1840.] Sketch of the Physical Geography of Beistan. 713 



About twelve miles west of the mouth of the Furrah-rood, a river dis- 

 charges itself into the same lake, which though equal 

 in size to the last named, has nearly escaped the obser- 

 vation of geographers (6) : this is the Adrascund, which crosses the high 

 road, some fifty miles south of Herat, near a place where it is joined by the 

 Rod-i-Gez, celebrated for the sweetness of its waters. After flowing east by 

 south, through the plain of Subzawar, it sweeps round to the west, runs 

 down a narrow valley called Jaya, and passes a little to the south of the 

 valley of Pomegranates, (7) where Capt. Christie crossed without recognizing 

 it. Of the course of the stream for a short distance after this, I am doubt- 

 ful, but its further progress to the west must be soon arrested by the incli- 

 nation of the ground from the western range of hills before mentioned. 

 Entering the tract, from its extreme barrenness called the Waste of Despair, 

 (Tug-i-Noomed) (8) its name, which since leaving Subzawar has been chang- 

 ed to Jaya, is again altered to that of the fallen angel Haroot. It then flows 

 a little to the west of Killah Rah, the northern part of which it waters, 

 and with a nearly southerly course empties itself into the lake of Seistan. 

 A few miles above its mouth, the Herat receives a small salt river, the 

 Khash Koduk, which has water only in the spring, when it drains the marsh 

 of Furrah. 

 During the wet season, a mountain torrent, rather than a river, flows 



S. E. into the lake from Bundau, by the name of which 

 The Bundau river. ^ -^ . ^ mi. t> j i. e ^ 



place it IS known. The Bundau has a course oi less 



than 50 miles, and only deserves notice as being, as far as our knowledge 



extends, the solitary stream which enters Seistan from the west. 



The Khash-rood has for so long a period occupied an erroneous 



_,, ^^, , , position on our maps, that its real course deserves 

 The Khash-rood. ^ . . 



particular attention. After crossing the Herat road, 



it travels south-west to Seistan, but in 1810 it did not enter the lake ; 

 its waters just below Chukhnasoor, having spread themselves out over 

 a low tract called from a species of marshy grass (aishk) which abounds 

 there, Aishkineik. That the Khash-rood has been stated to empty itself in- 

 to the Helmund at Kona, sheea, may perhaps be accounted for, by suppos- 

 ing some confusion between the name of that post and of Chukhnasoor, 

 of which the more correct appellation is said to be Khanehsoor, or the 

 house of marriage, it being there, according to tradition, that Giu married a 

 daughter of Roostum. 



6. Gerard first traced its course from the Herat-rood to Anardureh. 



7. Anardureh. 

 8. I do not exactly uuderstand the limits of the plain known by this name- North of it is a great 

 salt tract, the Nimuksar. 



