388 



CABUL — FRUIT AND VEGETABLES. 



A Marmot, the size of a large rat, is also found here, the large 

 specimens are of a reddish tinge, the small ones of a blackish. 



The bazars are crowded all day, and in the morning are obstructed 

 from asses loaded with wood. Most things are procurable ; the 

 cloths seen are mostly the indifferent common kind of cloth related 

 to the Seikh Puttoo ; camel hair chogas, posteens or coarse blankets ; 

 these last indicating very cold winters : there are not many other 

 things peculiar — long knives, and the shoes and boots are among the 

 most so, and wretched silk handkerchiefs. 



The most common grapes are the kismiss, a long coarse grape 

 which answers for packing, a round, very sweet, purple grape, with 

 large seeds, and small seedless ones intermixed, are all capable of 

 being much improved by thinning, and a huge, tough- skinned, coarse, 

 purple grape, of good flavour. 



The best peaches have a green appearance, even when ripe ; the 

 ordinary ones are coarse, and not well-flavoured ; but the Affghans 

 are quite ignorant of the art of packing fruit, and hence most 

 are bruised. 



Two sorts of apples are common, both rosy ; one very much so, 

 but much inferior to the other. 



Pears principally of two kinds, both allied to the common pear in 

 shape ; the large ones are very coarse, but well adapted for stewing. 



Aloocha excellent for jellies, as also the cherries : most kinds of 

 plums are now out of season. 



The melons vary much in quality, the watermelons are generally 

 better, and vary less : the muskmelons I have here seen, are ruined 

 by inattention to the time of gathering ; some are very fine, the pulp 

 is never very deep coloured ; it is very rarely green ; some of the 

 Kundah sort are very good ; this and the turbooj are both excessively 

 common. The usual Cucurbita is cultivated, as well as the other 

 common cucumber, pumpkin, Luffa fcetida, and L. acutangula. 



Cabbages common, beet root ditto, bangun ditto, excellent spinage 

 (Spinacese). 



All sorts of spices procurable, but they are generally old : sugar very 

 good, is sold in flat candied cakes, one and a half inch thick ; koorool 

 in small cakes resembling chunam. 



