SOOJAN RAE says, that Jalalabad and Dakkah are situated on the Nilab.*

There can be little doubt after the testimony of Abdul Humeed, but that the name NILAB was one of the proper names of the Indus; and even that by which it was best known. And that it was named so in a remote part of its course (that is in Little Thibet, from whence it flows), we have a proof from Abdul Humeed's History of Shah Jehan; in which the expedition of Zuffer Khan, into Little Thibet, in 1638, is recorded. In this account, the Nilab is repeatedly mentioned; and once, as a deep river.

The scene of Zuffer Khan's warfare being near Shekerdou, and Shuker, places situated from 12 to 14 caravan journies from Cashmere,† towards Cashgar (that is, in a N by W, or N N W direction), the furthest of these points on the Nilab, or Indus, must be at least 230 G. miles above Attock. It was a new fact to me, when Capt. Kirkpatrick's MSS. arrived, that the Indus came through the country of Little Thibet; but it appears to be perfectly well authenticated: and is, indeed, no more than a commencement of the same line of course, which it holds lower down. How remote its course may be from Shuker, must remain a desideratum. If far remote, it must be from the north, because the vast ridge of mountains which lies immediately on the east of Little Thibet, and the continuation of those of Hindo Kho on the north-west, confine the space in both those quarters: and as the heads of the Jihon, or Oxus, run from thence to the west, and the rivers

* Capt. Kirkpatrick, whose opinion ought to be of the greatest weight, from the closenefs of his investigations, and his usual caution in deciding, thinks that the names of Nilab and Attock, as far as they respected the adjunct river, were confined merely to the part near the conflux; for instance, between Attock and Paishawur; and that the name of Attock succeeded Nilab, on occasion of the founding of the city of Attock. If the city situated at the conflux, gave name to one of the confluent rivers, it might as well to the other; since it was on occasion of their leading to such a city.

This account is found in Bernier, Vol. II. Letter ix.—where Cashgar is said to be 44 caravan journies from Cashmere: and allowing for the extraordinary roughness of the country between Cashmere and Little Thibet, 11 G. miles may be taken for each day. Accordingly, Shuker will be 154 G. miles N by W, or thereabouts, from the capital of Cashmere.

of Koten, &c. to the cast, the Indus can only come from the north.

It may be expected that I should explain the cause of so great a change in my opinions, respecting the head of the Indus, since the publication of the first edition of this work. The truth is, that after a long course of inquiry and investigation, I collected the following facts: That Cashgar, Koten, &c. by their known position in respect of Samarcand, must bear to the west, rather than to the east of north, from Cashmere: also that the ridge of mountains on the west of Cashgar, Koten, and Karia, can be no other than that which separates those countries from Little Thibet and Badakshan; and that joins on the south to Cashmere. This being the case, that vast space described by M. D' Anville between Badakshan and Koten, does not in fact exist; and the head of the Indus can only be on the west of the great ridge; because on the east of it, the rivers all run in a direction opposite to that of the Indus.

It is also very clear, that this great ridge, which has a course not far from meridional, and joins on the south to Cashmere, is really the IMAUS of the ancient geographers, which separated the two Scythias: for bordering on the west of Ptolemy's Imaus, and as nearly as possible in the true latitude, are the BYLTAE; and on the opposite side the CHAURANEI: and these answer precisely to BALTISTAN (the proper name of Little Thibet, Lett. Edif. Vol. XV. p. 188), and KAURIA, or KARIA, of the present times. In like manner, the SACE and SAKITA; CHATE and KOTEN; CASIA and CASHGAR, will be found to correspond; and all conspire to place the ridge of Imaus nearly in the meridian of Cashmere. But Ptolemy's longitude is so enormously extended, that his Imaus, the famous boundary of the two Scythias, is carried beyond the head of the Ganges, when it ought to be at that of the Indus. Mr. Pinkerton, with great judgment and discrimination, has described this boundary as it ought to be, in his Difsertation on the Origin

and Progress of the Scythians, &c. although he has not shewn on what grounds he formed his opinion. It is obvious that the extent of Scythia intra Imaum, must undergo a great reduction in consequence of this correction.

From the point at which we have fixed the course of the Nilab, or Sinde, in Little Thibet, to the place where it is noticed in the Ayin Acbaree, as passing through the borders of Sewad (or Sowhad), we know nothing concerning the particulars of its course. About a degree lower down, and at 20 miles above Attock, Mr. Forster crossed it in 1783. It was then the 10th of July, and he remarks, that no rain had then fallen in that neighbourhood: but we know that the periodical rains must have commenced in the northern mountains near three months before, and of course must have swelled the river very considerably; for Mr. Forster judged the breadth of the stream to be three quarters of a mile. It was also very rapid, and turbulent, although not agitated by any wind. He observed also, that the water was extremely cold, and that a great deal of black sand was suspended in it.

The river of Cabul, after receiving those of Sewad, Bijore, &c. joins the Indus at Attock, and increases it very considerably; for though the Indus is sometimes fordable above Attock, we never hear of its having been forded below that point. From Attock downwards to Moultan, or to the conflux of the Panjab waters, this river has obtained the name of Attock; and below that point, Soor, or Shoor, until it divides itself into a number of branches near Tatta; where the principal branch takes the name of Mehran. The river, however, when spoken of generally, is called Sinde; although particular parts of it are known by different

names.

The course of the Indus below Moultan, has its particulars from M. D'Anville; but the general direction of its course is considerably more to the west than he describes it. This is occasioned by my placing its embouchure so much farther west than usual, in

respect of Bombay, while the position of Moultan remains nearly ast formerly was. I observe, that most of the old maps of India give the Indus much the same course as I have done.

As I have a good deal to say on the subject of the lower part of the Indus, and particularly of its delta; which would break the thread of my present subject; I shall reserve it for a distinct head, and proceed with the geography of the Panjab, and its rivers.

The next river to the east of the Sinde, or Attock, and the westmost of the five rivers, is, in modern language, called Behut, or Jhylum (and often Chelum); and its general course is nearly parallel to that of the Attock, but its bulk is lefs. This is the famous Hydaspes of Alexander, and said by the Ayin Acbaree to be anciently called Bedusta. According to Abdul Humeed, it is "larger "than the Tigris;" but I conclude he meant to speak of the lower part of its course. The Behut ifsues from the spring of Wair (or Wair Naig), in the S E part of Cashmere, and after a N W course through that valley, enters the mountains at Barehmoolah. During this short course, it receives abundance of rivulets and streams, forms some large lakes, and becomes navigable at a few miles below its remotest spring. After entering the mountains, it pursues the direction of the Panjab by a very crooked course, being pent up in a deep winding valley, whilst escaping from the wide base of the Cashmerian mountains; and rushing with such rapidity and violence, that even the stoutest elephant cannot preserve his footing in it. It emerges from the mountains, in the district of Puckholi, and is afterwards joined by two small but celebrated rivers, named Kishengonga, and Nainsook. After this it traverses the territory of the Ghickers, still holding its course through a hilly country, until it crosses the upper or great road leading from Lahore to Attock, where the hilly tract is confined to the western bank. Here stood, not long since, a city of the name of Jhylum; which communicated its name to the river, during the remaining part of its course: and hence it is as commonly named Jhylum

as Behut. From Jhylum it pursues its course along the eastern border of the Joud mountains, and unites with the Chunaub at about 50 G. miles above Moultan; losing its name in that of the Chunaub, as heretofore it lost its name of Hydaspes, in that of Acesines, the ancient name of the Chunaub. The space between the Behut and the Indus, in the widest part, is about 94 G. miles. Pliny allows only 120 Roman miles between the Indus and Hydaspes.

The Behut, or Cashmere river, was supposed by M. D'Anville (though erroneously) to join the Sinde at Attock. Tavernier seems to have led M. D'Anville into this mistake; which has finally been the occasion of his misplacing, and of course mis-naming, all the other four rivers. The fact is, that the river which runs by Cabul, and, in the lower part of its course, bears the name of Attock, joins the Sinde on the west side, and in front of the city of Attock. We are obliged to Mr. George Forster, in the first instance, for clearing up this mistake: and finally, to the very particular and pointed observations of Capt. Kirkpatrick, for illustrating the courses of the rivers in general, in this quarter.

The second of the Panjab rivers is the Chunaub, or Jenaub; and is, as we have said before, the Acesines of Alexander. The Ayin Acbaree does not record its ancient name: Ptolemy names it Sandabalis. This river is larger than the Behut, and has its sources more remote; for it rises on the east of Kishtewar, and has two distinct heads, which unite below the line of Mr. Forster's route. Its general course is remarkably straight from N E to SW; and after leaving Jummoo, is through a flat country, gradually approaching the Behut. We have very tolerable authority for fixing the place of confluence: for Timur was only one day in marching from it to Toulumba, a point already fixed (page 92); and, by circumstances, the direction of his march was south-eastward, or SSE. The junction of these rivers is effected with great violence and noise, and no lefs danger to navigators: and this