434 



DESCRIPTION" OF ROAD. 



it consists of a broadish pathway, with a wall on the river side, breast 

 high ; the masonry is good and solid, of the usual Bactrian materials, 

 but well cemented ; it has mostly been ruined by the river, only one 

 end being perfect. Although the materials are Bactrian, the contour is 

 Mussulman, and I was told by some people that it was a Mussulman 

 erection : originally it perhaps extended all along this part, as slight 

 traces here and there are discernible ; for what use the original structure 

 was intended I know not, as there are no remains visible of a fort. 



The inlet of Gundikuss is well cultivated, the village itself a large 

 straggling one, built close under a ridge. 



From this to the Choky the path is rocky, and in many places very 

 bad, consisting of a series of ascents and descents, and winding round 

 spurs ; in the worst place, the path almost overhangs the river 200 

 feet above its bed, and it is very hard and very rocky. The distance 

 between ten or eleven miles, the road is impracticable for guns, etc. 

 nor could our camels with loads well get over it. 



10M. — To Camp at the Bussout river, nothing remarkable occurred ; 

 immense quantities of Serratuloides on the sandy raviny parts of the 

 road. Crossed the river on the usual mussuck rafts, the animals 

 forded it, at the quiet head of a rapid, water breast deep : this river 

 is smaller than that from Kooner. 



Wth. — To Bussout, five miles. A village passed about one and 

 quarter mile up Kooner ghat, here a mile broad. No change in the 

 features of the country, which throughout is well cultivated ; here and 

 there abundance of sedges, in the low ground ; plenty of watercuts, 

 but none of any great size : road worse at the entrance of the ghat 

 rounding the east boundary, but guns might avoid this ground by 

 keeping towards centre of the ghat. 



12th. — To Sha-i-wa, distance 8 miles. The road after turning the 

 angle of Bussout ghat, passed entirely through cultivation, vil- 

 lages, trees and inhabitants more numerous than in any other place, 

 cuts numerous, but the road altogether from this cause and the culti- 

 vated fields very bad. Rubus found along cuts at Chunar-Bukkeen. 

 Toot, Phoenix. Vines numerous, of large size, running up mulberry 

 trees ; forests seen on Kooner mountain ? Umlook and Julghogal, 

 very common grain, very dear. The women are generally clothed in 

 dark blue Noorgul. The road now extends up a gorge to our front, 

 named Durrah. 



Gooraiek fort on the opposite side. 



13M.— Halted. River much clearer than that of Jallalabad ; its 

 bed affords abundance of large grass. 



