Journals of Travels in Assam, Burma, Bhootan, Afghanistan and the Neighbouring Countries Part 53

This gorge is the finest and boldest we have seen, the rocks forming precipitous cliffs 2,400 feet high, which often hem in the road, and confine it to a breadth of a few feet, sufficient merely for a gun to pa.s.s.

On emerging from this we reached the tope of Jugdulluck, now a grove of mulberry trees, surrounded by the remains of a wall.

The country, until we entered the gorge, presented the same features as before, being frightfully barren. Pa.s.sed a spring of water at the foot of the main descent where there is level ground sufficient for a small party, afterwards we pa.s.sed a smaller spring containing less water, but situated in much better ground than Barikab.

The vegetation of undulated ground continues unchanged, very poor and stunted; in ravines below the main descent, Stipa is very common; in others, a large Andropogon occurs near the mouth of the gorge along the bed of the river, also _Jhow_ in patches, and one patch of Donax.

The vegetation of the gorge is more varied; two small trees occur, one the _Khinjuk_, and it is the commonest, the other a Terebinthacea; Thymelaea of Chiltera is common, Ephedra, Ilex occurs but is less common than on hills.

Along the water to which it gives exit, and which is abundant, the usual Cyperaceae, Junceae, Gnaphalium, Potentilla, and Epilobium occur as at Cabul; the place is chiefly remarkable for two or three Saccharoid gra.s.ses, Stipa common, Polypogon, Donax, Dracocephala of Quettah and the Bolan pa.s.s, Spiraea, Typha, young Tamarisks.

Chakor, large vulture, ravens; a woodc.o.c.k rose from a dripping rock, covered with a tropical Andropogon in dense patches. Adiantum, Rubus, Erythrea, l.a.b.i.atae two, common; Salix.

The gorge appears to be a distinct formation of sandstone, slate, and limestone: on the way to it, we continued over the sand and conglomerate hill, which again recur at Jugdulluck, with plenty of Holly.

The Sofaid-Koh is visible from the main ridge: it is a ridge running perhaps SW. to NE., tolerably covered with snow, as barren as any others: a few fir trees are found in the direction of Tazeen: are these confined to the sandstone formation? little gra.s.s, a few rice fields, bad forage.

[Pa.s.s and gorge, Barikab to Jugdulluck: m414.jpg]

_12th_.--Halted at Jugdulluck. Small partridges are common: observed a curious Certhioid creeper, whose flight is like that of the Hoopoe; it is scandent over rocks.

_13th_.--To Soorkhab, twelve and a half miles over a similar country: region of Hollys continues; we first pa.s.sed up a ravine, then over undulating ground, until the summit of the pa.s.s is reached. From this a fine view of Sofaid-Koh is obtained, the lower ranges in some places being black with firs; thence a continued descent, varied here and there by small ascents over undulating ground, we at length came to a ravine filled with bulrushes: we followed this, leaving it near the halting place, and winding over rocky ground and a bad road, we descended to the bed of the river. The road good, though stony here and there, but nowhere so, to such an extent, as the previous marches.

Hills precisely similar to those already pa.s.sed, either sandy, easily friable, or conglomerate, held together by sandy cement. Vegetation continues the same; _Baloot_, or oak, is said to be abundant though I did not see it; Daphne, and Xanthoxylon, compose the chief shrubby vegetation; Saccharum here and there. Small partridge very common. The greatest ascent is 5,600 feet. No gra.s.s for forage; several very small streamlets were pa.s.sed en route, so that a small party might halt anywhere.

[Ascent and descent Jugdulluck to Soorkhab: m415.jpg]

The beautiful Himalaya looking range Sofaid-Koh, runs east and west; it is very high, in the back ranges with very heavy snow on both ridges, and peaks. The view from the pa.s.s shows a rapid fall in the country to the eastward, which still continues hilly, and very very bare. Large coa.r.s.e grapes are had here, also pomegranates: some _seedless_ rice cultivation occurs since we descended to Jugdulluck.

_14th_.--We proceeded nine and a quarter miles, throughout until reaching a grove near Gundamuck: the road lay over undulating ground, is more sandy than stony, and in two or three places it is raviny, and requires to be made. Then the road emerges into a fine sort of valley, dipping down to a small stream with many sedges. In the bed of the stream, willows occur, and mulberries about it: we then ascended and halted just beyond the ascent. Water and _dhoob_ gra.s.s are both plentiful, as well as supplies of grain, pomegranates, and grapes, as yesterday; _Bajree_.

A fine view is obtained of Sofaid-Koh, which forms the southern boundary of the valley; many villages, with cultivation in a very sandy soil.

Small partridge very abundant. A fox observed. The ravines wherever there is water, crowded with Typha, and Saccharum; oaks are seen in abundance on the mountain to the south; left the Soorkhab river after fording it near yesterday's camp; the bridge is quite useless for cattle, as the ground is rocky and broken on this side, no pains having been taken to carry the work to the road; cypresses, planes and mulberry trees in the gardens: Cannabis, also one patch of cotton cultivation was pa.s.sed.

No descent, but rather small ascent on the whole, say 200 feet, the ascent from the princ.i.p.al nullah crossed being equal, though much shorter than the descent to it.

[Soorkhab to Gundamuck: m416.jpg]

_15th_.--We halted: many rivulets descend near us from the Sofaid-Koh; and the water in these is beautifully clear; many villages and mills with several beautiful spots occur, well shaded with trees, poplars, mulberries, and figs. The objects of cultivation are millet, Indian-corn, rice, and wheat; this last just sprung up: many _bedanah_ pomegranates, but none I think of superior quality.

All the low hills here, and indeed between us and the boundary ranges of the valley, are of sandstone, generally very slightly held together, here and there more firm, and distinctly stratified towards the upper surface.

The surface consists of conglomerate, formed of boulders imbedded in the same kind of sandstone as that below; often very friable, occasionally it is as hard as flint. In the sandstone below, a few stones occur here and there; but I saw no fossils. The upper surface of these hills is remarkably stony, all the stones being more or less rounded.

Several new plants were found in these ravines, a Lythrum, a very aromatic species of Compositae, Samolus in some of the swamps with Typha, which swarms in every ravine and ravinelet, Rubus, Clematis, Bergia, Ammannia, Lythraria, Chara, Xanthium.

The plants of tropical forms are, Celosia of Digera! Polanisia, Andropogons, two or three.

The tropical cultivation consists of cotton, the usual annual sort; Indian-corn, Pennisetum, and rice.

The fish are, four kinds of Cyprinidae, including one Oreinus, and one loach.

_16th_.--Proceeded to Futtehabad, eleven and a half miles. The road leaves the valley after crossing a stream with a ruined bridge, like that at Soorkhab, but of two arches, and ascending a little way, then winding along over undulating very stony ground; this continues until we descend steeply and along the Neemla valley, a mere ravine, historically interesting, as the field on which Shah Soojah lost his kingdom in 1809, and for a fine tope of trees: then crossing a streamlet, we ascend a little way over sandstone, then another stream, which we follow for 500 yards, and ascending a little, we proceed thence to camp, along a slight slope of very stony, generally _very level_ ground, where we halted on a rivulet with a wide gra.s.sy bed, Lythrum growing around.

[Gundamuck to Futtehabad: m417.jpg]

No change appears in the vegetation: the surface very barren in stony parts, chiefly Artemisia, Saccharum, Andropogon albus, in ravines, Capparis common, also AErua and Lycionoides.

The northern boundary of the valley is comparatively low, and from Sofaid- Koh to this is an uniform slope, broken by ravines; here and there by small hills; ravines occasionally dilating into small valleys, the only parts in which cultivation is to be seen. This is so far different from the usual formation where the valleys occupy the level tract between the slopes from either boundary range. Neemla is a very confined s.p.a.ce for any thing like the battle said to have taken place here, the rising grounds inclosing the small s.p.a.ce being too much broken for cavalry.

The rocks consist of conglomerate at top, below sandstone, layers of both alternating near the surface: a break occurs (nearly opposite) in the hills, this break is minutely undulated. {417} Rock pigeons were seen on the march by Thomson, and small partridges. I find that though to our senses there was comparatively but little descent, that the barometer and thermometer indicate one of 1,500 feet. The Neemla river must be the boundary between the hot and cold countries alluded to by Burnes.

In spite of this descent, and our small alt.i.tude, about 3,000 feet, but little change if any occurs in the vegetation, and none in the general features of the country; the Apocynea of Dadur and Bolai (Nerioides) has re-appeared.

At this season (October), throughout the way we came from Cabul, there is a curious white efflorescence covering the Shootur Kari, I do not know what it is, but it is not Conferva. A good deal of forest is seen on some of the ranges to the north of this, bearing from camp about NNE., certainly not firs, perhaps oaks.

_19th_.--Yesterday we went to the Soorkhab, which runs east and west along the northern boundary of the valley; half the distance down the bed of this stream the ground is strewed with boulders, thence to the hills, and excepting the bed of the Soorkhab, is one sheet of cultivation, consisting of large quant.i.ties of cotton and sugar-cane, this latter of small size, and not very juicy, castor-oil plant, Corchorus (_Pat_), _Sun_, Tel., radish, and among the other plants cultivated, the Mudar is common: Nerioides of Dadur; Epilobium sp. is the chief Boreal form. This is one of the richest districts I have seen.

Trees--Bukkhien, {418} _Furas_, Ficus, Cupressus, with much rice cultivation.

The vines are trained on mulberries, as Burnes says, or the Lilyoak.

Pomegranates are also to be mentioned among the fruits of this place.

The Soorkhab river is not seen after leaving the place of the same name; after it crosses the road, it runs due north through the mountains, in a narrow, almost inaccessible bed; its waters are of a reddish colour.

The villages here are larger, and not so fortified as those about Cabul.

Balabagh stands on a high bank of conglomerate, overhanging the Soorkhab, and is in danger of being cut away by the river. The peasantry are civil, and unarmed. Ravens, quails, _minas_, sparrows, and a beautiful swallow were seen about the Soorkhab river; the latter, with metallic blue on the back of the head, crown of head tawny, tail short, two exterior feathers elongated into beautiful almost setaceous bodies, exceeding the length of the bird. This swallow, or one with a similar tail, was seen by Sanders on the Helmund, at Girishk.

_20th_.--We proceeded to Sultanpore, eight and a half miles, pa.s.sed Futtehabad, thence a gradual descent over a very stony slope to the halting place, where the valley becomes narrow, and water plentiful in a small stream. Willows, mulberries, ashes. Two large pollards at Futtehabad.

The vegetation consists of Gramineae in patches, AErua Nerioides, and Mudar.

Sultanpore, is a village of some size, situated about a mile north from the road, and contains many Hindoos. All villages here crowded with highish two or three-storied houses, something like s.h.i.+karpore: they are surrounded with gardens and mud walls, apricots, mulberries, greengages, pomegranates in profusion; the cultivation very rich as yesterday, and there is an air of repose about the villages unusual in this country.

Tobacco. The rice-pounder or _dekhee_ I observe is here lifted by treading on it with the foot, as in Hindoostan. The country hereabout, has the advantage of being well watered. _Isain_, Dolichos sp. occurs.

Trees as before: the plane flourishes, fine ones were seen growing around a Hindoo Zearut, where there is a double spring of water with a copious ebullition of gas. The temperature of this is said to be hot in winter.

Salsola common, _Joussa_, a curious Ericoid plant was observed, Typha angustifolia, latifolia ceased since we left Gundamuck; Isachne, Pulicaria, Epilobium, Sagittaria, Cyperaceae, Marsilea! Polygonum, Ranunculus sceleratus, Lythrum, Lemna, Alisma, Menthoid, a Cuscuta common on cotton plants, as at Futtehabad, several tropical gra.s.ses, Aristida, Poa, and Andropogon appear.

Descent though almost unappreciable, yet amounts to 1,000 feet. Bulbul and Parus common, as well as doves and ravens; quails are scarce.

_21st_.--To Jallalabad, eight and a half miles, the road keeping along the southern edge of the valley, occasionally extending over small undulations sometimes stony, more often sandy.

Typha latifolia occurs in profusion along parts of Futtehabad nullah, general features the same otherwise, AErua and Nerioid are common on stony parts, and fewer coa.r.s.e gra.s.ses.

Cypresses in gardens, also _khujoors_. Starlings.

The entrance to Jallalabad, or rather to its suburbs, presents the usual desolate, disorderly appearance, of such places in this country; the ruined walls to the city; the sandy barren soil, and the odious looking low hills between it and the Sofaid-Koh, present as sad and melancholy a picture as could well be met with. The same desolate, disorderly, dirty appearance is to be met with in most Asiatic capitals, particularly those that have been subjected to independent misrule: while the more distant surrounding villages look cheerful, and as clean as can be expected: the appearances immediately around the chief towns are always bad. To what is this owing? is it to their being more completely under the thumb of a rapacious governor? to the insecurity of property, or to defect in the laws? or to all these causes together?

At Cabul it was just the same, particularly on the Peshawur side, where stagnant pools, half destroyed mosques, and mutilated trees present a total contrast to the smiling valley of Kilah-i-Kajee.