1849.] Notes on the Geography of Western Afghanistan. 561 



566 Roman miles ; from Semnan to Bostam is 33 Fursukhs X 4.25 = 

 140 Roman miles, to meet Pliny's 133. 



To cover the distance of 199 Roman miles to Prophthasea, we have 

 the distance measured by the British Embassy from Herat to Sheheruk, 

 on the Furah rood, of 131 British miles, with 20 more to reach the old 

 city of Furah ; and as this was the very shortest cut for a small party, 

 we may grant that the large Army of Alexander, marching with the 

 waters, would have covered 183 British miles, or 199 Roman miles to 

 near this spot, — -I believe a numerous party would go round the range to 

 the south of the city of Herat. 



The 515 Roman miles to Khundahar is not so easily established ; 

 but I believe Alexander, in taking the city or capital of the Zurungse of 

 Seestan, to have marched round the lake of Seestan and up the Hel- 

 mund to Best, and thence to Kundahar. 



An intelligent sergeant of sappers fixed the Fort of Joween in Lat. 

 31° 31' 56 11 . The Latitude given for Zurung by most Arabian and 

 Persian authors is 30° 30'. 



The distances will then stand : — 



Furah to Joween, 20 20 



Zurung, 44 44 



Direct over the desert to Ghereesh, 118 ; if by the 



banks of the 



Helmund 186 



To Kundahar, 75 75 



Total, 257 325 



Hence there is a deficiency of 190 miles to make up the 515 of Pliny. 

 It is not impossible that this may be an error ; and it is strange that in 

 the last distances of his route, from the Hydaspes to the Hypasis, we 

 find an apparent omission of 150 ; the grand total being nearly cor- 

 rect. 



In the Geography of Moses of Chorenene, written in the Armenian 

 language in the fifth century, and translated into Latin in 1736, we find 

 a list of the districts forming many countries of the East ; and from them 

 we might expect names obtaining previous to the Moslem conquests ; 

 but alas ! the nearest approach to most of them are not satisfactory ; but 



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