BAMEAN PLANTS AND RUINS. 



4U3 



are much damaged. The hair in some is dressed as in the modern 

 Burmese top-knot, often surrounded by a circle. 



Otherwise the niches are not ornamented, except in one instance, 

 as above alluded to ; the head of the smaller figure was formerly cover- 

 ed by the roof, as evident from holes or troughs for timbers in the 

 gallery. These holes are now inhabited by pigeons, and the lower ones 

 by cows, donkeys, fowls, kids, dogs ; some are filthy apertures blocked 

 up by stone and mud walls; the doors irregular, and guarded be- 

 tween two giants. 



An old tope occurs near some small figures, it is composed of stones 

 very much disintegrated, with curious blocks of kucha work, and 

 large Babylonish bricks ; the smaller figures are much destroyed, 

 some completely ; all are in alto-relievo. 



The plants about Topehee valley, are Cichorium, Centaurea lutea, 

 Berberis common, Salvia, Cicer cultivated, Lucerne, Centaurea an- 

 gustifolia, Cnicus of Koti-Ashruf, ditto of Karabagh hills, Triticum, 

 Asteroides, Avena, Centaurea glauca, the common thistle, Ephedra, 

 Mentha, Rumex, Melilotus, Medicago, Artemisia pyramidalis, Lych- 

 nis inflata, Saponaria, Bromus, Verbascum, Cerasus canus, Ferula, 

 Statice, Salsola, Astragalus, Polygonum fruticosum, Composita dis- 

 locata, Clematis erecta, Clematis alia, Echinops, Leucades, Pulicaria 

 fragrans, Hyoscyamus parvus, rare ; Geranium, Rosa, Fabago of 

 Maidan, fructi echinatis, Arundo, Hippophae. 



Halted at Bamean till the 6th, and inspected Ghoolghoola or 

 Bheiran, which presents extensive ruins : those of the city are almost 

 destroyed ; but those of the citadel are more perfect, and situated on 

 a mound 300 feet high, which still stands with steep banks or fortifi- 

 cations, apparently of Kafir origin, generally kucha, with bases formed 

 of boulders. Three lines of defences remain on the valley side ; and 

 the remains of a ditch 50 feet broad at the mound on the east side. 

 Pucka, or burnt bricks are common among the debris, also pottery, 

 but this is of the ordinary sort : I observed but few pucka bricks in the 

 fortification on the west side. Great masses of rocks have been thrown 

 about near the building of the fort, and some of the lower bastions 

 were built on these masses. The mound is chiefly occupied by Sal- 

 solacese, some of which exist in profusion. Nothing seems to be 

 known about the history of the place, except that it was built by 

 Julal, to whom the Mahommedans fix Ud-deen. 



Quails are abundant in the fields about Bamean ; it is a curious 

 thing that in many of these fields oats far preponderate over other 



