378 



FROM GHUZNKE TO CABUL. 



scattered with two or three Astragali, two or three Artemisia?, 

 among which A. gossypifera is the most common, Labiata fra- 

 grans of Karabagh, Senecio glaucescens, Composite, Eryngioides, 

 Centaurea alia, magnispinae affinis, Santalacea, Leucades, Onosraa 

 major, et alia, foliis angustis, Echinops prima, Sedoides, Cerasus, 

 Canus pygmaeus, Dianthoides alia. 



The view from this ridge is beautiful, it shows that three vallies 

 enter the Karabagh one about Ghuznee, the largest to the eastward ; 

 then the Cabul one, then that of the Ghuznee river. The slope of 

 this valley from the mountains to the river, presents a very undulated 

 appearance. The cultivation is confined to the immediate banks' of 

 the river, which is thickly inhabited, and to most of the ravines 

 of the mountains, shewing that water is generally plentiful. The 

 river is to be traced a long way by means of the line of villages and 

 orchards which follow its banks. 



The mountains are very barren, much varied in the sculpture of 

 their outlines, and are by no means so rugged as those of limestone 

 in the Turnuk valley. The lofty one which presents the appearance 

 of a wall near its ridge, and of snow, alluded to during the march 

 hither on the 18th ultimo, is still visible. Considerable as is the 

 cultivation, it bears a very small proportion to the great extent of 

 waste, and probably untillable land, untillable from the extreme 

 thinness of the soil and its superabundant stones. Cratcegus occur- 

 red near Mahmoud's tomb, also Centaurea cyanea. 



29th. — Halted : nothing new ; botany very poor ; poorer than 

 ordinary. 



SOth. — Moved to Shusgao, distance thirteen and three-quarter 

 miles, direction still the same, or, to the north of the star Capella. 

 The road extends over undulating ground, is cut up by ravines, but 

 easily traversed, ascending and descending ; then crossing a small 

 valley, at the north-east corner of which the ghat is visible : the as- 

 cent to the mouth of this gorge equals apparently the height attained 

 before descending into the valley. The pass is narrow, the sides 

 steep but not precipitous ; the hills are not very rugged, and they are 

 generally thinly clothed with scattered tufted plants ; the pass gra- 

 dually widens, and has a ruin or remains of a small fort-like building 

 as at the entrance. This ruin, or fort, looks down into a poorly 

 inhabited, poorly cultivated, Khorassan valley : road good, with a 

 gradual ascent for one and a half mile from the exit of the pass, 

 where we encamped, about five miles on the Cabul side. 



