1839.] Alexanders exploits on the Western Banks of the Indus. 309 



from the castle of Soun, observable to the south of the river Awchiri, and 

 containing lead mines in its vicinity. 



6th. The ruins of Doomma, situated on a very lofty mountain, whence 

 the surrounding country is discernible ; those of Dankool are a little fur- 

 ther up. Those cities bear the names of the monarchs that founded them, 

 and are situated in the eastern part of the Yousoufzeis, not far from the 

 Indus. 



7th. I shall draw attention in the last place to the ruins that are 

 two koss to the west of the present town of Dhyr, and which are 

 assigned to the Kaffrans, who were dispossessed of them by the Ma- 

 hometans, when that city was governed by the Caffer Kirkat. These 

 merit that the greatest attention should be paid to them by travellers, 

 in as much as, after the relations of Kazan Khan, chief of Dhyr, and on 

 account of the combination of the latter name with the Dyrta of Arri- 

 an, I have scarcely any doubt on my mind that this is the city which 

 Alexander passed, when he was pursuing the brother of Assacanus, 

 and whence he set out for the Indus. If my opinion could be borne 

 out, with such a cue it would be extremely practicable to deter- 

 mine the true positions of Ora, Bazira, Massaga, and other places men- 

 tioned by the above historian, concerning which I have been un- 

 able to obtain any precise information, notwithstanding the thorough 

 researches I have made. Nevertheless I shall observe that the Hin- 

 doos of those districts assured me, that a city called Massangar, known 

 also by the name of Maskhin6, exists on the southern frontier of Kaf- 

 fristan, close to Baba Kara, twelve koss from Bajore, and four from 

 mount Mahram, which is in that canton. They also added that the 

 tribe called Assacenis exists in that country. If such a relation were 

 well-founded, we should discover there the Massaga of the Greeks, 

 the capture of which cost so much blood to Alexander, and the mas- 

 sacre of whose intrepid garrison cast a blemish on the exploits of that 

 conqueror. I am not aware if this Massangar be identical with the 

 one alluded to by Forster, who travelled through Suwat. 



I have been similarly assured that there exist in the district of Boo- 

 ner the traces of a town called Oora, which has been also denominated 

 Doora, and which on account of its proximity to the Indus may proba- 

 bly be the Ora of Arrian, (although Bazira has not been yet discovered 

 in its vicinity) especially as that river is not known higher up, but by 

 the name of Ab Sind, whence it may be conjectured, with some proba- 

 bility, that the country it washes in that part may have been the region 

 of that Abissares, on whom our historians waste so many hypotheses, 

 and who, according to Arrian, sent resources to Ores, when Alexander 

 was besieging that city. Apropos of Abissares, I do not deem it here 



