568 Notes on the Geography of Western Afghanistan, [June, 



ruo jurd ^^j^a.,) a place called Khoost of Bulkh, said to be between 

 Indurab and Tokharestan ; and it is so placed because the <j° of the Long. 

 = to 90°, has been readj = 80, and the ^ of the Lat. = 8°, has been 

 read ^ = 3° ; thus it stands : — 



Khoost, Long. 83—47 ; Lat. 33—20 ; but should be, I think, 



93—47 ; — 38 



Even with the correct description in the printed text the errors have not 

 been noticed. 



The geographical work known by the name of Ebne Huokul, is said 

 to exist in the library of Leyden, in the original Arabic ; Sir William 

 Ouseley has given to the world a translation from a Persian work on 

 geography, which he considers to have been made into this language 

 from the original Arabic of Ebne Huokul ; and certainly, if not a 

 direct translation, the identity of the passages would warrant the Per- 

 sian work being considered as a compilation from the Arabic. No par- 

 ticulars of the author appear known ; but Sir William Ouseley considers 

 the work may bear date between A. D. 902 and 968. The notices of 

 Persia ( Fars), are so much more complete in detail of districts, rivers, 

 capitals, tribes, families, and even proper names and characters of 

 persons, as to sanction the idea of Ebne Huokul being a native of that 

 province, or perhaps of Arabian Eerak, therefore his accounts of these 

 portions of the east are more to be depended upon. He traces 

 Mavaolnuhr, as a visitor or traveller would do, while his remarks are 

 full, though not complete on the route of Kerman, Seestan and Merve, 

 lying between Fars and Bokhara. This last city he must have visited in 

 the days of Nooh bin Nusr, the 4th of the Samanian dynasty of Bo- 

 khara. Tables called Utwal and Urooz, bear the name of Ebne Hookul ; 

 but a work called Momalek and Musalek — the name of that translated by 

 Sir W. Ouseley — is by natives attributed to Uhmud bin Abu Yakoob 

 Ulkateb. 



Aboo Rehan, a native of Beroon in Kharism, spent many years in 

 travel, and was ultimately employed by his king, Mamoon of Kharism, 

 as an agent at the court of Guznee, during the reigns of Muhmood 

 and Masood. He was one of the most subtile and clever men of his 

 age, and passed for a magician ; his geographical work is called the 

 Kanoon ul Masoode, and with reference to the place in which it is written 

 should be good authority in matters connected with Afghanistan, at 

 the period from 1000 to 1050 of Christ. 



