338 Gradus ad Aornon. [No. 4. 



There is however, the ruin of a considerable castle and town called 

 Ooria on a hill N. east of G-imduf. The retreat of the inhabitants 

 of either town from an enemy, would be the mountains Aonj and 

 Mahabunn, but Oond has probably been always a place of conse- 

 quence : whereas the position of Ooria though stronger is less 

 important ; and any one acquainted with the Issupzye country would 

 I thiuk go straight to Oond in search of Oora. 



I suppose then that Alexander after his visit to Peshawur and 

 after the complete settlement of the Toosufzye, ascended the right 

 bank of the Indus with his army as high as an army can ascend. 

 This would have brought him to Umb, which is overshadowed on 

 the west by a spur of the Mahabunn called Balimah or the Windy, 

 answering well to Arrian's Embolima, where Alexander left Krateros 

 with half the force to collect supplies. All supplies must have 

 been brought from the Eusufzye, the river beach having little soil, 

 not sufficient for its own population. 



A force sitting down at Umb Balimah (Embolima) could have 

 come thither only to attack the Mahabunn or the fort on Mt. 

 Behoh, now belonging to the Hussunzye. Had the operations been 

 directed against Mt. Aonj, a name convertible into Aornos, the 

 force would have halted at Khubl or at Sitana, whence there are 

 paths into Mt. Aonj. Erom Umb is the ordinary path up to the 

 summit of Mt. Mahabunn. 



Mt. Aonj or Wung* or Bunj is however too remarkable a summit 

 to be passed without notice. It stands between the Indus and the 

 southern end of the ridge of Mahabunn. Its height above the 

 stream of the Indus may be about 3000 ft. The acclivity is always 

 very steep, led horses cannot ascend it. The mountain is generally 

 naked. But the main summit has a few fir trees. This summit 

 shows remains of a few houses or of a small temple, but not of a 

 fort. The mountain has very little water and almost no soil. It is 

 one of the least accessible of mountains to an army. It is the 

 natural refuge of the people of Baja and of that part of the 

 Eusufzye. When Nadir Shah carried his army up to the summit of 



* This name belongs also to a tree, which from description I take to be the ilex, 

 or mountain oak. 



