps as 

 far as Durrumkote, is occasionally very sandy, but beyond that it is 

 easily traversed by hackeries. Being much less cultivated and over- 

 run with grasses, among which Andropogons are the most numerous 

 and conspicuous, these grasses are either coarse and stout or wiry and 

 fine, should afford excellent cover for game, which however, does not 

 seem to be very abundant. Very few trees are visible in any direc- 

 tion, and although neither very much cultivation nor many villages 

 are visible, it would appear from charts that the country is very 

 populous. The most interesting plant was a species of Fagonia. 



Durrumkote is the largest of the villages we passed, and has a 

 respectable looking mud and brick fort. Inside the village is filthy ; 

 the houses wretchedly small, and the streets very narrow. It is much 

 the same sort of village as other Seikh ones. In the bazars cocoanuts 

 were noticed. All the Seikhs eat opium, and very often in a parti- 

 cular way by infusing the poppy-heads, from which the seeds have 

 been extracted by a hole in the side ; great numbers of these are 

 found in the bazars. 



Hurreekee is on Runjeet's side. I crossed the Sutledge, which is 

 between 400 to 500 yards broad with a sufficiently rapid stream, by a 



