372 



KIIILAT-I-GILZKK TO GIIUZNEE. 



The articles sold in camp yesterday, were atta (wheat) eight 

 seers, barley sixteen chenna, sugar three to four seers. Lucerne 

 abundant, at one rupee four annas a bullock load, soorais, kismiss, 

 three to four seers, zurd uloo twelve seers, dried toot or mulberry 

 one and a half seers for a rupee, but these are insipid, very sweet, but ** 

 also very dirty, pistacio nuts one seer : crops not yet cut, but ripe. 



Kupra, cloth of common quality, as well as a black kind called soosee. 



Barometer, mean of three observations (12 p. m., 1 p. m., 2 p. m.) 

 23 433, thermometer 85° 6'. Wooll. new therm, bar. mean of two 

 observations, 699*1, old, 597*5. Lichens abundant on black lime- 

 stone ? rocks. On hills about camp, Labiata nova, and a curious 

 tomentose plant were the only novelties. 



19th. — Proceeded to Argutto, distance nine miles, direction easter- 

 ly, the country continues unchanged until we ascended gradually the 

 end of the low ridge between us and Ghuznee. The slope was very 

 gradual : the road towards the foot generally sandy, and in some places 

 very bouldery : on surmounting the ridge, which was not 300 feet 

 above the plain, we descended a trifle, and encamped in an open 

 space with hills to the north ; this place slopes to the south into the 

 valley up which we have come for some marches. The valley in this 

 upper portion is not so fertile as the lower parts we have seen late- 

 ly, still there are a good many forts, and some cultivation : one or 

 two cuts were passed, and water is abundant at our halting place in 

 cuts, or Kahrezes, as well as in a small torrent with a shallow bed. 

 Several forts yere seen on the north side, situated in the small 

 ravines of the hills, they are however, mostly ruined. No change in 

 the vegetation. Jerboas not uncommon. An Accipitrine bird, the 

 same as that obtained at Shair-i- Suffer. 



Horsemen, about thirty, were seen on the hills ; they descended 

 thence and skirted the base in number ; when they were pursued by our 

 cavalry, but escaped through a ravine which Sturt says, leads into a 

 fine plain with many forts. The 4th brigade joined with the Shah's 

 force. I observed to-day a curious monstrosity of an Umbelliferous 

 plant, in which the rays of the umbellules are soldered together ; 

 forming an involucre round the immersed central solitary female, the 

 male flowers forming the extreme teeth of the involucre. 



Datached thermometer 83° 3', attached ditto 83° 3' ; barometer 

 23 262, mean of three observations : old therm, bar. 597*2, new ditto 

 696 9. Abundance of villages throughout the part of the valley run- 

 ning east, and then north, and many trees. 



