344 



CONTINUE THROUGH THE KUCHLAK PASS. 



and a small Ruta. The hills are covered with distinct small shrubs, 

 never coalescing into patches. Peganurn continues in addition to the 

 other plants : Glaucioides has aqueous juice, Papaver Rheas ditto, 

 the other smooth-leaved one has it slightly milky. 



Lycium and Tamarisk 4-fida is rather common : Hykulzyea is a far 

 larger place than Quettah, but miserably defended. The houses 

 are very inferior, consisting of thatch and mud. The cultivation of 

 wheat is rather extensive around. Many villages are seen towards 

 the hills to the north and NNE. ; also one or two forts, but not a tree 

 is to be seen in the valley which is comparatively very large and very 

 level. The hills to the north have the ordinary appearance ; those 

 separating us from the valley of Hydozyea, more especially the lower 

 ranges, are so confused that they look like a chopping sea, and pre- 

 sent a red and white colour. The rock pigeon of Loodianah is com- 

 mon about Hydozyea. A few novelties occurred in the vegetation, 

 the chief of which being a large Salvoid Labiata, a plant which is 

 very common throughout Khorassan from Sinab in gravelly spots. 

 Leguminosae, Boraginese, Composite, Cruciferse, and Labiatse, are 

 the prevailing plants ; Salsola tertia not uncommon. Birds as 

 before, Alauda cristata, and Sylvioides being the most common ; 

 no red legged crows were seen. Rock pigeons are abundant. 



iOth. — March to Berumby, distance thirteen miles, the road very 

 bad in one or two places : the first difficulty being a rather deep ravine, 

 the second a nullah, with water knee-deep, and very high precipitous 

 banks, yet both these had to be passed. Much of the baggage was 

 not up at the encampment until 5 p. m., although we started 

 at 3 a. m., but the nullah was literally choked up with camels. No 

 change in the vegetation has appeared, except in the occurrence of 

 large tracts of Tamarisk, which tree reaches to nearly the same 

 size as the Jkow. Very little cultivation is to be seen ; the villages 

 are tolerably numerous, especially near the hills forming the north 

 boundary of the valley. 



1 Ith. — Entered the pass which is at first wide, with a gradual ascent, 

 but which soon becomes narrowish, with a good though gradual and 

 easy ascent: the mountains are of no height, and they are not generally 

 precipitous : no limestone, but much clay slate occurs. The ravine up 

 which we passed, or rather watercourse, was well stocked with 

 Xanthoxylon, some of large size as to the diameter of trunk, but very 

 stumpy : water is found not far from the entrance : some cultivation 

 also occurs and one large walled village, Dera Abdoollah Khan, lay to 



