880 Lieut. Irwin 1 s Memoir of Afghanistan. [Nov. 



of useful vegetables. The commonest species of this kind is saline 

 land, which occurs at intervals in almost all the various districts which 

 have been mentioned. A mere sand and a very hard clay seldom give 

 evidence of this quality, which is thus found in soils otherwise of 

 the best composition. Chhuchh, the lands of the Mundurs, and those 

 of the Huzaras, are remarkably free from it. A certain degree of it is 

 by no means inconsistent with fertility, nay, the natives of the west of 

 Khoorasan, prefer land moderately saline for the raising of melons 

 and cucumbers: some remarkable saline spots are mentioned under 

 the subject, which next follows, (see paragraph 112.) 



PART III.— OF NATURAL HISTORY. 



Section l.~~ Of Minerals, 



108. The Persian metals are not found in these countries in great 

 abundance. Most of the streams which rise in the great northern 

 range, or in that branch of it which forms Kafiristan, and also those 

 streams which arise in the Belur, wash down grains of gold which 

 the natives take pains in collecting, but it is not supposed that this 

 business is very profitable. In some parts of the south-east of the Hu- 

 zara country, grains of gold are also found. With respect to silver, if 

 we except a little found in the country of the Kafirs, it is produced 

 no where but in the Chinese dominions, and I am not sure whether 

 it be in their ancient territories or their new acquistion of Chinese 

 Toorkistan. Copper seems to have been formerly found in the dis- 

 trict called Seahbund (see paragraph 101) and according to some it is 

 produced not far from Nishaboor, which is in the Persian Khoorasan. 

 The same hill which yields it, is said to yield iron and lead ; but 

 according to others, lead is the only metal produced. Between Furah 

 and Ghaeen, is Tubus, called Miseen from its copper mines, and to 

 distinguish it from another Tubus, far to the west, commonly called 

 Gil Tubus. At present both are under the Persians. Indications of 

 copper are to be seen in the Rajour territory. In the kingdom of 

 Bokhara, is a town called Sherabad, about seven days south-east of 

 Bokhara, and about two days north of Sherabad is a hill called after it 

 which produces copper, not wrought, and also verdigris, which is an 

 oxyde of copper. With respect to precious stones, the ruby mines 

 of Budukhshan, once so famous in the whole world are no longer 

 wrought. We are told that in the south-eastern parts of that country 



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