Journals of Travels in Assam, Burma, Bhootan, Afghanistan and the Neighbouring Countries Part 67

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 vegetation is exactly the same--Euonymus continuing, Peganum and _Phulahi_ forming chief vegetation; numbers of white partridge occur.

In the plains _Dhah_ is found in profusion, especially where the cultivation is not extensive. A new Acacia appears, the _Kikkur_, forming groves about most of the villages. Noticed the Physaloides of Lundykhanah. Encamped under a fine Mimosa and _Bheir_ near an old Serai which forms part of the village, with a splendid view of the Himalayas stretching away from east to west. It appears from this direction 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 Khora.s.san. The chief cultivation about here is _Nihi-joari_, then _Bajra_--why is the former always bent?

p.r.i.c.kly 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 in leaves_ inside.

This is worthy of examination, as it shows very plainly the origin of the stigmata from the placentae.

_30th_.--Halted owing to having been robbed of two horses.

_31st_.--Wuzerabad, twenty-four miles. Ten miles from Wuzerabad the road extended through a highly cultivated country, and crossed the Chenab, on the left bank of which river Wuzerabad is situated. The Chenab is a fine river, the stream 150 yards wide, but on either side extensive beds of sand show that the river during some seasons is of great width.

Wuzerabad is a nice well built town, having a fine straight bazaar, with paved street. The chief gateways and residences built by General Avitabile.

Chilodia occurs in abundance, Eleusine sp., E. coracana; _Bajra_ and _Joari Nihi_ being the prevailing cultivation.

It is curious that in Phulahi major of Sera and the _Kikkur_, the young branches only are armed with thorns, so that the spines must be deciduous in certain species of Mimosa.

Cactus is an instance of a calyx composed of a congeries of adherent leaves, which leaves produce from their axilla, tufts of white hair and thorns; or is it not an instance of an axis hollowed out towards the apex, to the sides of which the ovary finally adheres, in this case the outermost series of the perianth will be calyx; one reason for adopting this supposition, besides the axillary bodies, is that there is no gradation between the small concave leaves of the calyx, and the outer series of the perianth.

_November 1st_.--Halted for fis.h.i.+ng: Cyorinus Mrigala, is the _Mhoori_ of these parts; it grows to a large size, is a handsome fish, and is indeed considered the king of fishes by the Punjabees. The intestines are in longitudinal folds of extremely small comparative diameter, and enormous length; in a large specimen it is twenty-three times the length of the body. The intestines of the _Mahaseer_ are on the other hand only two and a quarter times the length of the body!

Of the fish obtained, two are Perilamps, here called _Rohi_,

5 or 6 Cyprinides, 4 or 5 Siluri, 2 Ophiocephali, 1 Esox.

Indeed I obtained a list of twenty-four species.

_2nd_.--To Goograuwala, twenty-four and a half miles, over a fine populous generally cultivated country. Goograuwala is a large town, having the streets paved with brick like those of Wuzerabad. Cactus very common; _Kikkur_ (Mimosa) is the chief tree here about the _f.u.keer's_ abodes. The Banyan also occurs.

Peganum and Kochia of Jallalabad continue. There is a fort of some size close to this town, built of mud; the ditch is unfinished, and not deep, it has a fau-se-braie, with bastions like those at Peshawur and Jumrood.

The surface of the ground is much broken close up to it, the earth being taken away for bricks.

_3rd_.--Proceeded to Koori, an inconspicuous village, belonging to M.

Court; it is surrounded by extensive plains, on which a tall gra.s.s occurs to a great extent. Distance twenty-eight and a half miles, the time taken for to-day's journey was six and a quarter hours.

The country is precisely similar to that previously noticed, the only new feature being the gra.s.sy plains, in which at some little distance from Koori, deer, partridge, hares, etc. are said to abound.

A sissoo-like tree is not uncommon.

_4th_.--To Shah Durrah, twenty-three and a half miles at Nunzul, eight miles from Shah Durrah, a fort with ditch out of repair was pa.s.sed, at Koori ten miles from Shah Durrah, pa.s.sed a deep Nullah called Baghbuchah, with high banks, thence entered on a tract of country covered with Saccharum, (_Moong_), from which ropes are made; (this is the same as the Chuch species,) we next entered on cultivation close to Shah Durrah, which place is well wooded.

Mangoe trees, _Ams_, Eugenia Jambolana, _Jams_, _Bheirs_, Phoenix, _Kikkur_, and Ficus, are the princ.i.p.al trees.

The gra.s.sy tracts of the Punjab represent probably the original vegetation, existing now only here and there owing to the extension of cultivation.

From Shah Durrah Lah.o.r.e is visible, particularly the buildings of the Mogul emperor's, consisting of a conspicuous dome in ruins, and some minarets, a large Serai likewise going to ruin, standing in the immediate vicinity of the Royal Gardens, Lah.o.r.e is decidedly a handsome looking city viewed from Shah Durrah.

So great is the tendency in palms to throw out roots towards the base, that these roots exist in the common _Khujoor_, although they have to get rid of the indurated bases of the petioles before they can make their exit. They are so extremely short and indurate that it is difficult to imagine the function they perform; at first they are capable probably of absorbing from the air.

_5th_.--Proceeded to General Court's house at Lah.o.r.e, distance six miles, the road after crossing the Ravee river near a royal summer house of no extraordinary merits, pa.s.ses on to the town, and then winds round under the Simon Boorge, a very striking part, at least exteriorly of the city, for the buildings, works, etc. are in good repair. Besides this the ground outside is swardy and prettily wooded.

CHAPTER XXIII.

_From Lah.o.r.e to Simla_.

Lah.o.r.e is surrounded by a ditch and wall, the work of former emperors' of Delhi; the environs of the city, particularly towards M. Court's residence, are studded with mosques, etc. mostly half ruined, and the ground is literally strewn with old bricks, so that the city must at one time have been an enormous one.

Seikh troops in large numbers are cantoned round to the east and south- east skirts of the town, in low pucka barracks.

Several low mounds apparently unconnected with ruins, occur in this direction.

I arrived to hear of the death of Kurruck Sing, who was burned the same day with five women; after the ceremony a scaffolding fell down, wounding Nehal Sing dangerously in the head, and killing the son of Goolab Sing.

Late in the evening the Maharajah was senseless.

It is a curious thing, that the prince who this day ascended the _guddee_, and Goolab Sing, had been active intriguers against Kurruck Sing, who is said to have had his death hastened through chagrin at witnessing Nehal Sing's usurpation of power.

_6th_.--Not much cultivation was observed on the road to-day, which extended over a naked marshy saline plain, or through a _Kureel_, and small _Jundy_ and _Phulahi_ district.

To Kanah, seventeen miles--_Jundy_, _Kureel_ and _Bheir_ occur extensively. _Jundy_ is a low p.r.i.c.kly shrub, Mimosa. There is something curious both in the surface of the cavity enclosing the seed, and in that of the seed itself of Acacia serissa. The former presents the distinct appearance of a straight line, originating in the same spot as the funicle, and terminating in a very well marked, circular depression; it is formed by the funicle as far as the cells of the legume. If a section be made through the seed longitudinally and its cell parallel with the plane of the legume, this mark will be found on both sides of the cell, but more distinct on one than the other.

The mark on the seed by no means relates to this, at least it does not correspond with it, for it consists of a somewhat reniform elevated ridge, the ends of which do not meet, but one of which originates from an elevation to which the depression would seem to respond. The straight line does not correspond with the funicle, which is not straight, but is pushed up in a curved form against the upper edge of the cell.

It corresponds, however, with a straight subclavated line running from the hilum to the elevation whence the curved line originates, although this correspondence is not always well marked.

[Sketch of Jundy seed: m504.jpg]

The above marking, corresponding as it does in the flat part of the legume with the funicle, evidently points to a peculiarity in the distribution of the vascular system; probably it consists of the testa, and if so, it is worthy of remark, as the main vessels ordinarily a single one, run along the edge, and not on the flat surface of the fruit.

I know of no similar instance; in this plant the vessels of the testa are distributed primarily at right angles with the placenta, and not in parallel lines with that organ. If the seed were depressed instead of compressed, it would not present this peculiarity, although even then the two primary vessels would be remarkable. From this instance it may be a.s.sumed that the hilum may only be defined correctly as the spot of union between the body of the seed and the funiculus. The leaflets of the plumula are pinnate.

It is also curious that the distribution of green parenchyma is along the course of the veins of the legume, and that there is a more minute reticulation, and a greater development of the green colour on the faces of the cells, than on any other part of the surface of the legume. There is no difference appreciable by the naked eye between the placental and dorsal sutures, with the exception of the sutural line of union, which has the usual relation with the axis of the head of the flowers--Euphorbia occurs here.

The affinity of Cacteae with Grossulaceae is questionable, the systems of organization being very different. Query--What instances are there of affinity between inferior ovary plants, with distinct definite envelopes and stamina, and plants with a perhaps similar ovary, but with indefinite envelopes and definite stamina with a want of correspondence in the structure of the fruit?

_7th_.--To Kussoor, twenty miles. The road extended generally through a _Jundy_ country: about half-way Salvadora appears in abundance. Kussoor is a large well-built town, consisting of three separate parts, each surrounded by a _pucka_ wall furnished with bastions: these three parts are at some distance from each other. _Furas_ tree common.

_8th_.--Ferozepore. About this place two species of Kochia occur, and Artemisia is not uncommon. The Serratuloides of Alli-Baghan and Ichardeh in profusion, affording cover for game.

_16th to 21st_.--Loodianah. In the Nullah, Butomus begonifolius occurs.

The following are the fish of Loodianah taken both from the Nullah and the Sutledge.

_Roh_.--Cyprinus (Cirrhinus), a large, very handsome, excellent, orange- brown fish, takes a bait but is capricious.