18 



A Brief Description of Herat. [Jan. 



to Astrabad is so muddy and troublesome that foot passengers even 

 find difficulty to go. 



The horsemen from Kochan to Herat may come very easily in eight 

 davs, and are supplied with all sorts of provision in the way. From Herat 

 to Cabul the route is beautifully covered with villages, the produce of 

 which can feed a considerable army. It is 20 days' journey without cross- 

 ing any hill. 



On the death of Vizir Fatha Khan, his brother, Dost Muhammed, 

 mutinied against Shah Muhammed and Prince Kamran, and defeated them 

 after a great loss. They escaped from Cabul and came to Herat through 

 the Hazdra country, after 13 marches ; they were also accompanied by 

 a numerous army. 



Shah Zaman, on his coming to the throne, had occasion to quell an 

 insurrection at Cabul, and arrived there from Herat in the space of 10 

 or 1 1 days, and a large body of horsemen accompanied him. 



The road through which these two above-mentioned kings came to Ca- 

 bul is hilly, and the people are called independent Hazdras. 



From Cabulto the bank of the Indus, the road, through the Khybur coun- 

 try, is not to be traversed by carriages, and is eight days' journey : and from 

 thence to Lahore we saw ourselves in some places that it was a difficult 

 route. 15 marches bring the travellers from the bank of thelndus, or Atock 

 to Lahore. 



Alexander the Great, on his invasion of India, came by this road, 

 without encountering any difficulty, and also Nadir, who is called an ad- 

 venturer, followed his example. 



Our last interview with Shah Kamran was a very friendly one. He pro- 

 mised a great deal to be friendly with the British Government, and never 

 to submit to the Persians, who he said, are the " obedient slaves of the Rus- 

 sians." He told Dr. Gerard to come again to Herat on leave from the Go- 

 vernment, where they both will get a great advantage by working the valu- 

 able mines of his country. 



HI. — On the Climate of the Fossil Elephant. By the Rev. R. Everest, 



M. G. S. 8fc. 

 [Read at the Meeting of the 26th December, 1833.] 

 Since the discovery of fossil bones of the Pachydermata, and some 

 large Carnivora in England and other parts of Northern Europe, it has 

 been usual to consider them as evidence of a tropical climate having ex- 

 isted in those localities, while the animals to which they belonged were 

 living. 



