260 On the Sites of Nikaia and Boukephalon. [No. 3. 



readers of Lallah Rookh, as " those royal gardens which had grown 

 beautiful under the care of so many lovely eyes and were beautiful 

 still, although those eyes could see them no longer." Although there 

 is no more resemblance between the Hussun Ubdal of the poet and 

 the Hussun Ubdal of the traveller, than between the Cashmere of 

 Lallah Rookh and the Cashmere of Goolab Singh, yet there is no 

 spot from Peshawur to Lahore, if we except a tract of the Jelum off 

 the highroad, that can be compared with Hussun Ubdal as the site 

 for a city ; whether we consider the comfort of the traveller or the 

 requisitions of the merchant. At Hussun Ubdal the great western 

 road of commerce from Hindustan and the Punjaub to Cabul meets 

 the principal commercial road between Cabul and Cashmere, and 

 another from Pind Dadun Khan and Mooltan. Here two small rivers 

 of the clearest water leap at once into being from the living rock, and 

 nourish by their abundance a shadowy foliage most grateful to travellers 

 upon this desolate tract. 



The oldest name for this place of which any record exists is, as already 

 stated, Jullal Sirr, " the glorious fountain." But this being Persian, was 

 probably preceded by a Hindee name, now lost to us. It has since 

 twice changed its title, first to Hussun Ubdal* and afterwards to Punja 

 Sahib. The last, being a Sikh name, is fast disappearing since the 

 destruction of the Sikh empire. 



Now this town Hussun Ubdal was, until twelve years ago, the 

 capital of the Tarkhaili clan, who then occupied the country in which 

 Alexander found Taxiles and the city, called after the clan, Taxila. 

 Cities and villages in this part of the world never give their names to 

 tribes but generally take their names from tribes or founders, and if 

 Hussun Ubdal was founded by the clan Tarkhaili, or first rose into 

 consequence as their capital, (which it was fourteen years ago,) there 

 can be little doubt that it was called Tarkhailia, which the Greeks 

 would write Taxila as certainly as they would write Tarkhaili, Taxiles. 



But here we arrive at an enigma the solution of which appears 

 remote. For although the Tarkhaili clan inhabit the very spot on 

 which Alexander found Taxiles, and although, excepting the Gukkas, 

 they are the most powerful and remarkable family in this Doaba, 



* At Hussun Ubdal is a mound called to this day Tukht Ubdal, the throne of 

 Ubdal. Tukht seems at some remote period to have been a common affix to towns. 



