586 Notes on the Geography of Western Afghanistan. [June, 



export. From the number of canals the land was formerly fruitful and 

 valuable ; one author says, a kulbuh would in his day sell for 1 000 

 Kubkee denars. By the account of natives of the present day the lake 

 is not above 30 miles in circuit. 



We have no very good accounts of the country ; Captain Christie 

 passed through it in 1810, Captain E. Conolly made a rough survey of 

 the road, while a gentleman of the name of Forbes was murdered in 

 the attempt to reach Kundahar from Persia by the Seestan route. 

 According to histories the ancient capital was called Zurunj, situated in 

 Lat. 30° 30', and distant 90 Arabian, or 118 English miles from Ghe- 

 reesh, the ferry on the Helmund. I think its position may be fixed with 

 some precision on these data, and will be found to correspond with the 

 ruins of Zero, No. 40 of Captain E. Conolly's map. 



A fort called Rostum was situated near the lake ; while a strong- 

 hold named Husne Tak, is mentioned having three separate circum- 

 volutions of walls; between the 1st and 2nd were the fields and cul- 

 tivation, between the 2nd and 3rd were the houses of the people, and 

 within the third was supposed to be the prison, where criminals were 

 starved ; one author states he had seen a house containing 4000 skulls 

 of human beings. 



Zurunj certainly existed during the Alexandrian expedition towards 

 India, and is mentioned in the early histories of Moslem conquests ; it 

 was also the capital during the supremacy of the Safar dynasty of 

 Seestan, and must have enjoyed great wealth and prosperity, as the centre 

 of the large dominion which included Fars, Kirman and Kho- rasan. 



Tak was destroyed by Muhmood of Guznee, who then took the name 

 of Soltan: and this capture might account for the abovementioned 

 heads in the inner fort. But there exist several places of this name. 



Without minute inspection it is most difficult to settle such locations. 

 Sukwuh was mentioned to me as the capital, and I suspect occupies a 

 position south of the ancient Zurunj, being, I conclude, the city near 

 Koh-e-Khuajah, and identical with Tak. It is the residence of Muham- 

 mad Reza Khan Seestanee, who considers himself descended from the 

 ancient Keeanian kings ; the city is said to be half as large as Kundahar, 

 and to be 10 miles from the river Helmund. A place called Rukhuj 

 was mentioned as a very ancient ruin where are yet dug up old coins. 

 Zalis the position of an old fort on the river : Zuenoon, or Juenoon ; near 

 the modern fort of Alum Khan is the point where the Khash river 



