760 Lieut. Irwin's Memoir of Afghanistan. [Sept. 



lies Khoolium, which to the east rises iuto hills and mountains ; this 

 place is subject to Bulkh, the chief of which extends his dominion 

 to within two days of Bamian, where begins the government of the 

 Afghans. The intermediate country is hilly and poor. The chief of 

 Bulkh has influence in the remaining part of Bactria, which lies to 

 the east. Talikan alone is a hostile state, and is independent. Its hills 

 are however less lofty and difficult than those of Ghoree and Khost to 

 the south. Between Ghoree and Khost is Undurab, which is also 

 mountainous. Koonduz lies to the north-west of those places, being in 

 the road between Bulkh and Talikan, four days from the former and 

 one from the latter. It is a level and fertile tract. If to these we add 

 Huzrut Imam, situated thirty-five miles below the junction of the 

 river Koocha with the Oxus and under Hissar, already mentioned as 

 a state beyond the Oxus, we have enumerated the chief remarkable 

 districts in Bactria. 



20. The river Koocha in its upper course intersects Budukhshan 

 in its lower boundary, the eastern and southern boundaries have been 

 already mentioned. Its northern limits are more difficult to assign. 

 The natives seem at present to restrict it to the country politically 

 under the chief of Fyzabad (who is a Syyud and is stiled Shah) 

 which many consider as a convertible term for Budukhshan ; it is 

 situated on the left of the Koocha, five days east of Talikan. It is not 

 easy to discover what extent the majority of European geographers 

 wish to give to Budukhshan, but there seems little or no authority for 

 extending it beyond the river Oxus, and it seems convenient to have 

 a general term for the tract of country which the upper course of that 

 river bounds. It is a diversified country, but its general character is 

 ruggedness and poverty. The valleys are narrow, the mountains 

 steep, the streams rapid ; — by far the greater part is subject to Fyzabad. 

 To the north beyond the river are Durwaz, Wukheehaand Keerategin 

 already mentioned, and whose natural character is very similar. 



21. The Gavee mountains which have been shewn to connect the 

 Hindookoosh with the great body of the Paraparnisan, divide Bactria 

 on the north-west, from Cabul on the south-east. One of the most fre- 

 quented roads passes through Bamian and Goorbund, which are narrow 

 tracts. The delightful valley of Cabul is open only to the south, 

 where some inconsiderable heights divide it from the table land of 

 Ghuznee, which here inclines to it. Cabul is politically divided into 

 four tuppas or districts, Logur to the south, Kodamun to the north-west 

 Pughman to the west, and Bhootkhah to the east. To the north and 

 north-west is what is called the Kohistan or highlands of Cabul, in 



