1839.] Lieut. Irwin's Memoir of Afghanistan. 1009 



Domestic Quadrupeds. 



153. The horse of Toorkistan has long been famous, and forms the 

 chief article of export from that country to Afghanistan, India, and 

 Persia. From certain quarters in Khoorasan (chiefly the north-west) 

 horses are exported to the same countries, but in less numbers. In 

 both cases it is chiefly the pasturing tribes who rear this animal, 

 which is but rarely housed even in winter, or in the cold coun- 

 try of the Ymaks ; they are not very numerous in Bulochistan, 

 neither are they found of remarkable goodness either in that coun- 

 try or in Afghanistan. In the neighbourhood of Bameean however, 

 and some other parts of the north, is a breed of very strong and 

 serviceable ponies. Those of Tibet are broader, smaller, and stronger. 

 In the country of the Yoosufzyes, and some parts of the country be- 

 tween the Indus and Hydaspes, in Bunnoo and Daman, we find a breed 

 of Tazee horses, which are much esteemed. Horses in Kushmeer are nei- 

 ther numerous nor good, but there are considerable numbers of ponies. 



154. The ass gradually improves as we proceed westward from 

 the Company's provinces. Perhaps the best are those in the west of 

 Khoorasan, but even these are much inferior to the Arabian or the 

 Spanish. Asses are imported into Cabul from Bokhara and the 

 north-west of Toorkistan. Mules are scarcely raised in Toorkistan, 

 the best are bred in Khoorasan; a slender species, but yet hardy, 

 is bred in Pothwar and the neighbouring districts. They are raised 

 in the vallies of Jajee and Foree, in Teera, and some other places. 



155. Tibet, Kushmeer, Kashkur, Keerategin, Durwaz, the upper 

 parts of Budukhshan and the Huzara country breed no camels, being 

 too cold, moist, or rugged, for that animal. Beyond the Jaxartes 

 is the two humped species, in the Toorkee language called uzhree, and 

 by our writers, (I believe) Bactrian ; his height is far less than that of 

 the Indian camel, his hair longer, he is not capable of bearing se- 

 vere heat, and is not easily naturalized even in Bokhara. In the 

 kingdom of Kokun he is the prevalent species, but in some places 

 neither is known. The camel called bughdadee, has also two humps, 

 but his height is equal to that of the Indian. He is found chiefly 

 in the south-west of Khoorasan, yet even there is much out numbered 

 by the Indian species. This species is very abundant in the whole of 

 Bulochistan, in Sindh, and the borders of the Indian desert. In those 

 countries soldiers are often mounted on camels, and some breeds are 

 remarkable for their swiftness. The camel of Ghuznee and Cabul. 

 originally of the same species, is now somewhat changed in his pro- 

 perties by the climate; he cannot bear the winter cold of these 



