366 



KHILAT-I-GILZEE TO GHUZNEE. 



The country is undulated; vegetation still the same. Artemisia most 

 abundant and of a larger size ; road good : no fodder for horses, except 

 along the river: the valley open, distant hills on either side with 

 a fine range to the north of the camp, apparently composed of lime- 

 stone, with abundance of junipers, and the Iris of Dund-i-Golai very* 

 common. Hares, rock pigeons, Alauda. Myriads of Cycada, and the 

 Jerboa rat. The Turnuk river is again occasionally in sight, valley 

 apparently little cultivated. Stipa very common, as well as Iris, 

 Festuca vivipara, Astragali sp., and Artemisia. Cloudy evening, 

 followed by a stormy night ; wind southerly. 



8/^. — Reached Tazee, eight miles seven furlongs from Nooroock : 

 direction still the same, no change : the road good, extending over an 

 undulated country, except one or two small nullahs with rather steep 

 banks. A range of mountains seen to the north, called Kohi-Soork, 

 continue forming a long line, the southern boundary of which is 

 broken : we are encamped opposite a valley running east, presenting 

 much cultivation : several villages indicated by distant smoke : some 

 trees are seen here and there : the face of the valley is rather green, 

 indicating more water than usual. Vegetation is precisely the same ; 

 no Joussa or other fodder for camels than Artemisia and spinous 

 Composite. Morning very cloudy and cold at 12 p. m. The plants 

 met with are Chara, Naiad, Polygoni 3, Malva fl. amplis lilacinis, 

 on banks of river. 



9th. — Shuftul, five miles : the direction lay towards the star Capella : 

 road bad, requiring to be made over three difficult ravines, all forming 

 beds of torrents descending from the Koh-i-Soork. The country other- 

 wise presents the same features. The Turnuk runs close under the 

 southern boundary of the valley, and is here a pretty stream of con- 

 siderable body. Joussa grows abundantly on its immediate banks, 

 together with excellent grass and some clover, one or two new Com- 

 posite, one of them a Matthiola, otherwise Artemisia?, Stipa, Centaurea 

 spinaceis herb. Astragalus, and Peganum, are the most common ; 

 Muscoides, Plantaginacea reoccur, a curious leaved Composita ? 



\0th. — Halted yesterday, and went out along the banks of the 

 Turnuk : where I found twenty- six species not obtained before. 

 Some cultivation was observed, but as usual weedy, abounding with 

 two species of Centaurea. In ditches two species of Epilobium, 

 Sparganium, Mentha, Polygonum natans, Ranunculus aquaticus, 

 Lotus, Carex, Astragaloid on swards, on the sandy moist banks of the 

 Turnuk : Epilobium, two Veronica?, several Cyperaceae, 2 or 3 Junci, 



