, 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. Shikarpore 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_, Cassia 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 Phascum, 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 principal 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: yesterd