400 



CABUL TO BAMEAN. 



The same vegetation continues down to Topehee ; on the red 

 hills over its ravine, the plants are different. Portulacea cana, several 

 pretty Salsolae, a Polanisia occurs, with Statice two or three, a 

 straggling Astragalus, Ferula, Peganum re- appears ! Cerasus canus, 

 Carduacea Frutex of Mailmandah, fructibus combretiformibus, 

 Muscoides which .is a Sedum, Polygon, fruticosum common, the 

 usual plants of cultivation, etc. etc. 



3rd. — We proceeded from Topehee to Bamean, a distance of 

 twelve miles, for two and a half miles down Topehee ravine. The 

 road is a decent descent, although steepish : from thence turning ab- 

 ruptly at the Bamean valley, we cross the river, which is of consi- 

 derable size, but fordable, although rapid. The road then extends 

 along the left bank, not in the valley which is occupied by culti- 

 vation, but winding over and round the bases of low hills and cliffs, 

 forming a northern boundary ; throughout this part the road is villain- 

 ous, often impeded by huge blocks. After a distance of about ten 

 miles it improves, the valley expanding into a cultivated plain. 



Topehee valley narrows towards its mouth or exit, which is walled 

 in by high, red, raviny cliffs ; above, in its upper parts it is well cultivat- 

 ed with beans, barley, wheat, and oats, and contains two villages : it 

 opens into the Bamean valley at a village also called Topehee, there 

 the Bamean valley is well cultivated, with oats intermixed with 

 barley or wheat, trefoil, etc., it then narrows, forming the bed of a 

 ravine occupied by Hippophae, Tamarisk, etc., then it widens again. 



The structure of the hills is curious, and generally exhibiting the 

 appearance of having been much acted on by water. They are often 

 cliffy, composed either of limestone or a soil of red clay, with which 

 salt occurs in abundance, conspicuous from the white appearance, or 

 springs. Crystals of carbonate of lime are frequent, limestone, or 

 coarse conglomerate with large rounded stones, occurs ; together with 

 a curious laminated clayey rock, with white and ochraceous layers 

 intermixed. The tints most various, as well as the sculpture of the 

 mountains : here ravines representing tracery occur : there, columnar 

 curiously carved cliffs, exhibiting all sorts of fantastic forms : here, as it 

 were, a hill thrown down with numberless blocks into the stream, 

 scattered in every direction ; and here, but this is rare, very red horizon- 

 tal strata, colours various, generally rosy, especially the clayey cliffs : 

 here and there the colour of the rock is ochraceous, at one place its 

 structure is slaty. The curious intermixture of these colours owing 

 to the weather, is striking. 



