1839.] Lieut. Irwin's Memoir of Afghanistan. 765 



and are also the chief population of the south-west, so that in numbers 

 they exceed the other nation. 



27. To the north of Seeweestan lie the countries of various Afghan 

 tribes ; to the north of the western part of Bulochistan lies the 

 country of the Bureches, that of the Dooranees, and Seestan ; but the 

 country of the Dooranees stretches a considerable distance beyond in a 

 north-westerly direction. All these are included in Khoorasan. From 

 Candahar to Hirat is a distance of 300 miles from ESE. to WNW. 

 On the traveller's right is the Paraparnisan range, on his left Seestan, 

 of which the capital Jellalabad lies 150 miles west by south from 

 Candahar. From Jellalabad nearly due west, at the distance of 190 

 miles, is Nih, which though under a separate government is perhaps 

 to be considered as in Seestan. From Nih the country of Ghaeen and 

 Birjund lies north, and is of considerable extent. It lies from Hirat 

 south-west, and from Furah (a considerable place on the left of the road 

 between Candahar and Hirat) west. From Ghaeen, north-west, are 

 Toorshish and Mushhud, which last place lies from Hirat more in a 

 westerly than northerly direction. The country of Khaf lies west of 

 Hirat, and north-west of it, towards Mushhud, is that of Toorbut. Jam 

 and Murv lie to the north. The Afghan dominions end a short 

 distance to the west of Hirat. These divisions which have been enu- 

 merated are political ones. The face of the country is too little known, 

 and even if known, is probably too irregular and diversified to be dis- 

 tributed into natural divisions of well marked characters. But the 

 country of the Ymaks, lying to the east of Hirat, is distinguished 

 from all the others as being decidedly hilly, though indeed it possesses 

 some wide valleys and some plains contiguous to the hilly tracts. Of 

 these last the chief is that which lies north from the hilly tracts, but 

 forms part of the north-east boundary of Khoorasan, and in which is 

 situated Huburmach, a place already mentioned. To prevent mistakes 

 it may be observed, that though this tract in general may justly be 

 called the country of the Ymaks, part of that nation is found at some 

 distance from it. 



28. We have now rapidly sketched the countries lying west of 

 the Indus, or north of its sources, and proceed to those lying eastward 

 of it. Little Tibet has been already mentioned. It seems to be a 

 country not easily practicable, for we are informed, that the trade from 

 Kushmeer to Yarkund once passed through it because of the road 

 by great Tibet having been forbidden, and that this was considered as 

 an inconvenience. It is certain, a strait line between Kushmeer 

 and Yarkund would pass through the little rather than the great 



5,? 



