178 REPORT—1874. 
and at one time threatened to shake the power of the Turks. Nikitin described 
the unsettled state of the country, owing to the ambitious designs of Uzum Hassan 
and the revolts and rivalry of his sons and vassals; and his remarks are the more 
valuable as they entirely confirm the records of the chroniclers. Sailing from 
Ormuz the week after Easter 1469, Nikitin approached, for the first time, the 
shores of India at the Peninsula of Gujerat ; he touched at Din and Cambay, con- 
tinuing his voyage to Chewul, where he landed and crossed the Ghaut Mountains, 
entering the Deccan and visiting the towns of Junir and Kulburga on his way to 
Beder, where he stayed for some time. Seder has now lost all its importance, 
but in those times it was the capital of a powerful Mahometan state and a great 
emporium for trade. 
Our traveller visited the fair at Aliand (Allund), instituted in memory of Shah 
Alla ad Deen Hildji (1297-1347), who made himself notorious by his terrible 
march through the peninsula with 300,000 cavalry and 2700 elephants, devasta- 
ting the country. Nikitin also accompanied the Indians to their sacred city of 
Parvat,—not Ellord, as Karansin and others believed, but most probably Parvattum 
or Perevattum pagoda on the right bank of the Kistna (16° 12'), south of Hydera- 
bad, described by Hamilton as the site of one of the Buddhist shrines, marked to 
this day by some beautiful remains. In Nikitin’s time this shrine was visited by 
pilgrims from all parts of India. It contained, among other objects of Hindoo 
worship, twelve temples covered with sculptures, illustrating the miracles of 
Buddha; a statue of that god, resembling that of the Emperor Justinian at Tsar- 
grad or Byzantium; a black ox of stone covered with gilding, &e. Among the 
other places of interest described were Bidjnaghur, the capital of the great Indian 
kingdom; Rachiur, famed for its diamond mines; and Kulur (Culoor), a great 
industrial centre. 
After the personal narrative of his journey, Nikitin records his observations on 
the country and its products; the people, their morals, customs, and religion ; the 
government, the army, &c.: and some of these remarks are the more valuable as 
they are not to be found in the writings of any of his contemporaries. 
It may be observed that in his time there were two principal kingdoms in India, 
the capitals of which were the Indian Chiumidar-Bidjnaghur and the Mahometan 
Khorassan-Beder. Of the former he communicates little, except that its Prince 
Kadam was very powerful and had a large army; but of the latter he notes that 
the ruling classes were all Mahometans of Khorassan—a proud race of conquerors, 
riding in armour, their Indian subjects poor, ill-fed, nearly naked, swift runners, 
with shield in one hand, bow and arrows in the other. The Sultan’s army num- 
bered 300,000 men, besides elephants and the contingents of his great lords or 
feudatories. The description seems almost fabulous of the splendour of the Sultan’s 
Court, of the grand ceremonial processions on the Mahometan festivals, and of the 
wars and military exploits of the great Lord Meliktuchar attached to the suite of 
the young Sultan. f 
After three years’ stay in India, Nikitin departed from Dapul, then a prosperous 
sea-port, on a “tava” or merchant vessel bound for the Persian Gulf. After being 
wrecked and falling into the hands of robbers, he reached Muscat, whence a few 
days’ sail landed him at Ormuz. He then travelled through Persia to Trebizonde; 
and, after crossing the “ Stamboul daria” (or Black Sea) to Balaclava, he could offer 
up his thanks with a grateful heart, exclaiming, “ Thank God, I have crossed three 
seas.” : 
By what route Nikitin returned to Holy Russia is uncertain; but, as he died at 
Smolensk before reaching his native Tver, it may be inferred that his road lay 
through the territory of the Khan of the Crimea and the Prince of Lithuania. 
The record of his travels entitles him, in Mr, Morgan’s opinion, not only to 
claim rank as a distinguished Russian of the 15th century, but as not unworthy to 
be named after Di Conti and Vasco de Gama. 
On the Survey of Palestine. By Lieut. R. Conprr, R.L. 
This survey is confined to Western Palestine, containing about 6600 square 
miles, which is bounded by the Jordan and the sea, and extends from Dan to Beer- 
