436 



PUSHUT. 



as it were, truncate faces to the valley, all the mountains at certain 

 heights are well wooded. 



1 7 th. — Rain continued since, almost without intermission, very dirty 

 weather, but no wind. 



Snow on the hills around, almost within 1,500 to 2,000 feet of this, 

 the mountains to the south are well wooded, the woods occurring 

 here and there in forests ; snow is said to fall here occasionally. 



1 8th. — The attack took place this morning, and failed on account 

 of the weather, which was sufficient to damp any thing, and which 

 prevented the powder bags from exploding, as well as a second cask 

 of cartridges. The men were withdrawn about twelve, rain pour- 

 ing down, ammunition of the guns being expended, and that for mus- 

 quetry quite useless ; a few more rounds would have demolished the 

 entrance gateway and brought it down bodily ; loss severe, twenty- 

 five men killed, thirty-two wounded, several dangerously. The fort 

 was well defended, and evidently by a mere handful of people. 



19th. — Last night the fort was evacuated as well as that on the 

 opposite side, and the Syud has made off into the hills. It cleared 

 up in the morning but is now as threatening as ever, the ditch 

 of the fort is twelve or fifteen feet deep, but like all Affghan 

 ditches it is narrow. The parapets were very slight, so that a 

 more powerful battery would have kept down their fire completely ; 

 no injury had occurred to the inner gate except its being off one of its 

 hinges, or rather out of one of its sockets. The entrance was thus round 

 the gate, not through the gateway : it was protected by a thick screen 

 of brushwood and mud, all of the shots from the second position 

 had lodged in the wall close to the side of the gate ; every thing was 

 carried off, except a little grain, and some gunpowder. 



20th. — Continued rain. 



21^.— Snow within 500 feet. 



22nd. — Moved camp. 



23rd. — Continued rain and sleet, almost passing into snow. 



Boundary . 



mountains. . Boundary mountain. 



Shingly and boul- , '-v- •.•.•.*.• 



dery slope. 



. Cultivatable soil. 

 Section of Kooner valley. •*.•.•.•.•..•,•. 



