Journals of Travels in Assam, Burma, Bhootan, Afghanistan and the Neighbouring Countries Part 42

_14th_.--Detained till 12 P.M. by bad weather. Sissoo not uncommon but small, _Babool_, the true sweet scented sort. The Colocynth seen in fruit much like an apple, not ribbed; it has the usual structure of the order, viz. 3-carpellary with revolute placentae, so much so, that they are placed near the circ.u.mference; seeds very numerous, surrounded with pulp, not arillate: no separation taking place; oval, brown, smooth. In fields here, a wild strong smelling Umbellifera occurs, called _Dhunnea_, used as a potherb, and esteemed very fragrant by the natives. Besides the absence of an arillus, there is another anomaly about the above Colycynth, which is, that between each placenta a broad part.i.tion projects from the wall of the fruit, usually provided with 3-septa, so as to be divided into two chambers, these contain seeds, the funiculi pa.s.sing completely through them; seeds are also contained between the outermost septa and the placentae themselves.

Pa.s.sed two or three villages. The Persian wheels continue in vogue; their site is always on a sufficiently high and tenacious bank. I observed some wells, communicating with the river by an archway in the bank. Most of the cattle are blinded by the conical blinkers or hoods over the eyes.

_15th_.--Halted at a village partly washed away, surrounded by a good deal of wheat and radish cultivation. The mango tree and Moringa also occur here with the larger _Babool_, which invariably has long white thorns. The small Sissoo still occurs. Snake bird seen, black crowned tern.

The river remains most uninteresting; the banks are low and covered chiefly with _Jhow_. In many places recent sh.e.l.ls are very abundant, but do not appear to be composed of more than three species. Reseda, Oligandra in fields.

_16th_.--No change in the country. Heavy fog yesterday morning; to-day strongish north-east winds. Gra.s.s and _Jhow_ about equal.

_17th_.--Cloudy, drizzling, raw weather; river more sluggish; more villages and more cultivation: Phasc.u.m, and Gymnostomum common on tenacious sand banks.

_18th_.--Weather unsettled; windy and rainy. _Jhow_ and gra.s.s jungle continue, Tamarisk, _Furas_ fine specimens, Fumaria continues in fields, Capparis aphylla, which has something of a Cactoid habit, and whose branches abound with stomata, Reseda.

_19th_.--Weather finer but still cloudy, north-east wind still prevalent, and impeding our progress in some of the reaches very much. Salvadora, Capparis aphylla, _Phulahi_, _Bheir_, large _Babool_, _Furas_, Ranunculus sceleratus: _Jhow_ and gra.s.s jungle are the prevailing features. Current much the same, only occasionally sluggish. Pelicans, black-headed adjutants, (Ardea capita,) wild geese, ducks very numerous in the jheels formed by alteration in the course of the river; the country is more cultivated, but as dreary looking as imaginable. Phoenix becoming more frequent and finer, P. acaulis? likewise occurs occasionally, rather young _Khujoors_. We pa.s.sed Khyrpore about 3 P.M., it seems a straggling place, stretching along the bank of the Sutledge; there are a great many _Khujoor_ trees about it, and indeed about all the villages near it. A little below this large tract, the banks were covered with a thick _Sofaida_ shrubby jungle, which looked at a distance like dwarf Sissoo.

The country is much improved, and there is a great deal of cultivation, especially on the left bank.

_20th_.--Continued--the river is very winding, and its banks present the same features: the immediate ones being covered with short _Jhow_ or gra.s.s, or both intermixed, the extreme ones well wooded, and well peopled. _Khujoor_ very common. Yesterday near Khanpore, caught a glimpse of the descent, and to-day again the ground appears uneven, and almost entirely barren. It must be within a mile of the Sutledge. The left bank continues well cultivated. In some of the fields I noticed Medicago vera, Anagallis, Fumaria, Chenopodium cnicoideus, Prenanthoid, the _Furas_, larger _Babool_, and Calotropis Hamiltonii continue.

Radishes very common, as also _Teera Meera_.

_21st_.--Halted about 8 coss from Bahawulpore. The Khan's son, a boy of 8 years, came to see Mr. Macnaghten, and saluted him with "good night,"

he was attended by about twelve indifferent pony _suwars_, or hors.e.m.e.n.

The river is very tortuous, both banks a good deal cultivated; there appear to be a good many ca.n.a.ls, which have high banks owing to the excavated soil being piled up: they are 8 or 10 feet deep, and about 20 feet wide, at this season they are nearly dry, becoming filled during the rains. The same plants continue--_Furas_, _Jhow_, Chenopodia 2, Reseda, Linaria, Malva, Boraginea, Lactucoidea. The wheat throughout these countries is sown broadcast. Irrigation is effected by means of small ditches, and squares formed in the fields--each part.i.tion being banked in, so as to prevent communication; when one is filled, the water is allowed to pa.s.s off into its neighbour, and so on. Irrigation is entirely effected by Persian wheels; the cattle are hoodwinked in order to keep them quiet: besides from not seeing, they are led to imagine that the driver is always at his post, which is immediately behind the oxen and on the curved flat timber which puts the whole apparatus in motion.

Saw a man cross the river by means of a _mushuk_ or inflated skin. The very common bushy plant with thorns and ligulate leaves which commences to appear about Hazaribagh and continues in abundance throughout the sandy north-west, is, judging from its fruit, which is a moniliform legume--a Papilionacea; the fruit are borne by the short spine-terminated branches: the stalk of the pod is surrounded for the most part by a cupuliform membranous calyx. I have only seen however withered specimens. Reached Bahawul ghat at 1 P.M. The Khan visited Mr.

Macnaghten in the afternoon, his visit was preceded by one from his Hindoo minister, and another man, Imaam Shah, who is a very fat ruffianly- looking fellow. The Khan was attended by numerous _suwarries_; he is a portly looking, middle-aged man.

_22nd_.--We returned the visit to-day, the Khan having provided us with one horse and two bullock _rhuts_: we traversed the sandy bank of the river for about a mile before we reached the town, the suburbs of which are extensive, but very straggling, and thinly peopled. The inner town seemed to be of some extent, the streets narrow, the houses very poor, and almost entirely of mud; there were a number of shops, and the streets were lined with men and a few old women. There is very little distinction in appearance between the Khan's residence and any other portion of the town, and I did not see a defence of any kind. The Khan received us on some irregular terraces; near his house, the street leading to the private entrance was lined with his troops, as well as that leading to the terrace, and this was surrounded with his adherents, variously and well-dressed. The troops, for such appeared, were decent, and those forming one side were dressed in white, in imitation of our Sepoys, and the other side were in red and blue, _more proprio_ I imagine: they were armed with muskets; the red ones for the most part having muskets of native workmans.h.i.+p. A royal salute was fired when the meeting took place, which was on the terrace, and as we proceeded up the street, a band made a rude and noisy attempt at 'G.o.d save the King.'

Having had a private consultation, Mr. Macnaghten withdrew with similar honours, presenting arms, etc. The presents were a handsome native rifle, with a flint lock, and the fabrics of the city, some of which called Kha.r.s.e, were very creditable.

There are a good many trees about the place, indeed these form the chief mark when seen from the ghat: the princ.i.p.al are mangoes, _Khujoors_, Moringas, oranges. The natives are rather a fine race, but dirty: some of the women wore the _Patani_ veils, or hoods, with network over the eyes.

Continued down the river; though much delayed by strong south-east winds.

The vegetation, etc. continue the same, Potentilla sp. in flower, Phasc.u.m very common.

_23rd_.--Nothing new has occurred: the current is stronger than above Bahawulpore: the channel continues very winding, and sandbanks very frequent. _Furas_, Salvadora, _Phulahi_ very common. The boats accidentally separated, and we went without dinner in consequence: came into the Pungnud. The mouths of the Chenab seem to be two, both apparently of no great size, yet the Pungnud is a n.o.ble river, and although much subdivided by sand banks, is a striking stream, the waters are very muddy, and when agitated by a strong wind become almost reddish.

The jungle continues much the same: the Sissoid jungle again occurred to- day, the natives call it _Sofaida_; it has a very curious habit, and is gemmiferous, the gemmae abounding in gum. Quail, black-grey partridge, hares, continue; a goat-sucker (Caprimulgus,) was seen.

_24th_.--The boats joined early this morning: we were delayed the whole day by strong north-east winds; the whole country was obscured by the dust.

_26th_.--The wind abated towards evening, and occurred again in gusts during the night. This morning we came in sight of the southerly portion of the Soliman range, by which name however, these mountains do not appear to be known hereabouts; their distance must be forty miles at least, yet they appear to be of considerable height: the range runs north and south nearly. Wheat is here sown in rows. _Khujoor_, large _Babool_, f.a.gonia, continue, _Jhow_ very common. Towards evening we came to a subdivision of the stream following the smaller one in which the current was very strong; in some places, apparently six knots an hour. We came to for the evening at a village on the limits of the Bahawul territory.

_27th_.--We came on the Indus early in the morning and stopped opposite Mittunkote until 2 P.M., awaiting the arrival of Mr. Mackeson. The mouths of the Attock river are scarcely more striking than those of the Chenab; neither is the combined river immediately opposite Mittunkote of any great size: certainly the stream we followed was not more than 800 or 900 yards wide, the extreme banks are at a considerable distance; and half a mile below Mittunkote the surface of the water must be one and a half to two miles in breadth; the river is much subdivided by banks, and shallows are frequent, yet some of the reaches are of great extent.

The banks are low and rather bluff, the vegetation continues the same, but _Jhow_ is far the most common plant. _Bheir_, _Babool_, and the _Seerkee_ Saccharum continue; the cultivation is the same; Calotropis Hamiltonii. Mittunkote appears, from a distance of two coss, a place of some size, with a somewhat conspicuous dome. Immediately behind it are the Soliman Hills, of no great alt.i.tude; and, except at the bases, which are covered with black patches of forest, they appear uniformly brown, otherwise there is nothing to vary the monotony of the scene, scarcely any trees being visible. On stopping for breakfast, a general scene of embracing among the dhandies or boatmen and their friends occurred; women were also embraced in the usual way, but with apparently less tenderness or warmth than the men. The boats tracking up, have masts, but the goon or rope is seized with both hands, a plan far less advantageous than that adopted on the Ganges and Bramahpootra, where the princ.i.p.al tracking is exercised by a bamboo placed over the shoulder, farthest from the goon.

_28th_.--No change worth noticing. The current continues rapid. The hills visible, running parallel to the river, and ending very gradually.

Typha is very common, and in some places Arundo.

_29th_.--We remain in sight of, and generally continuing in the same direction as the hills, which run out very gradually indeed. Scarcely a tree is to be seen, and very few villages. The country continues to have some vegetation. The _Sofaida_ is now found in flower, it is the _Ban_ of the natives of these parts; the former name indicates in Persian, a tree, said to be wild Poplar, with which this has an obvious affinity.

Saccharum _Seerkee_ very common, growing in tufts and covering extensive tracts. Scarcely any cultivation is to be seen along the river, and altogether a very small proportion is rendered available. River very much subdivided: towards evening the sky is obscured to leeward by the smoke arising from burning jungle. Waterfowl are very common along the Indus; especially wild geese, which frequent open streams, whereas ducks, etc. haunt places which only communicate with the main streams during floods: myriads of _Bogulas_, (the general name for herons,) were seen yesterday in a compact body. The Soliman mountains are by no means rugged, and this only in one or two places, where they become peaked. In Mr. Elphinstone's account of a Journey to Cabul, the limestone said to be found in the desert contains sh.e.l.ls; it would be most interesting to compare this with the limestone of Churra more especially. Mr. E. also mentions a wild rue as forming part of the very scanty vegetation of the desert; the chief plants being _Kureel_, which is a Capparis; Phoke ---- and _Bheir_. Mr. E. also says that the material of which the tope of Manikyalah is built, resembles petrified vegetable matter, an observation to be kept in view. The mottled kingfisher occurs throughout, but is commoner in southern lat.i.tudes of India.

Alligators abounded to-day, and it was curious to see them basking in the sun with flocks of herons so close, that at a little distance they appeared to be perching on the backs of the alligators, or rather crocodiles. Again saw a man swim the Indus by means of a _mushuk_ or inflated skin: he swam very rapidly, and with great ease; half his body nearly being out of the water; he reclined on the skin and kept the aperture by which it is inflated in his mouth, carrying his clothes on his head. Pa.s.sed Chuck about 4.5 P.M. The country appears populous hereabouts.

_30th_.--We have seen a good many boats today employed in carrying grain to the camp; the smaller ones are not unlike Bengal boats, having a high stern; all on the Indus however have square bows and flat bottoms.

The _Jhow_ has increased in size in some places as has _Sofaida_, which is occasionally a moderate tree, and it is now more advanced in flowering: the temperature having visibly increased. The river puts on the same features and is much subdivided; the channels by which we have come, are not above 400 to 500 yards in breadth, yet there is often seen to be a waste of low sand banks stretching to a great extent, and the extreme banks are very remote, so as generally not to be visible.

_31st_.--Arrived at Uzeeypore about 9 A.M. Here we found horses and camels for our conveyance to s.h.i.+karpore. Uzeeypore appears to be a well frequented pa.s.sage of the river, although we did not see any ferry boats.

Bukkur is visible from it, apparently occupying a hill almost to the extreme right of a low range running south-west; it is seven or eight coss distant. We left for s.h.i.+karpore about 2.5 P.M. and reached about 7 P.M.: the distance is said to be twenty-four miles; the road is generally very sandy, although the sand is not very deep; the substratum being solid. We pa.s.sed some cultivation and a few villages, at one of which (Khye) there is a neat sort of fortification; here we changed horses. The jungle throughout consisted of Furas, Tamarisk, Salvadora, _Phulahi_ parva, the p.r.i.c.kly Leguminosa, with the habit of f.a.gonia, Calotropis Hamiltonii, Saccharum.

s.h.i.+karpore is not visible until one reaches the clearing around the town; in the twilight it appears to be a very large place.

_February 2nd_.--We do not proceed to Larkhanu, as daily news from Hyderabad is expected. I see nothing likely to interest me about this place; there is absolutely not a flower to be got any where. The jungles consist of _Jhow_, small _Furas_, _Rairoo_, a small arbusculoid Mimosa, _Kureel_, and Ukko, Calotropis Hamiltonii; _Bheirs_ shrubby; one of the most abundant plants is the _Joussa_ or p.r.i.c.kly Leguminosa, with the habit of f.a.gonia; some of the saline loving Compositae, No. 51, frutex 2- 3 pedalis, foliis carnosis lanceolato-spathulatis, sessilibus. Corymbis et Cymi axillaribus et terminalibus pauci capitat. Floscules inconspicuis, also occurs. Near the Shah's tents there is a grove of _Phulahi_, all more or less demolished, and a good many _Khujoors_. Hares and grey partridges appear common. The changes of temperature are very great; in the mornings and evenings it is cold; in the afternoon the thermometer reaches as high as 82 degrees.

_9th_.--s.h.i.+karpore is getting hotter every day: thermometer ranges from 40 degrees to 85 degrees.

_15th_.--The heat continued to increase until the 12th; the range of thermometer being from 50 degrees to 95 degrees; the evenings gradually became hotter, and the night although cool, had the peculiar thrilling coolness of tropical nights.

On the 12th, the barometer commenced falling, and has since continued to do so. The visible signs of rain have been confined to cloudy mornings; the fall of the mercury is perhaps connected with the occasional strong northerly winds, which at times, as last night, blow nearly half gales.

The range of thermometer is now from 55 degrees to 85 degrees. The change was sudden on the 9th or 10th; the nights were cold, thermometer at 5 A.M. 34 degrees 36'; and the days were only moderately warm. The weather now is pleasant. s.h.i.+karpore is disagreeable _inter alia_ from its dust, every thing becoming covered with it.

The suburbs of the city are well wooded, and all such portions are well provided with gardens. The _Khujoor_ is the most common tree, the Moringa, mango, _Jamun_, _Bheir_, _Neem_, Ca.s.sia fistula, Sissoo, _Peepul_, _Furas_, _Phulahi_, another Mimosa and Agati, occur; oranges in gardens, and a Pomaceous tree from Cashmere, which appears to thrive very well. The cultivation consists chiefly of wheat, _Mahta_, mustard, radishes, _Soonf_, coriander, beet, _Bagree_.

In these fields Phasc.u.m, Plantago, Ispaghula, Singee, Chenopodiaceae 1-2, Salsola lanata, and Boehmeria, may be found; Composita salinaria, stocks and wall-flowers in the gardens.

The vegetation elsewhere is very scanty; consisting of _Jhow_, _Bheir_, _Furas_, _Ukko_, _Joussa_, Andropogon _Seerkee_, _Rairoo_, _Kureel_, a low bush called ----, and a Lycium? Boehmeria albida.

The town is miserably defended: the streets are very irregular and very narrow: the houses all of mud, of the usual Scindian form, and completely irregular. The bazaars or arcades, are mere ordinary streets, covered in with timbers, over which tattered mats are placed: in these are situated the Hindoo shops, and in some places darkness is completely visible.

These Hindoos have a peculiar elongated Jewish aspect, and are reported to be very wealthy. Grain and cloth are the princ.i.p.al articles in which they deal, and they say the streets are covered in order that the purchaser may buy with his eyes half shut. The city is a large rambling place, and each house deposits its own filth before it. The inhabitants, especially the Hindoo portion, have a peculiar complexion, and by no means a healthy one. No one seems to have deserted the town on account of our approach, neither has fear hitherto prevented them from bringing their merchandise into camp.

The weather has continued cool: yesterday we had a good deal of rain; to- day it is very cloudy. The range of the thermometers from 46 degrees and 48 degrees to 82 degrees outside.

Artificers are not uncommon, as carpenters and blacksmiths, but their tools are miserable: and there is no such thing as a large saw to be seen. Wages are high, and from the slowness with which they work, it is ruinous to employ them.

Left s.h.i.+karpore on the 21st and marched to Jargon, 13.5 miles, one of the usual fortified villages of _kucha_ or unburnt brick. Houses surrounded also with _Jhow_ fences. The jungle and country precisely the same as that round s.h.i.+karpore, road at first bad, but subsequently good enough: water is to be had very good: at no great depth.

_22nd_.--To Janidaira, 11.5 miles: road excellent throughout. Country less covered with jungle: features mostly the same: a curious looking plant occurred plentifully, but to a limited extent near Jargon and subsequently, as the country became more sandy, we had abundance of Salicornia, of which camels are excessively fond, otherwise _Jhow_, _Furas_, very common, _Rairoo_, _Kureel_, _Ukko_ throughout; near Jargon, Elrua very common, Chenopodium cymbifolium throughout.

The soil at first is very fine, finely pulverized, brownish as we proceeded onwards, becoming more and more sandy. Hills of some height, apparently very distant, are seen ahead due north, and to the west. We pa.s.sed one village to the left, two ca.n.a.ls of small size, and some _Bagree_ cultivation. A small ridge with a hillock occurred after pa.s.sing the village, otherwise all was flat. And about this the jungle was thin, entirely of patches _Kureel_, _Rairoo_, and _Furas_, Peepul.

We had a violent north wind yesterday evening with some rain.

_23rd_.--To Rogan, distance 11 to 12 miles: country generally flat, presenting here and there sandy undulations, generally bare of vegetation. Salvadora, _Jhow_, _Furas_, _Kureel_, _Rairoo_, continue; _Furas_ and _Rairoo_ most common; a new Chenopodium and a Salsola, or a plant of the same genus as that met with yesterday, swarming in some places, both species were common in some parts, in others one of the two only occurred. Road generally excellent, level and unbroken. Two small ghurrees or forts occurred, with a large patch of cotton, and still larger of _Bagree_: a small Sedoid-looking plant with yellow flowers, and one or two other (to me) novelties occurred: Heliotropium, f.a.gonia, _Joussa_, _Bheir_. In those parts in which loose sand had become acc.u.mulated, it not only formed banks, but every bush was submerged in it. The fresh sand must be derived from decomposition of the hard level plain by the action of the air: yet there should be a regular gradation in size of the waves; those nearest the windward side of the desert ought to be the smallest. Rock pigeon of Loodianah seen.

There are two ghurrees or forts at the halting place, both small; the water is tolerable. The chief trees are Salvadora and _Rairoo_.

_24th and 25th_.--Left in the evening and marched all night through the desert, which commences within two miles of Rogan, and towards which place vegetation gradually becomes more scarce until it disappears entirely. This sandy waste is upwards of twenty miles in extent: in the direction we traversed it, NW. or NNW., it is almost totally deprived of vegetation; one or two plants, such as Salsoloid, being alone observable near its borders. The surface is generally quite flat, in some places cut up by beds of small streams: the surface is firm, and bears marks of inundation: tracks of camels, etc. being indented. We reached Bush.o.r.e at 5.5 A.M.; the camels performed twenty-six miles in ten hours. We halted for four hours in the centre of the desert and tried to sleep but the cold was too great, striking up as it were from the ground. The camels marched through without halting, and we suffered only one loss amongst them next day. The occurrence of this peculiar desert is unaccountable, especially its almost absolute privation of vegetation; for many other places, equally dry, have their peculiar plants, such as Salsola, Chenopodium, _Furas_, _Rairo_, _Ukkoo_, _Kureel_.

_25th_.--Bush.o.r.e is a miserable place, consisting of the usual mud houses and defences: the adjacent nullah does not invite attention; it is however the only seat of wells, which, as in all this country since leaving Rogan, are of small diameter, from thirty to forty feet deep, and contain very little water, which also is rather brackish and well impregnated with sand. The surrounding country is so barren that it may be called a desert, while the desert itself may be called the desert of deserts. I should mention that this ceases first to the west, in which direction shrubs encroach on it. _Phulahi_, Evolvulus acanthoides, Tribulus, _Kureel_, etc. are found about Bush.o.r.e, but the prevailing plant is Chenopodium cymbifolium.