115 



A Description of the Country of Seisthan, By Lieutenant R. Leech, 

 Bombay Engineers, Assistant on a Mission to Cabool. From the 

 Political Secretariat of the Government of India. 



The first published description of Seisthan appeared in Vol. ix. No. 103 of this Jour- 

 nal : it was by the late Lieut. E. Conolly, and was followed in No. 112, by a Journal of 

 his route. Our readers will find a comparison of this notice with Lieut. Conolly's far 

 from uninteresting, as corroboration of the sound observations of both Lieut. Leech and 

 his predecessor in this isolated, and unknown tract.— Eds. 



The ancient name of this country by the Hindoos was Shivasthan 



Description of Seis- d%*TWR) and {t is said to have had many Kings 

 of that Sect, of whom the most famous was Rajah 

 Saspal ; the Mahomedans called it Zabulisthan, and boast that it pro- 

 duced the father of Rustom. The country has never recovered from 

 the waste to which it was laid by Tamerlane. 



The Seistanees are divided into three tribes; viz. the Kaiyanees, 

 Tribes. the Sarbandees, and the Sarkees. 

 The boundaries of Seisthan, are Jalalabad, Nasirabad, Zerkoh 



Boundary. Sekwa, Dashtak, Burj Alam Khan, Janabad, and Jalalabad. 

 The western boundary is the Koh-i-Khaja, on the top of which is the 

 ruin of a populous city said to have been captured from the infidel 

 Hindoos by the fabulous Rustom; the place is inhabited by a tribe 

 called Arbaba, in small families, having no chief. This is the 

 fort from which Nadir Shah was obliged to retire after a two years 

 siege. This hill fort is situated in the lake of Amoo, into which the 

 streams of the following valleys discharge themselves, viz. Arghastan 

 Zarnak, Arghandav, Helman, Khash Rodh, Zarnak Adraskan, Rod-i- 

 gaz. In the time of Norshirwan the Just; Kila-i-beest was the northern 

 boundary. 



The Seistanees are said to have torn the mandate of the Arabian pro- 

 phet, and to have been cursed that they should never reign themselves, 

 or enjoy peace under another reign. 



The domestic animals of Seistan, are cattle in abundance, Dumba 

 Domestic Animals. Sheep and Goats : there are no Buffaloes, and Horses 



