426 



KHYBER PASS. 



a similar road for perhaps two miles, until the ravine which we left 

 at camp is turned ; this is thence followed, occasionally leaving it 

 where the road is bad and runs through low rugged hills. The 

 road then after passing some of the old ruins opens, out into a space 

 with cultivation. Close to this is the highest spot of the pass, sur- 

 rounded by low hills, none higher than 500 feet. Cultivation occurs 

 especially at Lal-Ghurry Beg, a space of some size, containing several 

 villages, of the usual Khyberry form, namely, surrounded by low, 

 quadrangular walls, with a thin square tower and very broadly 

 projecting eaves. A short distance from its summit, just after pass- 

 ing the villages, and before entering the ravine which leads us to our 

 present camp is a Khyberry tower, built on a fine Bactrian tope, 

 which is nearly half ruined ; on the top of this a dome of good 

 proportions is built on a double-terraced foundation. 



This gives a rude idea of what the tope was originally, now half the 

 dome has fallen down. 



The entrance to the ravine gradually becomes narrower, the bed is 

 stony, very winding, and narrow. Bold precipices of limestone cliffs 

 ascend on either side of Sir-i-Chushme ; then a little below, very co- 

 pious springs issue from limestone. The temperature of the principal 

 spring is 75° ; it contains abundance of fish — a loach and cyprinoid. 

 Passed some ruined fortifications on the right, leading down to water, 

 evidently kafir works ; then we enter a narrow but short gorge, occu- 

 pied by the stream ; a few more turns and you come on Ali-Musjid. No 

 change occurs in the vegetation, bare rocks at the summit of which the 

 Bar. stood at 26' 72. Andropogons and Artemisia? are the chief plants. 



In the gorge downwards, Acacia occurs in abundance, with Adha- 

 toda, and otherwise the shrubs of Lundyakhana occur in abundance, 

 and Adiantum about the spring. 



After passing the fort, the rocks open out into a ravine, with low 

 undulated hills on every side, covered with the usual vegetation ; 

 Astragalus one species. 



At Lal-Ghurry Beg, one Khinjuck tree, Elaeagnus, occurred; and 

 grass in very small stacks, well pressed and covered with a thatch of 

 bushes and a layer of dirt. 



