hole night: we moved this morning to rather higher
ground, but not so high as to preclude all danger should the river rise
again. A dawk man arrived last night, bringing a handful of tulips which
he said came from Shal; it is a small species, foliis subtortis undulatis
caule 1-flora, flore amplo aureo subodora.

_19th_.--Advanced to Sirekhugoor, distance nineteen miles, ascent
throughout on a considerably inclined plain up the bed of a river,
shingly and bouldery; the pass is not much contracted, but a short
distance from Abigoom we parted from every thing like valleys. The
vegetation continues much the same: _Kureel_, Salsola prima re-occurred
near Abigoom but sparingly, chief vegetation consists of clumps of
withered coarse Andropogons, Nerioides, Paederia, and Lycium, but less
common than before, while Apocynum viminale, and Convolvulus spinosus
have increased. The bed of the streamlet is until near Sirekhugoor,
chiefly occupied by a large Arundo just past flowering, in which Typha
also occurs sparingly: within 300 feet of the halting place, a solitary
_Khujoor_, and some wheat cultivation occurs, the latter much behind that
of Abigoom. In the fields Polygala occurred with a Galium; the most
common plant being a Sinapis found at Dadur: some _Bheir_ trees also
occur here; a few Compositae, Labiatae, and Cruciferae, similar to those
at Abigoom, are also found: the novelties were _Peganum_ which continues
throughout the pass, Hyoscyamoid, and one or two Compositae; while in
water-courses close to it the first dripping rocks occurred covered with
Adiantum and fructiferous mosses, and a curious Primuloid plant out of
flower, with a curious Clematis.

The halting place is at the head of the stream, which gushes copiously
out of a rock; the bed of the river or defile is 100 yards wide: the
mountains immediately adjoining not exceeding 1,000 feet in height, but
the second range is much higher, that to our north being plentifully
sprinkled with snow. These mountains are barren, chiefly covered with
Convolvulus spinosus, which has a different aspect, with a Sytisoid,
handsome silvery shrub, a species of Caragana and Apocynum viminale:
about the spring and in other places there are thick patches of a very
dwarf palm, and a solitary fig tree, a Lycium album continues: the bed
occupied by tufts of coarse Andropogons and Apocynum viminale; about the
spring Adiantum, a small Boraginia, white flowered small Compositae, a
withe