824 



On the Reg-Ruwan. 



April, 



but owing to the numerous changes that have taken place in conse- 

 quence of fresh conquests and usurpations. A scientific and clever 

 traveller who would penetrate into these vast and almost unknown 

 countries would render a great service to science. 



V. — On the Reg-Ruwan or moving sand, a singular phenomenon of 

 sound near Cabul with a sketch. By Capt. Alex. Burnes, 



In the vicinity of Cabul there is a phenomenon similar to what occurs 

 at Jabal Nahous, or the sounding mountain, near Tor in the Red Sea. 

 It is called Reg-liuivun or the moving sand, and is thus described by 

 the emperor Baber. " Between these plains there is a small hill in 

 which there is a line of sandy ground, reaching from the top to the bot- 

 tom of the hill. They called it Khwdja Reg-Ruwan. They say that 

 in the summer season the sound of drums and nagarets issues from this 

 sand." The place has been seldom visited, being in the Kohistan or 

 troubled part of the country, but the power of the present chief of 

 Cubul has subdued the rebellious tribes near, and an opportunity was 

 thus afforded us of visiting it, which we did in October last. 



The description of Baber above given, though it appears marvellous, 

 is accurate ; Reg-Ruwan is about forty miles north of Cabul towards 

 Hindu, kosh and near the base of the mountains. Two ridges of hills, 

 detached from the rest, run in and meet each other ; at the apex of 

 this, a sheet of sand, as pure as that on the sea shore, with a slope of 

 about 40 6 , forms the face of a hill to its summit, which is about 400 

 feet high. When this sand is set in motion by a body of people, who 

 slide down it, a sound is emitted. On the first trial we distinctly heard 

 two loud, hollow sounds such as would be given by a large drum. On 

 two subsequent attempts we heard nothing, so that perhaps the sand 

 requires to be for a time settled before the curiosity is displayed. There 

 is an echo in the place, and the inhabitants have a belief that the sounds 

 are only heard on Friday when the saint of Reg-Ruwan, who is interred 

 hard by, permits ! The locality of the sand is remarkable, there being 

 none other in the neighbourhood. Reg-Ruwan faces the south but the 

 wind of Purwan fbadi Purwan) blows from the north for the greater 

 part of the year, and has probably deposited it by an eddy. Such is the 

 violence of this wind that all the trees in the neighbourhood bend to the 

 south, and a field, after a few years, requires to be recleared of the 

 pebbles and stones which the loss of soil lays bare. The mountains 

 here are generally composed of granite or mica, but at Reg-Ruwan we 

 had sandstone, lime, slate and quartz. 



