1838.] the Ghor band mines, and Hindu Kush. 531 



from time immemorial, but at Kabul its existence was unknown until 

 the days of the emperor Shah Jeha'n*, to whom it was disclosed by a 

 Herdti stone-cutter, when he was occupied in the pious task of erecting 

 a mausoleum to his great progenitor Baber. The marble for the 

 mosque and tomb of this structure which still exists, though sorely frayed 

 by time, was brought at immense expense from Delhi ; but the marble 

 pavement, as well as the materials for the enclosure that surrounds the 

 whole, were in consequence of the Heratis suggestion derived from the 

 quarries ofMidan. The marble is not equal to that of Delhi, but still has 

 a pure color, an open crystalline texture, and is commended by the 

 workmen as yielding readily to the chisel. From the unskilfulness of 

 the workmen employed in raising it, large slabs are with difficulty pro- 

 cured, and in consequence the price is high, four rupees being charged 

 for a slab, a guzf square, in its rough state at the quarry. 



In this part of its course (near Jubrez), the limestone alternates with 

 mica and clay-slate, and a stratum of it again occurs a few miles fur. 

 ther, — one at Sir-cheshmeh. It is not more than a mile or a mile and a 

 half in breath ; but it suffices to give birth to the beautiful and abun- 

 dant spring from which the place derives its name (Sir-i-cheshmeh — 

 literally, fountain's head), and which forms the true source of the Kabul 

 river. Twenty miles further on, between Gardan-i-Dewan and Gul- 

 gahni, limestone once more appeared in the form of a very thin vein, 

 about 1 50 feet in breadth, perfectly conformable with the strata of 

 slate which enclosed it : and here again it threw up a spring which, 

 however unlike the former, was deeply impregnated with iron saline 

 matter, and abundance of carbonic acid gas, that caused the whole to 

 effervesce as though it were boiling. This spring has many medical 

 virtues attributed to it by the natives, and is extensively used as a tonic, 

 particularly for impaired powers of digestion, to which I have no doubt 

 it proves serviceable. Its temperature was 51° Fahr. which probably 

 is somewhat below its natural standard, inasmuch as it was surrounded 

 at the time of observation with melting snow. The temperature of the 

 well of Sir-chashmeh, nearly in the same parallel of latitude, I had ascer- 

 tained two days before to be 54° 5', and another well also from lime- 

 stone near Agrabdd, half a degree further north, I found to be 54°. 



I would here remark that the temperature of wells, as generally 

 taken without reference to the formation in which they occur, must 

 needs be a most imperfect, indeed erroneous, method of approximating 



* My informant said Humaiyun, but as the inscription on the tomb shews it to 

 have been erected by Shah Jehan, I have transferred the story to him. 

 f About three feet English, 



