420 



ALI-B AGHAN AND BANKOK. 



while the more distant surrounding villages look cheerful, and as 

 clean as can be expected : the appearances immediately around the 

 chief towns are always bad. To what is this owing ? is it to their 

 being more completely under the thumb of a rapacious governor ? to 

 the insecurity of property, or to defect in the laws ? or to all these 

 causes together ? 



At Cabul it was just the same, particularly on the Peshawur side, 

 where stagnant pools, half destroyed mosques, and mutilated trees 

 present a total contrast to the smiling valley of Kilah-i-Kajee. 



At Shikarpore the same. 



The most common fruit tree in the gardens here is a sweet lime : 

 grapes are brought in from the villages of Sofaid-Koh, they are the 

 same sort as those at Gundamuck : Narcissus, Rosa, Cerasi sp., Mira- 

 bilis, stock, Cupressus, mulberry also in gardens, Bheir of waste 

 places, Salsola, Artemisia?, two or three : Kochia villosa, Peganum, 

 ^Erua, Croton of Candahar, Ricinus, Joussa of wet places, Lippia, 

 Typha latifolia, angustif., Azolla, Riccia, Cyperaceae, several Lythra- 

 riese, Potamogeton, three species. The fish here will not take a fly, 

 and the bottoms are too foul and stony for worm-fishing, the largest 

 sort of fish is somewhat like a Barbel. Jackdaws and Corvus, alter 

 atratus, dorso ventre griseo : very few quails. Furas common. 



27th. — To Ali-Baghan, distance six and a half miles, road winding > 

 generally good : after it crossed the dry bed of the nullah, it then be- 

 comes rather undulated extending over raviny ground ; it then crosses 

 the broad bed of the stream, in which there are swarms of bulrushes, 

 then the same sort of sandy ground leads to camp, which is near the 

 village Ali-Baghan. 



The river here is much increased, much more deep ; banks alluvial, 

 steep; soil deep. Chenopodium sp., very common, but too much 

 eaten up to be recognized, also Salsolse sp. 



Nothing new observed. We passed the break above-mentioned 

 in the northern hills, whence issues the Coomur Nuddee. Ser- 

 ratuloides very common in sandy undulations. Porcupines and foxes. 

 Beds of grass in islands of the river Barikab. 



28th. — We proceeded to Bankok, twelve and a half miles from the 

 encamping ground, having turned nearly due south, in order to avoid 

 the slope, which is seen in this direction from Jallalabad ; then a 

 valley, with low hills on either side, is passed ; then the road ascends 

 over undulating ground, until 500 feet is gained ; then a long and 

 gradual descent is traversed over a very stony plateau. 



