6 WESTERN H I N D O O S T A N. 



of the magnificent ruins, which Ihewed its former fitmtion, 

 -The country was uncommonly rich, but the whole road from 

 Candahar to this city, was a fcene of defolation, marked by 

 the march of Kouli Khan on his return from India. From 

 Herat the ancients dire£led their courfe to the fouthern part 

 of the Cafpian fea. This journey muft have been performed 

 by caravans of camels or horfes, as the road was deftitute of 

 navigable rivers. The route touched on the fhore where 

 AJlrabad now ftands, which, perhaps, was the port. 



The fecond way, and which was much frequented, was 

 towards the north-weft. The merchants went by Champan 

 Drapjica, the modern Damiany Ba£ira, now called Zariafpa, 

 Nautica the m^odern Nekcbad, and from that town by a fliort 



?AMARCAKD. ftagc to Maroxunda or Samarcand, feated in a moft beautiful 

 valley. All thefe cities rofe, aiid were fupported by the paffage 

 of the caravans. As to Samarcand^ it had long been a vaft city, 

 known by the name of Maracunda, It was garrifoned by Alex- 

 ander the great, after the capture (at Nautica) of Bejjiis the 

 murderer of Darius. The Scythians laid liege to it, but it was 

 relieved by the Macedonian hero. It is faid to have been, even 

 then, a city of vaft opulence, ftrength, and fplendor. 



From Samarcand the articles of commerce were conveyed 



The Ox'js. to the Oxus, the modern Amu^ v\-hich runs at no great diftancc 



to the fouth. That famous river rifes far to the fouth-eaft, in 

 the Caucafan chain. It becomes navigable for barks at I'ermedy 

 in Lat. 37° 30' N. long before it comes near Samarcand; it is 

 lingular, that fo diftant a route fliould be purfued before the 

 commodities were embarked. In the days of El Edriji, or the 

 Nubian Geographer (p. 138) we find that it was frequented on 

 4 that 



