1841.]] Report on subjects connected with Affghanistan. 81 1 



there any reasons for supposing that forests of any description existed 

 in the same direction, an enquiry would be still more necessitated. 



The only other river I shall notice at much length is the Cabul 

 Cabul River. river, by which name the large body of water that 

 falls into the Indus just above Attock, appears to be generally known. 

 This river has its chief origin from a copious spring at Sir-i-Chusmah, 

 about 37 miles to the east of Cabul. It drains the well cultivated 

 Mydan valley, but is quite insignificant until it joins the Logur in the 

 valley of Cabul, and even here it is easily fordable. On leaving the 

 valley of Cabul, it enters a mountainous district through which it 

 continues to flow, until it emerges into the valley of Jilalabad, near 

 Baler Bagh, where it receives the Soorkhab, a considerable tributary 

 arising in the Sufaid Koh. 



At Jilalabad, the Cabul river is of considerable size, and of a moun- 

 tainous character ; two or three miles below Jilalabad, it is joined by the 

 large river which drains the Koonur valley, and which is known, I be- 

 lieve, by the name of Rania in the lower parts of its course, and of Koonur 

 in the upper. The Cabul river then ceases to be fordable ; it continues to 

 hug the northern side of the Jilalabad valley, until it enters the Momund 

 hills, which connect the offsets of the Sufaid Koh with those of the Hin- 

 doo Koosh, or western parts of great Himalaya, at the Abkharah, a 

 few miles below Dhukka. 



It continues to be confined by these, until at Mucharr it emerges into 

 the valley of Peshawur. 



From Sir-i-Chusmah to Jilalabad, this river is of no importance 

 except agriculturally. But from Jilalabad to Peshawur it assumes 

 an additional importance, by affording means of safe, and generally rapid 

 descent. For this purpose it is navigated by rafts, floated on inflated 

 skins, the only mode resorted to by the Affghans, except at Lalpore, 

 where the ferry is carried on by means of one large boat. These rafts 

 are perhaps the safest possible conveyance, and are admirably adapted 

 to such rivers as those of Aff*ghanistan. They are very buoyant, and 

 some of the skins may be burst without causing danger. Indeed, if 

 care be taken in properly securing the frame-work, a serious accident 

 can scarcely occur. 



Descent by this river is a good deal resorted to, especially when the 

 Khybur pass used to be disturbed. It saves a distance of ten marches, 



