410 



CHAPTER XVII. 



From Cabul to Jallalabad and Peshawur. 



October 7th. — Proceeded to Bhootkhak, nine and a half miles from 

 Cabul, and seven from our camp : the direction lay easterly. A canal 

 and a river were both crossed by bridges, the latter of stone, but 

 much needing repairs : the country generally marshy : the marshes 

 were crossed by a causeway of stones, rough and broken here and 

 there. The road is one apparent continued slope to this, but the 

 Barometer gives no indication of any difference of level. The march 

 proving uninteresting, and the country an uniform brown and barren 

 tract. 



Stk. — Proceeded to Koord Cabul valley, the distance of which from 

 the place we left being eleven miles : first having rounded a spur extend- 

 ing from the south boundary of Cabul valley, we then entered a narrow 

 ravine, chiefly occupied by a small stream, which we crossed several 

 times. The mountains being chiefly of limestone, then becoming slaty, 

 very precipitous, rugged, and barren ; on emerging from this very 

 tedious ravine, we entered on some sward with plenty of Tamarisk, 

 and Salix vimenea. Koord Cabul valley is a frightfully barren, and 

 very stony place ; the chief vegetation of the valley, as also of the 

 ravine, being Artemisise, in which there is abundance of Carduacea 

 subspicata from Baber's tomb. 



The road throughout is indifferent, but only so from the stones, the 

 largest of which would require removal, and there are not more than 

 two or three difficult rocks in the way, these however might be avoided 

 by keeping in the bed of the stream. There are two ruined stone walls 

 thrown across the ravine, the remains merely of the very few villages 

 of Koord Cabul. A high truncated mountain stands to the south, 

 on which some patches of snow are visible. 



The mountain forming the east wall of the ravine is the subconical 

 one, seen to such advantage from Arghundee, it is of limestone, quite 

 precipitous, with a few large bushes of, I do not know what ; none 

 of them being within reach, — Ilex, and Cupressus. 



9th. — To Tazeen, the road for seven miles extends over somewhat 

 undulated ground, generally good ; but here and there stony, with a 

 gradual but almost imperceptible ascent, until the top of the pass 

 is reached ; from this, the view of Tazeen valley, and the summit of 

 the Sofaid-Koh is good. 



