} 



1849.] Notes on the Geography of Western Afghanistan. 573 



but a few miles from that established by Major Sanders ; while the lati- 

 tude of Guznee is identical with that ascertained by the Engineers of 

 the army of Kabul ; proving that these Moslem geographers could fix 

 the latitude with precision. In the matter of the longitudes, we may 

 notice that those of the Ayeen and Sadek commence from a first Meri- 

 dian, distant 10° west of that used by the other authorities. Now the 

 difference of longitude between the Peak of Teneriffe, 16° 39', and some 

 of the Capes on the West Coast of Africa, say Cape Spartel, 5° 54', is 

 about 10°. Again the differences of longitude stand thus between 

 Herat and Guznee : — 



Long. Difference. 



Herat Ayeen Tables, 94° 20' 



Guznee Ditto ditto, 104 40 10 20 



Herat Utwal ditto, 85 30 



Guznee Ditto ditto,. 94 40 9 10 



Herat English ditto, 62 07 



Guznee Ditto ditto, 68 15 6 08 



And I believe the difference between 6° 8 ; and 9° 45' or one-third, 

 may be safely allowed as the error of equation to the equatorial mile 

 for distances estimated by marching or travelling, but also included in 

 it, the windings of roads, ups and downs of mountains, &c. 



Kundahar is placed 2 degrees to the north of its correct position ; 

 whence I infer, it is fixed, not by actual observation, but by the esti- 

 mated bearings and distance of marching between Herat and Guznee. 

 Indeed the inhabitants of Kundahar appear always to have been con- 

 sidered a wild savage race, to be avoided. Until the days of Uhmud 

 Shah Dorranee it was never the capital of an empire. I conceive, if 

 the correct readings can be obtained, that with the equation above 

 noticed for longitude, differences of latitude and longitude, when not 

 large, may both be relied upon ; but the greatest difficulty lies in the 

 obtaining the correct reading of the Abjud numeration. 



The following memoral words contain these letters in succession of 

 their value in number, Abjud, Huowuz, Huttee Kulmun Suafuz Kur- 

 shut, Thukhuj Zuzhugh. Comparing this numerical scale with that 

 of the Greek or any other language, may point to a correspondence 

 between the written characters of the two nations. Both the epsilon 

 and the eta of the Greek correspond with the aspirate of the Persian. 



