520 ON MOUNT CAUCASUS. 



sided at Sasni, (now Ghazni), which word In San- 

 scrit signifies command^ and by implication, the seat 

 of empire. They generally pronounce this word 

 Ghazni ; because, it is said to be derived from 

 Ghczz-ni. Ni is foundation^ and Ghezz is the Ta- 

 marix, which abounds in that country. For they 

 say, that, when the Musidmans invaded that coun- 

 try, being surrounded by an immense host of Ca- 

 ,firsy or unbelievers, they made a tumultuary rampart 

 of loose earth, and tamarix ; from which circum- 

 stance the place was called ever after Ghezz-ni, 



By a strange mistake, the country oi Arachosia, 

 and the river which flows through it, have been 

 placed by the learned Danville, to the south of 

 Candahar ; had this famous geographer recognised 

 Gazni, in the Sliakeni-Couze of Tavernier, this 

 jnistake, I believe, would not have happened. I 

 have had the satisfaction to converse often with na- 

 tives oi Candahar, oi Kdld-dt-Ndsir-Khan, and Coj- 

 hiir, and other intermediate places ; and have ob- 

 tained sufficient local knowledge of that country, to 

 rectify this error. Kdla-dt-Ndsir-Khan is the Kd- 

 idt-Berlook of the Ai/een-Acberi/ : it is also the Jl- 

 Casr of the Nubian geographer, a word of the same 

 import with Kdld-dt a plural form. It was surnamed 

 Ndsir-khdiiy from its last governor, who died some 

 years ago. In its vicinity is the town of Sorra men- 

 tioned by the Nubian geographer : it is better known 

 by the name o{ Soin^a-Bac or Sorra-Beyck. Beyck 

 is a name common to several places in that country : 

 they are situated among mountains denominated 

 from them, by Ptolemy. Becii or Baicii monies , 

 as we read jn Mercator's maps ; or Baitiim the 

 original : for in ancient manuscript, t and c are of- 

 ten mistaken the one for the other. In the Purd- 

 vas they are called Su-Bha£sha. The real name of 

 Oazjii was eriginally Sabul, Zabul, or Sauly as it is 



written 



