212 NATURAL HISTORY OF 



the back-bone of the world, not yet distinctly marked in maps; 

 a more real umbilicus of the earth than any other of the sacred 

 centres of primseval society. Here is the mysterious Lake 

 Surikol, at the source of the Oxus, where local belief pretends 

 that the Jaxartes and the Indus have both affluents rising at no 

 great distance, while the Kash-gar, on the east of the summits, 

 flows towards the rising sun. To the west are the mountains 

 of Northern Hindoo-Koosh, the probable seat of the first Celto- 

 Srythsc, for in these regions was afterwards established a 

 Macedonian empire, which, without an original consanguinity 

 with the local nations, could not have lasted even for one gen- 

 eration. 



Most primaeval nations have traditions of a primordial city 

 of the gods, of the progenitor heroes of each stem, — a Babel, 

 Nagara, Pasagardas, or Asgard. It appears that Balkh (Kham- 

 balu*), is, at least, the most prominent, so far as the western 

 and southern nations are concerned, notwithstanding that the 

 present Bamean, with the interminable troglodyte habitations 

 around, may well represent the spot where increased popula- 

 tion, finding insufficient food, would be excited to discord; and 

 an appeal to force would naturally end in the weaker party 

 being driven to exile or dispersion. 



Though other traditions may be more purely Caucasian, 

 mention may be made of some, perhaps, no less important. 

 Among these is the very ancient name of Neel-ab, Blue River, 

 given to the Indus by the earliest Semitic tribes in the east, 

 and similarly applied to the Nile of Egypt, causing that con- 

 fusion in geographical ideas which believed the river of Africa 

 to come, by some unknown way, from the east, until the expe- 

 dition of Alexander cleared up the error. It is curious that the 

 Sutledge of the Punjab is still the Blue River; pointing to 

 Cashmere (Kaspapyrus) as the first seat of the Perso-Arabian 

 races. 



* The first Cambalu, or rather Khan-balk, is not Pekin. Samareand, 

 the first horse-fair, and thence commercial city, is at no great distance. 



