1839-] Lieut. Irwin's Memoir of Afghanistan. 883 



smell of sulphur. In these countries are many warm or even hot 

 springs which could be named. The other natural curiosities known 

 to the natives do not deserve much mention, especially as the cir- 

 cumstances of some seem fabulous. 



112. The supply of common salt is from various sources ; rock salt, 

 that of salt ponds, that of springs, and that made from the soil. A 

 minor range of hills has been already distinguished as the Salt range, 

 (see paragraph 12.) Some is found at the beginning of the range in 

 the country of the Oorukzyes, but is of little note beyond the neigh- 

 bourhood. At Kala Bagh, the hill which overhangs the town, is 

 in a great part composed of salt. Near the termination of the 

 range, this mineral again becomes very abundant, and is found in 

 several places. This is that which in our provinces is called Lahouree, 

 as coming to us through Labour, though all produced beyond the 

 Hydaspes. It is of a dingy colour, whereas that of Kala Bagh, which 

 is superior, is either so white as to be pellucid, or tinged with a red 

 colour from the clay contiguous to it. The north is supplied from 

 these mines, whose produce is carried even into Kashkar, where it 

 fetches a high price, because of the natural difficulties of transporting 

 it. It is rather heavily taxed, in Kushmeer which makes it dear. 

 When the governor rebels, which has often happened, and trade is 

 checked by the existence of hostilities, the dearth is still greater, in so 

 much, that the Kushmeerees having no interval supply, have been re- 

 duced to eat red ants as a substitute. In the south of the kingdom, the 

 demand for rock salt is not great. Some is indeed carried from Kala 

 Bagh, as far as the lowest parts of Sindh, but this traffic bears no pro- 

 portion to the riches and population of that country, and indeed seems 

 an appendage to that in the transporting of pilgrims, who intend visit- 

 ing the holy city of Mecca. The boats are sold on their arrival with 

 what cargo they may contain, and few if any again ascend the river as 

 far as Kala Bagh. In all parts of Bulochistan, soil salt is that chiefly 

 used, and each neighbourhood makes it for itself. Even the Moolta- 

 nees consume more of this kind, pretending that the other is unwhole- 

 some. Candahar is partly supplied with salt from that made by 

 boiling the water of a spring at Kushkinukhood, 40 miles on the road 

 to Hirat, and partly from the soil ; the latter is reckoned inferior. The 

 chief resource of the west or rather middle parts of Khoorasan, is pro- 

 bably in salt ponds, in two different places of the country of Ghaeen. 

 An ice-like crust is formed at the edges, when the water begins to re- 

 cede in the dry season, and no further preparation is required. Besides 

 the salt well in the Loot desert already mentioned, there is one about 



