1836.] Conjectures on the march of Alexander. 389 



This town was situated at a short distance from the Etymander, now 

 called the Hind-mind, which river empties itself into the lake Zere, 

 otherwise called Ne'ibendam, known by the ancients under the name of 

 the lake Arian. This river receives in its course that which flows 

 from the territory of Farrah, and which is no other than the Pharma- 

 cotis of the Greeks, for there is not a doubt that Farrah was the 

 ancient Phra, the country of the famous Rustam of Persia. 



From thence he went into Arachosia, a province watered by the 

 river Arachotus, which emptied itself into the lake Areiana, and 

 which is the same as the Aracandab, which has its source in the can- 

 ton of Navor, and which subsequently flows through the territory of 

 Candahar, and from thence falls into the Hind-mind four farsangs 

 below Gerishk. The town which was situated on this river, said to be 

 built by Semiramis, ought to be found amongst the ruins of Candahar, 

 or more probably it is the ruins of that town which are visible upon 

 the river Arcassan, four farsangs below Candahar upon the road to 

 Shikdrpur. Two equally ancient towns are those of Eskarganj, 

 and of Sher-sa/a, the ruins of which may be seen upon the road which 

 leads to Ghazni. As to the Alexandropolis of Arrokhaje, it undoubtedly 

 is old Candahar. Nicsea appears to me to be Ghazni. 



The Macedonian conqueror must necessarily have passed through 

 Candahar, as the several roads branch off from this town which lead to 

 India, through Cdbul, Ghazni and Shikdrpur ; and moreover all the 

 extent of country to the south of Arachosia, is nothing but one desert 

 of moving sands, which occupy a distance of forty farsangs, stretch- 

 ing over as far as the country of Neskhi and Karan, which form a 

 part of Baluchistan. 



To the north of Arachosia we find the country of the Paropamisai, 

 separated from Bactriana, by a high chain of mountains, to which the 

 name of Caucasus was given by the companions of Alexander, out of 

 compliment to this prince, who wished to traverse them. Here they 

 found a cavern that they transformed into the cave of Prometheus. 

 I have been assured that a similar cavern does exist in the envi- 

 rons of Candahar, at the spot called Khar-Jemshid-jan. The moun- 

 tainous part of the country of Parapamisaei is now inhabited by 

 Hazards, amongst whom exist a tribe of the Bactiaris, who doubtless 

 are a descent from the intrepid Bactrians who offered such a valorous 

 resistance to Alexander, and who repulsed him several times before 

 they were made to surrender. I presume that this conqueror penetrat- 

 ed into this country, either by re-ascending the valley watered by the 

 Aracand-ab, or by passing through the denies of the chain of Gul- 

 kau, near Ghazni, where we may remark some dykes built here by 



