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over, will be gradually fretted away, as in the case of the Behut abovementioned. The Euphrates, in like manner, opens itself a passage through mount Taurus; and the Ganges through mount Imaus: and even though the base of the mountain be of the firmest texture, it will give way to the incessant friction, through a course of ages: for either of these passages may have been an operation of many thousand years. In the case of the Ganges, which passes through mount Imaus, it may be supposed that the lower strata were softer than the upper; for the upper still remain, to a great height. In that of the Behut, the lake appears to have existed long enough to deposit a vast depth of soil, before it dispersed. The Cashmerian history names the lake SUTTY-SIRR: and adds, that Kushup led a colony of Bramins to inhabit the valley, after the waters had subsided.

From Cashmere, Mr. Forster went by a very circuitous route, to Cabul; the barbarous state of the people who inhabit the shores of the Indus, above Attock, making this precaution necefsary. The countries in question are those of Puckholi, Sewad (or Sowhad), and Bijore; the scene of Alexander's warfare on the west of the Indus: all of which were subjected to regular authority, during the long and vigorous reign of Acbar. We are told by the Ayin Acbaree, that several of the streams that form the head of the Indus, yield gold dust: and this accounts for the circumstance of the Indian tribute being paid in gold to Darius Hystaspes; according to Herodotus (Book III.). The sum indeed seems too great, in proportion to what other provinces paid: but as the gold of the river Pactolus has been exhausted; so may that of the Kishengonga, in Puckholi, be diminished. Puckholi, I take to be the Pactya of Herodotus, Book IV. (as well as the Peucelaotis of Arrian), from whence Scylax set out to explore the course of the Indus, under the orders of the same Darius: for it lies towards the upper part of the navigable course of that river; being the frontier province of Hindoostan, east of the Indus. The Ayin Acbaree gives its

dimensions at 35 cofses, by 25; and says that it is bounded on the south by the districts of Attock. We know few particulars concerning it; except that the northern, and by far the greatest part of it, is mountainous. Its present capital of the same name, is at a considerable distance on the east of the Indus, and therefore cannot occupy the site of the Peucelaotis of Alexander; since that lay on the west bank of the Indus: but as Alexander advanced to this place, from the neighbouring district of Bazira, and the country of the Afsacani (i. e. Bijore, and Ashenagur, which was the name of Sewad, only a few centuries ago), I very much suspect that Peucelaotis was the ancient name of Puckholi, and that an alteration of boundary, which has frequently taken place in other provinces, may have confined its limits to the east side of the Indus, in the present times; although it might anciently have extended farther to the west.

The first part of Mr. Forster's route from Cashmere, was down the course of the Behut, 14 cofses; at which point he disembarked, and struck to the westward, towards Muzifferabad; the capital town of a chief, who sytles himself Sultan of a district of the same name, bordering on the south-west of Cashmere; the frontier of which was passed at 15 cofses from the landing-place, on the bank of the Behut.

We have before taken notice that Mr. Forster crossed the Indus at Bazaar, 20 miles above, or to the north-eastward of Attock. The greatest part of the way from Muzifferabad to Bazaar, was mountainous, and the country subject to petty princes of the Patan race. Mr. Forster entered the country of Timur Shah Abdalla, at Hyderbungee, a town about eight miles to the east of the Indus.

This route of Mr. Forster differed very considerably from the one of Jehanguire, above recorded: for the former left Puckholi, through which Jehanguire passed, to the south: but a place named Mangullee, occurs in both routes, between Puckholi and the

Indus; and might be the point of separation of the Hufsan-Abdal, and the Bazaar routes. The river of Muzifferabad, mentioned by Forster, must have been the Kishengonga; and the Nhah, the Nainsook; both of which join the Behut.

From Bazaar, Mr. Forster proceeded by the road of Paishawur and Cabul, to Candahar, in his way to Korasan, and the Caspian. His remarks were of singular use in the construction of the map of the heads of the Indus, &c. in my first edition; but the communications of Capt. Kirkpatrick, have furnished matter so abundantly superior to any that could be collected by a casual passenger, that all Mr. Forster's observations between Cashmere and Cabul, are necessarily superseded: but beyond this point they preserve all their former value.*

Of the Countries belonging to HINDOOSTAN; situated on the West of the INDUS.

The materials for describing the geography of the countries, on the west of the Indus, though but scanty, compared with those on the east; yet afford positions enough, to enable us to comprehend the form and extent of the tract, situated on the north of

The history of this gentleman's travels is very curious. He proceeded by land from Bengal to the Caspian sea, and from thence by the ordinary route on the river Wolga, &c. to Petersburgh; in the years 1783 and 1784. It was necefsary, from a regard to safety, to avoid the country of the Seiks; that is, Lahore: he accordingly crofsed the Ganges and Jumnah within the mountains, and proceeded to Cashmere by the road of Jummoo. He visited this celebrated country, I presume, through motives of curiosity, as it lay so far out of his way. From thence, crofsing the Indus about 20 miles above Attock, he proceeded to Cabul, the capital city of Timur Shah, King of Candahar; or more commonly known by the name of Abdalla. He meant to have proceeded from thence, through the country of Bucharia, or Transoxiana; but finding it too hazardous, he pursued the accustomed route of the caravans by Candahar. From this place, which some have supposed to be the Paropamisan Alexandria, his route was nearly in a straight line through Herat, to the south extremity of the Caspian; across the modern provinces of Seistan, Korasan, and Mazanderan; which were known to the ancients, under the names Paropamisus, Aria, Parthia, and Tapuri. It will be perceived that (as far as a comparison can be made) Mr. Forster traced back a considerable part of the route of Alexander, when in pursuit of Befsus. As he tra

Candahar; as well as a general idea of the courses of its principal rivers, and of certain ranges of mountains.

The principal points on which the geography of the above tract chiefly depends, have been already discussed (in page 87, et seq.): namely, those of Paishawur, Cabul, Ghizni, and Candahar. But those points on which the position and direction of the great ridge of Hindoo-Kho, the boundary of the province of Cabul, on the NW, depend; belong rather to the Persian, than to the Indian geography: therefore I shall reserve the discussion of them, for their proper place; hoping, in due time, to submit to the judgment of the public, the result of my labours, in the attempt to improve the geography of Persia. I shall only mention, in this place, that the principal points of Bamian, Anderab, Ghourbund, and Badakshan; as well as many subordinate ones; are fixed, very satisfactorily to my mind, by means of materials in my possession; and from which the additional map, on a smaller scale is drawn. And by these it appears, that the part of Hindoo

velled in the disguise of an Asiatic, and in the company of Asiatics, through a vast extent of Mohammedan country, where the religious prejudices of the natives, are nearly equalled by their political jealousy of all sorts of foreigners; we may pronounce the man who could perform such a task without suspicion, to pofsefs great presence of mind, and no lefs discretion; added to an uncommon share of observation of manners, and facility of attaining languages. Detection had been worse than death: and he was subject to continual suspicion from his fellow travellers, who were not in the secret. I hope he means to publish his observations on the manners, government, and present state of that part of Persia, of which we know the least: as well as of Cashmere, a subject yet more interesting to the philosopher and naturalist. It may serve to shew the extensive commercial intercourse, and credit in Hindoostan, and the adjoining country (once dependent on it), notwithstanding the variety of governments it contains, and the unsettled state of the greatest part of them; that the bills of exchange which Mr. Forster obtained at Calcutta, were negotiable at Cabul, 17 or 18 hundred miles distant; and the capital of a kingdom totally unconnected with, and possibly hostile in political sentiments, to that in which the bills originated. From the time he left the last British station in Oude, to the Caspian, in which he employed near a twelvemonth, and travelled 2700 English miles; he was compelled to forego most of the ordinary comforts, and accommodations, which are enjoyed by the lowest clafs of people, in European countries; sleeping in the open air, even in rainy and snowy weather; and contenting himself with the ordinary food and cookery of the country he pafsed through. Indeed it was barely pofsible to carry with him the means of procuring comforts, without hazarding his safety, as he was so long on the road.

The above note was written in 1788, and in 1790, the first volume of Mr. Forster's travels, including his journey from Bengal, to the borders of Cashmere, was published in Bengal; and the second was expected soon to follow. But I am sorry to add, that very late, accounts from India, announce the death of this enterprizing traveller; which happened at the court of the Nizam, where he resided in a public capacity.

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Kho,* which separates Cabul from Balk, and Badakshan, takes a NE direction, between Bamian and Anderab: after which, its particular direction is unknown to us (although its general direction, is unquestionably between the east, and north-east), until it appears again at the sources of the Jihon (or Oxus), at about 100 miles to the E of the city of Badakshan: and from thence, passing on to the north, it gives rise also to the Sihon (or Jaxartes). On the other hand, the ridge which separates Cashmere from Great Thibet; and Cashgar from Little Thibet (the true IMAUS, OF HIMMALEH); appears to incline, in its northern course, towards the continuation of HINDOO-KHO, just described; and even to join it. Here then, we are to imagine an extensive tract, of a triangular form, whose base, of 200 miles, or more, is a line drawn from Cashmere, to the eastern confines of Anderab; and whose sides are the continuation of Himmaleh on the east, and that of Hindoo-Kho on the west. This space contains, amongst other countries, those of Little Thibet (or Balti-stan), and Sakita; the Byltae, and Sace, of Ptolemy; as also Kuttore, which answers to the Comedi of the same geographer: it also contains, as we have said in page 97, the sources of the Indus. From the descriptions of Little Thibet and Kuttore,† we may conclude that this whole space is mountainous; and that its general level is far elevated above the countries on either side of it. We have no particular information respecting the position of the range of mountains, which forms the base, or southern side of the triangle: but circumstances leads us to conclude, that the highest of these mountains, are far removed from the northern frontier of the provinces, subject to, or commonly regarded as a part of, Hindoostan: and that the mountains which properly constitute the boundary of Hindoostan, towards Kuttore (or Caferistan), commence in the

The term HIN DOO-KHO, or HIN DOO-KUSH, is not applied to this ridge, throughout its whole extent; but seems confined to that part of it, which forms the N W boundary of Cabul: and this is the INDIAN CAUCASUS of Alexander.

+Kirkpatrick's MSS. and Lett. Edif. Vol. XV.

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