1849.] Notes on the Geography of Western Afghanistan. 557 



ol-rood." Orodes here carried his prisoners after the defeat of Crassus. 

 From it, over the mountains of Caucasus existed, as at present, the road 

 to Bactria, (Balkh :) Of the numerous tribes mentioned by Pliny, I 

 can only speculate on Ochani, which may have reference to the Ooghans. 

 The Harmatotrophi " qui curules equos alunt" as having some connec- 

 tion with Andakhoo or Muimoonuh, very celebrated marts for large Tor- 

 komanee horses. 



Candari are the tribes of Kundahar. Paricani those of Furah. 

 Sarangae those of Zurung. The Gelse, quos Greeci Cadusios, appella- 

 vere, may be the modern Kords round Mushud, or the inhabitants of 

 Ghoor. Heraclia built by Alexander, destroyed by the natives, restored 

 by Antiochus, and called Achaida, looks very like the oft repeated 

 history of Herat. 



I am inclined to consider the Ochus and Oxus to be the same river 

 under different modes of writing, a mistake created by the mal-location 

 of Merve-ol-rood. The present stream of Bulkh, called the Bulkhab, 

 is certainly not navigable, and its water does not in all seasons reach 

 the Oxus. 



The Sariphi mountains, dividing Aria from Margiana, are those round 

 Surukhsh. The river Jaxarte, quod Scythse Silin vocant ; " has a very 

 near approach to the modern term of Sehon. In seven days it was 

 reported to Pliny goods could be carried from India (Kabul, its 

 frontier) to the Icarum river of Bactria, flowing into the Oxus, and 

 down that river into the Caspian, and hence be distributed over Asia 

 Minor from the river Kur or Cyrus.'* No doubt goods might reach 

 the Oxus in seven days from the top of the ranges, the frontier of 

 India ; the only real omission in this very general outline being the 

 second land trip from Kheva to the Caspian. For in these mountainous 

 districts there can hardly be rivers navigable for boats ; their course is 

 too rapid, their beds too rocky and the fall too great. I doubt if a boat 

 exist in the country till the Oxus on the one side reaches the sandy 

 deserts near Termez ; or the Helmund on the other side debouches on 

 the level flats of Gurmsail. But roads all lie along the beds of these 

 streams, for the sake of water or of passage round the rocks, — hence a 

 native going from Guznee to Kundahar invariably adds, " down the 

 Turnuk," or " down the Argundab," without the slightest idea of the 

 intervention of a boat. Icarum has a shade of the word Ghor, which 



