okhloor, but almost
the whole expanse of plain is capable of good cultivation: soil pebbly.
Fowls a good many are procurable. Apricots are also brought for sale,
but very inferior: a striking boundary hill to the north presents a
rugged, lofty aspect, not less in the peaks than 4,000 above the plain;
several ranges occur, but those to the south are low, rounded, and small;
rounded clumps of Astragali are seen.

_17th_.--Proceeded to Jumrat, 12 miles and 2 furlongs, our direction
lying to the north of the star Capella. The country continues to present
a similar aspect: valley expanded, road tolerable, several ravines and
beds of dry watercourses, with sandy bottoms; indeed as compared with
yesterday, the soil is much more sandy and less pebbly. Vegetation is
the same, no more dense aggregations of Artemisia fruticosa are seen, but
the plants consisting of scattered Artemisia of yesterday, barely
suffruticose, Peganum, Astragalus, Astragaloid Muscoideus, and Senecio
glaucescens. A good deal of cultivation occurs on both sides of the
slope towards the southern boundary, which is here lofty, presenting the
usual limestone characters. Many villages are seen, all fortified, and
about Jumrat there is the appearance of much population. Jerboas,
ravens, rock pigeons, and wild pigeons, are common; hares are uncommon.
Very few trees are to be seen, but there is abundance of good water and
grass along the margins of the cut. Sheep are also to be had, but they
are small, and goats for one rupee each, large sheep two rupees: _dhal_,
_atta_, barley procurable; and Herat rugs.

To-day the native troops were put on short rations of twelve _chatacs_;
servants, etc. on eight. Horsemen to the number of 100? came to meet the
Shah, all mounted on decent ponies, but quite incapable of coping with
our irregular horse. Barometer 23.305, thermometer 87 degrees, Wooll.
new thermometrical barometer 697.6, old 595.8.

From 11 P.M. to 12 P.M. heavy rain; very heavy for about twenty minutes,
with a threatening aspect in the horizon at 7 A.M. to south by east, from
which direction the rain came: thunder and lightning; latter very
frequent.

_18th_.--Entered the district of Karabagh, distance to our present place
of encampment from that we had left eight and a half miles. The road
decent, traversing several watercuts, one or two ravines, and a small
stream, indeed water becomes more abundant to-day than in almost any
other march: our dire