1853.] Ibn HuohuVs account of Khorasan. 173 



towns were all of un-burnt bricks, the population resided chiefly 

 in black felt tents ; a few families of Jews were found in several of 

 the larger places. 



The country continued to rise in level from the Oxus until reach- 

 ing Surukhs — a ruined town of mud houses under a fort on a hil- 

 lock of no importance. The population had changed from the fixed 

 habits of towns to the wandering propensities of the tents. The 

 distance was calculated as 125 miles from the Charjoee ferry of the 

 Oxus to Merv, and 68 thence to Surukhs. The waters of Surukhs 

 are from a river called Tejend, rising in the hills lying to the North 

 of Neeshapoor and hence unlikely to be joined by a river like the 

 Hureerood coming from the opposite direction on the South side of 

 the range. The lands about Surukhs were considered to be fertile 

 to an extraordinary degree : the place was able to send forth 4000 

 horsemen. All the splendour narrated by our Arabian author had 

 disappeared before the ravages of the contending Tatar and Tork 

 tribes. The clay-built houses had melted away under snow and rain, 

 the canals were choked up, the fields affording precarious subsistence 

 to wandering hordes of Toorcomun robbers. Erom Surukhs to Mu- 

 shud was considered 64 miles. Capt. Abbott gives to the lands of 

 Merv 2,400 square miles, a population of 60,000 Toorkoman families, 

 paying two lacs of rupees per annum, revenue. 



Kurshee, is here distinguished from the Kurshee of Bokhara and 

 is given in the Nozhut-ul-Koloob as four marches or twenty-five 

 fursukhs from Merv. 



"Walee Maoonuh. The only point of comparison I can reach is 

 this — on the Huj road to Mecca exists a celebrated well, called the 

 Eere Maoonuh, on the waters of which the pilgrims much depend, 

 hence the Meerab or Canal Master of Merv may be considered as 

 of equal importance to the owner of this well. 



Arched Room. — This place is mentioned in the Nozhut-ul-Koloob. 



Mamoon. — Merv was also the capital, subsequently, of the Seljook 

 dynasty. 



Surukhs is given in the Nozhut-ol-Koloob as founded by Afraseyab, 

 and watered by a continuation of the rivers, both of Herat and 

 Toos. The extraordinary fecundity of the soil is extolled, that one 

 eiun would return one hundred muns, and either from the roots or 



