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both sides of this Nullah and, as the distant view from a high ridge subsequently showed, in the
other side valleys also. From the steep ridge just referred to we skirted the head of the Dalgīn
Nullah north-westwards by an almost level track leading through beautiful forest, where the luxuri-
ance of the vegation with its carpet of alpine flowers vividly recalled the glories of familiar Kashmīr
' Margs '. We camped that evening on a stretch of lovely mountain meadows edged by grand
firs and pines at an elevation of just under 10,900 feet (Fig. 12). The distant view which lay
open to the east and south-east allowed us not only to locate high triangulated points above
Chilās but, when all the clouds had lifted towards sunset, to sight, in its full majesty, the wonderful
ice-clad pyramid of Nangaparbat itself. It was a scene of overpowering grandeur, and made me
forget all the trying marches near the Indus and the constant plague of mosquitoes which had
followed us even to this height.

Climatic
advantages
of Darēl
and Tangīr. The fact that I found at our Dalgīn camp the identical flora with which I had become familiar
during successive summers at Mohand Marg, my favourite alp above the Sind valley of Kashmīr,
at exactly the same elevation, suggested to me at the time an important geographical conclusion.
As it soon received abundant confirmation from what I saw at Darēl and Tangīr, it may as well
be briefly recorded here ; for I have had no opportunity, then or since, of collecting more exact
data. It had already been made clear by what I have noted as to the present aspect of the Domōt
Nullah, that the abandonment of the once extensive cultivation in the Khanbarī valley and its
branches could not be ascribed to want of adequate water for irrigation, i. e. increased aridity
of climatic conditions or ' desiccation ', to use a brief expression. But it is the magnificent forest
growth to be found everywhere from Khanbarī to Tangīr at elevations between 7,000 and 11,000
feet that demonstrates most plainly that in the matter of rain and snowfall these valleys enjoy
climatic conditions wholly different from those prevailing higher up the Indus or elsewhere between
the great Indus bend and the Hindukush.

Abundance
of forest
growth. The contrast between the latter regions, practically devoid of all forest, and the abundantly
wooded upper valleys of Darēl and Tangīr is quite as striking as it is for the traveller who passes
into Kashmīr from the barren rocky valleys of Ladākh, Baltistān, or Gilgit. It was of Kashmīr,
and more particularly of its alpine plateaux and side valleys, that I was constantly reminded by
all the main physical aspects of Darēl and Tangīr. As far as I could judge without expert physio-
graphic knowledge, the conditions of vegetation and climate in these valleys beyond the Indus
corresponded closely to those to be met with at similar elevations within the territory of Kashmīr
proper.

Adequate
moisture
accounted
for. Looking at the map I am strongly inclined to connect the abundant moisture that the valleys
of Darēl and Tangīr undoubtedly receive—whether mainly in the form of heavy winter snowfall
or of summer rains also I am not in a position to assert—with the peculiar configuration of the
Indus valley to the south and the orography of the high ranges adjoining it. The map shows
that the Darēl and Tangīr valleys fall just within the mountain area to which the valley of the
Indus, stretching north and south from its great bend below the mouth of the Tangīr river to the
plains of Yusufzai and Attock, admits the winter rains of the North-West Frontier and those of
the monsoon. Farther north and east the moisture-carrying clouds are stopped by the intervening
mountain chains. We know that, probably for exactly corresponding reasons, the high valleys
at the head-waters of the Swāt river, flowing from north to south, are similarly well wooded, whereas
Chitrāl and Mastūj, lying beyond high ranges to the north-west and north, though at no great
distance, are almost as bare of tree growth as the valleys farther up the Indus.

Watershed
towards
Darēl. Our march of August 15th, which took us over high ground into Darēl proper, was long
and trying, but offered exceptional advantages for surveying operations. First the ascent led