1839.] Lieut. Ir wins' s Memoir of Afghanistan. 769 



miles parallel with the Indus, which at length it joins opposite to 

 Mithundakot. 



33. The Acesines is certainly the largest river of the Punjab. In 

 ancient times, as we are informed by Aboolfuzl, it was called Chunder- 

 bhaga, from its being formed of two mountain streams, Chunder and 

 Bhaga. The name Sandabilis used by the latter writers on India among 

 the ancients, seem derivable from Chunderbhaga, but the etymology of 

 Acesines is now obscure. The inhabitants of its bank at this day 

 though not ignorant of the ancient appellation use not it, but Chunka, 

 which we and the Persians have changed to Chunab. This great river 

 rises in Kishtwar, a dependency of Kushmeer. There is little reason to 

 think that any of the rivers of the Punjab rises beyond the great moun- 

 tains in the table land. The Acesines is forded with difficulty even in 

 the ebb season. The Hydraotes was formerly, in the country, called 

 Irawutee, and now Ravee. It is by far the least of the five rivers. 



34. To it succeeds the Hyphasis, anciently called by the natives 

 Bypasha, and now Beak or Beas, and lastly the Sutluj. The Sutluj 

 was by the Greeks called Hesudrus. Its ancient name was Shutoodr, 

 and in Peshawur it is to this day usually called Sutloodr; it is inferior 

 to the Acesines, but seems equal to the Hydaspes; yet did the Greeks 

 call the joint stream of the Hyphasis and Hesudrus by the name of the 

 former, a much inferior stream. At present both names are lost, and the 

 river formed of them near Feerozpoor is first called Neelee, and after- 

 wards Ghara, or Ghuloo Ghara ; it is no where fordable even in the 

 ebb season, but both its branches are. We are informed by Aboolfuzl 

 that in his time it separated into a number of branches at some dis- 

 tance below its formation. At present, although it have like other 



drivers of a champaign country small nullahs or branches, it no were 

 sends off a considerable part of its waters. As before mentioned, it falls 

 into the Acesines, nor is there any reason to think that when Major 

 Rennell composed his map and memoir, it held a different course; 

 yet has that excellent geographer rejected Arrian's authority for this 

 fact, without assigning any reason. 



35. Between the Jumna and Sutluj are various small streams, very 

 important in a military point of view. The Kughur and some others 

 fall into the Sursootee, a river the course of which has long been a 

 problem. The late inquiries entirely confirm that account which is 

 given in Franklin's life of George Thomas, by which it appears to be 

 lost near Bhutner. There is however a tradition that in former times 

 it passed to the south, and spread itself over the wide expanse of level 

 hard clay in the centre and west of the great Indian desert. 



