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
grasses, Stipa common, Polypogon, Donax, Dracocephala of Quettah and the
Bolan pass, Spiraea, Typha, young Tamarisks.

Chakor, large vulture, ravens; a woodcock rose from a dripping rock,
covered with a tropical Andropogon in dense patches. Adiantum, Rubus,
Erythrea, Labiatae 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 grass, a few rice fields, bad forage.

[Pass 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 passed up a ravine, then over
undulating ground, until the summit of the pass 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 passed, 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