Manchurian Books

24th February. From Simarola the country was truly picturesque. A
narrow ledge of rock, in some places scarcely broad enough for the
road, led down a considerable declivity {213} into small valleys, on
the sides of which beautiful mountains towered up. The latter were
thinly wooded; among the trees I was particularly struck by two
species, the one with yellow, the other with red flowers; both of
them, very singularly, were quite destitute of leaves.
On this side of Kottah the camel trains were less frequent, in
consequence of the very stony state of the road; instead of these,
we met trains of oxen. We passed some today of incredible extent.
I do not exaggerate when I affirm that I have seen trains of several
thousand head of cattle, on whose backs, corn, wool, salt, etc.,
were conveyed. I cannot imagine where the food for so many animals
is obtained; there are nowhere any meadows, for, with the exception
of the plantations, the ground is scorched up, or at most covered
with thin, parched, jungle grass, which I never saw any animal eat.


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