ABIGOOM AND SIREKHUGOOR. 



335 



11th. — To-day we halt at Abigoom, which is at the extremity of an 

 inclined plain, and 2,500 feet above the sea ; some of the boundary 

 hills are considerably higher, the valley is shingly and bouldery, 

 covered with the usual plants, but more scantily : Nerioid, Psederia 

 involucrata, Lycium albidium, Apocynum viminale. 



I went to some wheat cultivation yesterday afternoon about two and 

 a half miles off, in a small valley to the south-east. The wheat 

 was fine, all bearded, most of the Dadur plant occurred in it with some 

 curious novelties, Boraginea, Cynoglossum, Composite, Cuscuta, and 

 a new Reseda. The Melilotus and red Anchusoid were not found, 

 Plantago, were among the most abundant. A single Furas tree and 

 some Kureel were seen near the wheat. The weather unsettled ; 

 cloudy ; rain fell at night and early this morning. A cafilah or caravan 

 from Candahar with figs and raisins passed us. Rock pigeon of Loodi- 

 anah and the small partridge were observed. There is a streamlet here. 



18th. — Detained by bad weather, which threatened the whole 

 of yesterday. The river came down during the night, flooded, and 

 upset some of the tents, damaging many things, but not carrying 

 off much. It rained smartly almost the whole night : we moved 

 this morning to rather higher ground, but not so high as to preclude 

 all danger should the river rise again. A dawk man arrived last 

 night, bringing a handful of tulips which he said came from Shal ; 

 it is a small species, foliis subtortis undulatis caule 1 -flora, flore 

 amplo aureo subodora. 



19th. — Advanced to Sirekhugoor, distance nineteen miles, ascent 

 throughout on a considerably inclined plain up the bed of a river, 

 shingly and bouldery ; the pass is- not much contracted, but a short 

 distance from Abigoom we parted from every thing like valleys. The 

 vegetation continues much the same : Kureel, Salsola prima re-occur- 

 red near Abigoom but sparingly, chief vegetation consists of clumps of 

 withered coarse Andropogons, Nerioides, Psederia, and Lycium, but 

 less common than before, while Apocynum viminale, and Convolvulus 

 spinosus have increased. The bed of the streamlet is until near 

 Sirekhugoor, chiefly occupied by a large Arundo just past flowering, 

 in which Typha also occurs sparingly : within 300 feet of the halting 

 place, a solitary Khvjoor, and some wheat cultivation occurs, the 

 latter much behind that of Abigoom. In the fields Polygala occurred 

 with a Galium ; the most common plant being a Sinapis found at 

 Dadur : some Bheir trees also occur here ; a few Composite, Labiata?, 

 and Cruciferse, similar to those at Abigoom, are also found : the 



