inues down to Topehee; on the red hills over its
ravine, the plants are different. Portulacea cana, several pretty
Salsolae, a Polanisia occurs, with Statice two or three, a straggling
Astragalus, Ferula, Peganum re-appears! Cerasus canus, Carduacea Frutex
of Mailmandah, fructibus combretiformibus, Muscoides which is a Sedum,
Polygon. fruticosum common, the usual plants of cultivation, etc. etc.

_3rd_.--We proceeded from Topehee to Bamean, a distance of twelve miles,
for two and a half miles down Topehee ravine. The road is a decent
descent, although steepish: from thence turning abruptly at the Bamean
valley, we cross the river, which is of considerable size, but fordable,
although rapid. The road then extends along the left bank, not in the
valley which is occupied by cultivation, but winding over and round the
bases of low hills and cliffs, forming a northern boundary; throughout
this part the road is villainous, often impeded by huge blocks. After a
distance of about ten miles it improves, the valley expanding into a
cultivated plain.

Topehee valley narrows towards its mouth or exit, which is walled in by
high, red, raviny cliffs; above, in its upper parts it is well cultivated
with beans, barley, wheat, and oats, and contains two villages: it opens
into the Bamean valley at a village also called Topehee, there the Bamean
valley is well cultivated, with oats intermixed with barley or wheat,
trefoil, etc., it then narrows, forming the bed of a ravine occupied by
Hippophae, Tamarisk, etc., then it widens again.

The structure of the hills is curious, and generally exhibiting the
appearance of having been much acted on by water. They are often cliffy,
composed either of limestone or a soil of red clay, with which salt
occurs in abundance, conspicuous from the white appearance, or springs.
Crystals of carbonate of lime are frequent, limestone, or coarse
conglomerate with large rounded stones, occurs; together with a curious
laminated clayey rock, with white and ochraceous layers intermixed. The
tints most various, as well as the sculpture of the mountains: here
ravines representing tracery occur: there, columnar curiously carved
cliffs, exhibiting all sorts of fantastic forms: here, as it were, a hill
thrown down with numberless blocks into the stream, scattered in every
direction; and here, but this is rare, very red horizontal strata,
colours various, generally rosy, especially the clayey cliffs: here and
th