ng a low range we came into the valley,
which is almost entirely covered with an Artemisioid odoriferous plant;
no verdure was visible, even on the snowy ranges. We encamped close
under a ridge about two and a half miles to the north of the summit of
the pass.

_21st_.--Halted: there being some water collected in attempts to form a
nullah from the last rain, it is quite brownish and opaque, but deposits
no sediment, and makes good tea, although disagreeable to drink in any
other form. I walked out in the afternoon into a valley to the west,
close to our encampment, and thence ascended a hill 600 feet high at
least.

This valley like the one in which we are encamped is covered entirely by
an Artemisioid, a very fragrant plant, each shrub of which is distinct;
mixed with it are tulips, several small Cruciferae, and a
Fritillarioides.

The same Artemisioid is also the chief plant on all the hills: it is
mixed, but in small quantities with Cerasus pygmaeus, Equisetoid,
Caragana, and one or two shrubby Labiatae; and also especially above,
with a curious Astragaloid looking plant. The herbaceous plants are
numerous, consisting of very fragrant Umbelliferae, bursting into leaf;
tulips, Fritillarioides, Trichostema, Erodium, Iris, Thalictrum, Senecio,
Boragineae 2, Gilenacea, several tufted Gramineae, Berberideae,
Ranunculoides, Myosotis, Anemone cracea, Asphodeloid, Mesembryanthoids;
of mosses Tortula, Grimmia.

_22nd_.--Proceeded to Sinab, a distance of fifteen and three quarter
miles, up two valleys, no ascents. These valleys are elevated towards
the mountains and generally depressed in the centre: in some they stretch
out a long way from the mountain to which they may be imagined to belong.
The mountains seen from a distance jutting out from perhaps the centre of
a plain, look curious. The vegetation is generally Artemisioid, and very
fragrant: the first valley in its depressed portions was covered with a
Salsoloid looking plant, to the exclusion of Compositae, but these last
recurred in the higher parts.

With the Compositae, swarms of small Cruciferae occur; that with purple
flowers and pinnatisect leaves being the most common. Very rugged hills
are visible to the north-east and north of our route, presenting a very
different appearance from the usual aspect: they are steep to the east,
and present inclined slopes to the west.

_Sunday_, _24th_.--Halted this day. Little new occurs in the valley,
except a fe