SHIKARPORE. 



323 



The Jhow has increased in size in some places as has So/aida, which 

 is occasionally a moderate tree, and it is now more advanced in flower- 

 ing- : the temperature having visibly increased. The river puts on the 

 same features and is much subdivided ; the channels by which we have 

 come, are not above 400 to 500 yards in breadth, yet there is often 

 seen to be a waste of low sand banks stretching to a great extent, and 

 the extreme banks are very remote, so as generally not to be visible. 



3\st. — Arrived at Uzeeypore about 9 a.m. Here we found horses 

 and camels for our conveyance to Skikarpore. Uzeeypore appears to 

 be a well frequented passage of the river, although we did riot see 

 any ferry boats. Bukkur is visible from it, apparently occupying a 

 hill almost to the extreme right of a low range running south-west ; 

 it is seven or eight coss distant. We left for Shikarpore about 2J- p. m. 

 and reached about 7 p.m.: the distance is said to be twenty-four 

 miles ; the road is generally very sandy, although the sand is not very 

 deep; the substratum being solid. We passed some cultivation and a 

 few villages, at one of which (Khye) there is a neat sort of fortification ; 

 here we changed horses. The jungle throughout consisted of Furas, 

 Tamarisk, Salvadora, Phulahi parva, the prickly Leguminosa, with 

 the habit of Fagonia, Calotropis Hamiltonii, Saccharum. 



Shikarpore is not visible until one reaches the clearing around the 

 town ; in the twilight it appears to be a very large place. 



February 2nd. — We do not proceed to Larkhanu, as daily news from 

 Hyderabad is expected. I see nothing likely to interest me about this 

 place ; there is absolutely not a flower to be got any where. The 

 jungles consist of Jhow, small Furas, Rairoo, a small arbusculoid 

 Mimosa, Kureel, and Ukko, Calotropis Hamiltonii, Bheirs shrubby ; 

 one of the most abundant plants is the Joussa or prickly Legumi- 

 nosa, with the habit of Fagonia ; some of the saline loving Compositse, 

 No. 51, frutex 2-3 pedalis, foliis carnosis lanceolato-spathulatis, 

 sessilibus. Corymbis et Cymi axillaribus et terminalibus pauci capitat. 

 Floscules inconspicuis, also occurs. Near the Shah's tents there is a 

 grove of Phulahi, all more or less demolished, and a good many 

 Khujoors. Hares and grey partridges appear common. The changes 

 of temperature are very great ; in the mornings and evenings it is 

 cold ; in the afternoon the thermometer reaches as high as 82°. 



9th. — Shikarpore is getting hotter every day : thermometer ranges 

 from 40° to 85°. 



\5th. — The heat continued to increase until the 12th; the range 

 of thermometer being from 50° to 95° ; the evenings gradually became 



