JIIILUN — SlillA. 



499 



latter very dwarfish. Mimosa albispina and Adhatoda very common. 

 The commonest tree in these countries is Bheir t and a very handsome 

 tree it is ; Nihi-joari cultivated. 



Sun and Tel occur, the last is very common. Yesterday a new cul- 

 tivation presented of a Composite plant called Kalizeen, used as a spice 

 or musala for horses. The birds observed were Hsematornis, Crate- 

 ropod, Sylvia, Alauda cristata, Alauda alia in flocks. 



The town of Jhilun stands immediately on the right bank of the 

 river of that name, it is a large and nourishing place. The river is 

 about 200 yards broad, not rapid, but here and there deep, and the 

 bed at this place forms one undivided channel. The right bank 

 on which the town stands has a stony sloping shore, the left is sandy. 



It is a mistake to suppose that the hilly country ceases here, on 

 the contrary, it crosses the Jhilun. At the ferry this river runs 

 through a large valley, bounded to the west by hills like those to 

 which we have been accustomed ; to the east it is bounded by a low 

 chain, which runs parallel with the general course of the river. The 

 valley is open only to the north and south. 



Otters, tortoises, and Mahaseer were seen in the river. 



29th, — To Sera, twenty-four miles, half the distance extended 

 over the uncultivated base of the hills, and then over the low 

 range itself, from which at two points, fine views are obtained of the 

 vast plain of the Punjab. Throughout this vast surface the vegeta- 

 tion is exactly the same — Euonymus continuing, Peganum and Phu- 

 lahi forming chief vegetation ; numbers of white partridge occur. 



In the plains Dhah is found in profusion, especially where the cul- 

 tivation is not extensive. A new Acacia appears, the Kikkur, forming 

 groves about most of the villages. Noticed the Physaloides of Lundy- 

 khanah. Encamped under a fine Mimosa and Bheir near an old Serai 

 which forms part of the village, with a splendid view of the Hima- 

 layas stretching away from east to west. It appears from this direc- 

 tion as if there was only one low range between the plains and the 

 culminating range of the Himalayas. Nothing like these mountains 

 has been seen in Khorassan. The chief cultivation about here is 

 Nihi-joari, then Bajra — why is the former always bent ? 



Prickly pear common from where we crossed the Jhilun river. 



A curious metamorphosis of Sesamum is of common occurrence : 

 the calyx being unchanged, while the corolla preserves somewhat its 

 shape, but is foliaceous, the other organs are much transformed, the 

 ovary less so than the stamina, but generally much enlarged ; ovules 



