On mount CAUCASUS. 487 



Ofcohap. is obvioufly derived from Jeshu-Beg, the lord 

 Jeshu, another name for the famous Rasa'la orBRON- 

 Gus, who dwelt at Bdmiyany whofe colofTal ftatue is to be. 

 ^QQ.x\ there to this day, and of whom I fhall fpeak more 

 fully hereafter. The true name of that place com- 

 monly called, Tbaiig and Jybuck by Major Ren n ell, 

 between Cabul and Bdlkh, is Ai Be'g Dominus LuniiSy 

 our Lord the Moon. There are in its vicinity, in the 

 mountains, feveral curious remains of antiquity. Je- 

 rome fays alfo that the Phi/on was called Ganges in his 

 time. They were both perfeftly right, though it is al- 

 moft certain, that they underftood by it the great Ganges. 

 Hesychius fay«, that the Phi/on was thus called, becaufe 

 it flowed from d.jijfure, gap, or mouth. If fo, this appella- 

 tion is fynonymous with Cophes, the ancient name of the 

 Landi-Sindhy as w-ill appear hereafter. 



The fecond river was the Gihon, which compaffed the 

 land of Cu/h: this is the Hir-Mend ; and the country is 

 the original land of Cujha of the Purdnas, which begins 

 near Candahar^ and includes part of Iran or Perfia. In 

 a former elfay on Egypt, I had rarried too far the eaft- 

 ern limits of that country. 



The third river is the Hiddekel^ which runs toward, or 

 through the eaftcrn parts of the land of AJfur. This 

 appears to be the river of Bdhlac, which runs through 

 the eaftern parts, and feems to have been once the eaft- 

 ern boundary of the land of Haffarah or Hdzdrah. 

 This country extends from Herdt 10 Bdhlac and Bdmt'- 

 yan : from the unfettled difpofition of its inhabitants, its 

 boundaries cannot well be defined. They confider 

 themfelves as the aborigines of that country j and like 

 the Arabsy were never thoroughly fubdued. They are 

 very numerous, brave, but incapable of difcipline. They 

 are Mufulmans ; but retain ftill many her.thenilh, and fu- 

 perftilious cuftoms, at lead in the opinion of their neigh- 

 bours. The principal tribes are the Daicdndii Taimd- 

 rii, <&c. the firft live between Herdt and Vaw^r : and 



the 



