road, leads into Cashmere through the valley, or pass, by which the Behut issues; which being much lower, is, of course, exempted from snow. (See p. 99.)

Hufsan-Abdal lies in the direct road from Rotas to Attock, 12 royal cofses, or about 244 G. miles, to the eastward of the latter: and this point of Hufsan-Abdal being thus fixed, it becomes unnecessary to take notice of any other part of the route, save that between it and Sirinagur. The distance between these places was 75 Acbaree cofses, by a measured route of Jehanguire;* but it being very circuitous, the different portions of it require a separate discussion; and cannot, after all, be applied with success, without a reference to Mr. Forster's idea of the bearings between Sirinagur, and Bazaar, his station on the Indus: and as the outlet of the Behut river regulates the direction of the first part of this line, which makes a considerable angle with the rest, it becomes necessary, in the first instance, to examine and fix the position of the valley of Cashmere itself; with a view to ascertain the place of this outlet, rendered famous under the name of the Pass of Barehmooleh.

1st. Mr. Forster says (Vol. I. p. 225), that the valley extends from SE to NW (perhaps, more correctly, SE by E, and NW by W): he entered it by the SE, and traced the general course of the river Behut, north-westward, to Sirinagur; which is situated towards the middle of the valley of Cashmere.

2d. The Ayin Acbaree describes the general situation of several of the districts of Cashmere, all which prove that the course of the Behut is from SE to NW: for its source is said to be in Wair or Weer Purgunnah, situated in the SE quarter from Sirinagur.† Eencha, or Uneej, Purgunnah, called also Islamabad, lies on the SE; and the town of Islamabad itself, to which Forster came, is

The cofs of Acbar was used also by his son Jehanguire; and that of Shah Jehan succeeded it. Ayin Acbaree, Vol. II. article Cashmere. ↑ Kirkp. MSS.

5 or 6 miles below the spring of Wair. Punjberary, and Pampour, two towns between Islamabad and Sirinagur, are in Uneej and Veh Purgunnahs; both of which lie on the east of Sirinagur. Soliman's Mount, near the river, is also in the same quarter.* So that the general course of the Behut above Sirinagur, is clearly from the south-eastward; and it makes a deep bend to the north, by Punjberary and Pampour. The distance by water from Sirinagur to the head of the Behut, is 22 measured royal cofses; by land 14; or about 284 G. miles. †

gd. Capt. Kirkpatrick quotes Abdul Humeed, to prove that the Behut proceeds from the south to Sirinagur, and pursues a N course from that city. It should rather be N W; because the Ayin Acbaree, Vol. II. p. 109, of the Tukseem Jumma, states that Geyehamoon Purgunnah lies to the NW of Sirinagur (and it appears from other circumstances, at the extremity of the valley); and in page 166, that Ouller (or Tal) lake, lies near it, and receives the river Behut (Abdul Humeed and Bernier, both relate the same, concerning the river and lake); and also that this lake is near Little Thibet, which in the account of the boundaries, in page 152, is said to lie on the NW of Cashmere; as Great Thibet does on the N E. The lake is said to be of great extent; no less than 53 B. miles in circuit; or perhaps 16 or 17 acrofs; which account allows it to reach to the frontiers of Little Thibet, without violence to the statement of the distance between Sirinagur and Barehmooleh (the outlet of the Behut) which is no more than 111⁄2 royal cofses by land; 14 by water. These circumstances considered, we can have no doubt that the course of the Behut is to the NW, from Sirinagur to the lake: but the length of its course, in this direction, we are not told; any more than the length and direction of its course, from the lake, to its entry between the mountains at

• Ayin Acbaree, Vol. II. article Cashmere.

↑ Kirkp. MSS.

Supposed by Capt. Kirkpatrick to be the same with the district of the RAJAH GAMON, mentioned by Bernier.

T

Barehmooleh. It may, however, be inferred, that the greatest part of the 14 cofses by water, is to the lake (considering that the valley of Cashmere extends 40 B. miles to the N W from Sirinagur); and that the course of the Behut, after its efflux from the lake, is short, and towards the SW quarter: by which, Barehmooleh, will take a W by N, or W N W position, in respect of Sirinagur.

The route to Cashmere by Punoach (the gd of the measured routes), throws some light on the position of Barehmooleh, in respect of Sirinagur. The Punoach road branches from that of Bember, at Thunah, 234 Acbaree cosses short of Sirinagur; and crosses the mountains far to the west of Peer-Punchal.* The distance from Thunah to Barehmooleh, is 28 royal cofses, or 564 G. miles, by the ordinary calculation: but as an allowance must be made for the ground lost by the steepness of the mountains, as in the Bember road (page 134), 53 G. miles may be taken for the direct distance; and Barehmooleh will bear W by N 4 N from Sirinagur. The distance may be taken at 234 G. miles.

Having placed Barehmooleh, the nearest point in Jehanguire's route from Sirinagur to Hufsan Abdal, I proceed to examine the remainder of that route; the bearing of which will best be understood by a reference to Mr. Forster's remarks. He supposed Muziffer to bear W by S, 71 cofses from Sirinagur; and his station on the Indus 64 cofses from Muziffer, S W, and S by W. These, compounded, give a course of W 35° S, 120 cofses: and according to my construction, it is W 28° S, 136 G. miles. The bearings do not materially differ, the nature of the materials being considered: the distances certainly appear very different; for if Mr. Forster's was taken absolutely, it would place Sirinagur more to the east than even my construction warrants, by 30 or 40 miles; which is more improbable, than that he should either have estimated his cofs too low, or have taken so circuitous a route, as

• The distance from Lahore to Cashmere, by the road of Punoach, is 93 royal cofses.— Kirkp. MSS.

to sink the quantity of his horizontal distance very considerably. The fact is, that the standard of his cofs is very short all the way from Oude: and moreover, he remarks that his party avoided Puckholi, and other places that are implied to lie in the direct road, through motives of prudence. I shall therefore content myself with reflecting, that his line of bearing differs only 7 degrees from my supposition; and regard the position of Sirinagur, as generally true in respect of Attock and Hufsan-Abdal.

Jehanguire's measured distance between Barehmooleh and Hussan-Abdal, is 63 Acbaree cofses, which on ordinary roads might produce 1224 G. miles: but as 25 cofses of the road between Barehmooleh and Mooker, is along the rugged and winding pafs, through which the Behut forces itself, in its escape from the valley of Cashmere, a considerable reduction must take place. There are also some high ridges to be crossed between the Kishengonga and Puckholi: and all these together may reduce the 1224 on ordinary ground, to 116 in this place: for this is the space that the construction leaves, between Barehmooleh and Hufsan-Abdal. And this being allowed, Sirinagur, or Cashmere, ought to take the position afsigned it, at 6 minutes of longitude west of Lahore.

A fourth road to Cashmere (but not measured) is that of Mr. Forster from Jummoo, through Kishtewar. I am inclined, from the similarity of names, to suppose this to be the road mentioned in Capt. Kirkpatrick's MSS. under the name of Jowmuk, or Chowmuck: and which Abdul Humeed states in the grofs (for no particulars are given) at 102 cosses (I conclude, of the royal * standard) from Lahore.

I do not mean to rest any part of my argument, for the position of Cashmere, on the result of this route; on the contrary, I have formed the line of Mr. Forster's route frrom Jummoo, with a reference to the position of Cashmere, inferred from the former data.

• This was the standard, uniformly made use of by Abdul Humeed.

Mr. Forster estimated the general bearing from Jummoo to Cashmere, at N by W; which agrees with the former data: but the detail of the route leads first N E by E, or more eastwardly, to the crofsing-place of the Chunaub river; and thence north, and N W. The occasion of this great bend in the road, is to gain a convenient crossing-place over the rapid Chunaub; and the transit is effected by means of a large basket, drawn along a tight rope, extended from one high rocky bank to the other. The breadth is 70 or 80 yards.

In Capt. Kirkpatrick's MSS. we find the detail of an expedition from Cashmere into Kishtewar, during the reign of the Emperor Jehanguire (A. D. 1619). The capital of Kishtewar is described to lie near the east bank of the Chunaub river, at 60 cofses from Sirinagur.* These cofses were of the common standard, I apprehend; and the route of the army was over Peer-Punchal: therefore very circuitous. The length of this march, however, confirms Mr. Forster's statement of the bearing of the road, to the crossing-place of the Chunaub; and shews that the general course of that river, is pretty uniform throughout.

Mr. Forster reckoned 96 cofses between Jummoo and Sirinagur; of which, 46 were between Jummoo and the passage of the Chunaub; and the remaining 50 between the Chunaub and Sirinagur ; and of this number, 18 were by water, down the stream of the Behut, from Islamabad, or Eencha (see page 136).

The valley of Cashmere appears to be of an oval form, and to have its largest extent from S E to NW; or perhaps more strictly from SE by E and N W by W. Mr. Forster reckons its dimensions 80 British miles, by 40. From the measured distances already exhibited, between Wair, the head of the Behut, and Barehmooleh, where the Behut leaves the valley; we collect that the distance between those places, through Sirinagur, is 251 royal

The name of this capital appears to have been Mundul, or Mundul-Muder; and its situation 3 cofses east of the river Chunaub (Kirkp. MSS.). By circumstances, it ought to be near the place where Mr. Forster's route crosses it.