The north-eastern edge of this desart may be loosely said to lie between the 64th and 65th lines of east longitude, till it reach 30° north, from which latitude it becomes difficult to fix. It, however, encloses the small country of Seestaun, and bounds the Afghaun country up to near Heraut, where a habitable tract commences, and stretches like an isthmus between this desart, and that which extends to the Jaxartés. This tract is in some parts hilly, and in others so sandy and arid, that it can scarcely be said to separate the desarts.

The edge of the desart will appear hereafter to be ill defined. In some places it runs into the habitable country; and, on the other hand, the banks of the Helmund, which flows through part of the desart into the lake of Seeweestaun, are every where fertilized by that river.

I am now enabled to describe the complicated limits of the country of the Afghauns. On the north, it has Hindoo Coosh and the Paropamisan range. The Indus is its boundary on the east, as long as that river continues near the hills; that is, as far as lat. 32° 20'. The plain on the right bank of the Indus, south of lat. 32° 20', is inhabited by Beloches; but the chain of Solimaun, with its subordinate ranges, and the country immediately at their base, belongs to the Afghauns. The hills, which have been mentioned as bounding Seeweestaun

on the north, form the southern limits of the country of the Afghauns. The Afghaun country immediately to the north of these mountains, does not at first extend so far west as to reach the table land of Kelaut; but it afterwards shoots past it on the north, and reaches to the desart, which is its north-western boundary. It is difficult to render this irregular boundary intelligible; but, it is still more so to give, in a general description, a notion of the countries which it comprehends. They are so various in their level, climate, soil, and productions, that I shall not attempt at present to distinguish them; but shall only remark, that the whole of Afghaunistaun, west of the range of Solimaun, is a table land, lying higher than most of the neighbouring countries. Hindoo Coosh, which is its northern bulwark, looks down on the low lands of Bulkh. On the east, it is equally elevated above the still lower plain of the Indus. On the south, it overlooks Seeweestaun; and the deep valley of Bolaun, on the south-west, runs between it and Belochistaun. On the west, indeed, it slopes gradually down to the desart; and, on the north-west, it loses its appearance of elevation before the Paropamisan mountains. The table land of Kelaut ought perhaps to be considered as a continuation of that I have just described; but the low country, extending to the desart, and the valley of Bolaun, so nearly

divide them, that it will be convenient to treat them as separate. The Afghauns have no general name for their country; but that of Afghaunistaun, which was probably first employed in Persia, is frequently used in books, and is not unknown to the inhabitants of the country to which it applies. I shall, therefore, use it in future to express the country, of which I have just described the limits. As much of the Afghaun country as lies to the west of the parallel of Mookloor, in longitude 68° 30′, is included in the celebrated and extensive province of Khorassaun. The remaining part of Khorassaun (the boundaries of which may be loosely fixed by the Oxus, and the desart, through which that river runs; the Salt Desart; and the Caspian Sea) belongs to Persia. Kermaun is said to have been once included in Khorassaun, as Seeweestaun frequently is still.

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I

CHAP. II.

MOUNTAINS OF AFGHAUNISTAun.

HAVE already described the general course of the great ridge of Hindoo Coosh, and have traced the lower ranges on its southern side as far east as the Indus. I shall now proceed to a particular description of the part which bounds Afghaunistaun on the north.

From the Indus to longitude 71o, it pursues a westerly course; but from that point its direction becomes uncertain. To a person viewing it from the south, the snowy ridge appears

to make a considerable curve towards him but our information leaves it doubtful, whether it does make such a curve, whether the principal range continues its westerly course, and sends out a branch towards the south, or whether it is crossed by Beloot Taugh, which joins it at the point opposite to the place where the mountain appears to bend.

From the Indus to this curve is the part of these mountains with which I am best acquainted, having seen it for some months from Peshawer; and a particular account of it may serve to

On entering the plain of Peshawer, on the 24th of February, 1809, four ranges of mountains were distinctly seen on the north. The lowest range had no snow. The tops of the second were covered with it, as was the third, half-way down.

The fourth was the principal range of the Indian Caucasus, which is always covered with snow, is conspicuous from Bactria, and the borders of India, and is seen from places far off in Tartary. We first saw these mountains at the distance of one hundred miles; but they would have been visible long before, if the view had not been shut out by the hills through which we travelled. * In appearance, however, they were very near. The ridges and hollows of their sides were clearly discernible; and this distinctness, joined to the softness and transparency which their distance gave them, produced a singular and very pleasing effect.

The snowy range is by no means of equal elevation, being in some places surmounted by peaks of great height and magnitude, which do not taper to a point, but rise at once from their bases, with amazing boldness and grandeur.

The stupendous height of these mountains; the magnificence and variety of their lofty sum

* I have seen the ridge of Imaus (or Hemalleh), at a distance of 150 miles; and, I believe, they were to be seen at 250.