PUSHUT. 



439 



of woody vegetation. To go among the woods unguarded, is impos- 

 sible, and secondly, the weather is very bad. 



Memoranda. — That it cannot always be deficiency of soil which 

 causes the extreme barrenness of the usual Khorassan mountains, 

 because on the Kalo Pass to Bamean, nearly 13,000 feet high, the 

 soil is abundant; but in this case, height may interfere. 



It is obvious between Kooner and Cabul, that the transition from 

 absolutely treeless mountains to well-wooded ones occurs nearer 

 to Kooner than Cabul, because the Hindoo-koosh about Cabul, and 

 to the eastward, is said to be treeless. 



How interesting will the examination of these woods be, how 

 different will be their flora from that of Khorassan proper ! 



To define the Khorassan Province also, by its being destitute of 

 wood or trees. Note its passing off from this character between 

 Ghuzni and Quettah, see Marryott's letter about Kooner, compare 

 with Mazenderam forests. Fine plane trees occur here, all the vines 

 are trained on mulberries. What is Burnes' holly oak, or lily oak ? 



Rubus occurs, Ranunculus stolonifolia, a cold season plant, 

 Euphorbia ditto, and the usual Peshawur forms. 



28M. — Fine weather, clouds however, still flying about. 

 29th. — A fine morning ; in the afternoon threatening, night cloudy, 

 all the clouds come down the ravine ! except when the wind occa- 

 sionally shifts to west. 



30th. — Fine weather, although still unsettled. I procured the other 

 day a few specimens of trees from the hills to the south of this, 

 among these which amount only to a few, are one Myrtus, an 

 Olenia, both of which bear me out in assuming that the woody vege- 

 tations of these hills will present a curious transition between the 

 genuine Australio-European and the Himalayan forms. 



31st. — Almost every isolated rock in this country is covered with 

 ruins which vary much in extent, and are often barely perceptible, 

 but careful looking will detect them in all situations about gorges, 

 and such places. From the rivers running under rocks, the paths 

 which must be resorted to, at least at this season, are very difficult. It 

 would be curious to speculate on the different state of preservation 

 of these ruins, and the singular people to whom they are due. 



The soil of this valley is very deep in places : in one place on the 

 opposite side of the river, it is twenty-five feet at least, the depth 

 obviously diminishing towards the bed of the river, or the lowest 

 part of the valley. 



