366 INDIAN ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEYS. 



author set out on his wanderings, which were spread over eight or 

 nine years, and the account of which he completed in 1790 — 91. 

 The date of his death is not known apparently, but he was acquainted 

 with the names of Warren Hastings and the Marquis Wellesley, to 

 whom he was presented, if indeed he was not personally well-known 

 to them. 



The manner in which this native traveller explored the various 

 routes which he describes is not exactly stated, but he appears to 

 have used a compass, as he gives bearings and distances, and where 

 these have been tested on recent occasions by our troops and surveyors 

 they have been generally found to bo very accurate. He evidently 

 lost no opportunity of accompanying the inhabitants and merchants 

 of these parts in their journeys to and fro, and of getting them to 

 aid him in his objects. He would often make a stay of some dura- 

 tion in a particular locality until he had succeeded in learning all 

 that was possible about it, not unfrequently making acquaintance 

 with the head men and priests. For instance, when his travels had 

 brought him up to the remote valley of Chitral on the extreme 

 north-west frontier of India, he was fortunate enough to fall in with 

 a kindred spirit in Shah Eiza of Drush, the Badshah or chief of 

 Kashkar and Chitral, Avko not only gave the author every facility 

 for exploring those regions, but even personally accompanied him 

 on foot for the purpose of thoroughly examining the various passes 

 which lead over the huge mountain range of the Hindu Kush into 

 the valley of the Oxus Eiver. 



The manuscript itself is in Persian, though portions here and 

 there forming, not improbably, the substance of oral information 

 given to the author, are in the Pushtu or Afghan tongue. It is 

 translated verbatim for the most part by Major Raverty, who has 

 enriched it with innumerable notes and comments, and with collateral 

 information obtained from Oriental historians and European trans- 

 lators and critics. 



Inscriptions and Gains. 



Indian inscriptions have at all times attracted the attention of 

 scholars. The Hindus in their literature have scarcely produced 

 any works of a historical character, though family legends, local 

 traditions, and Puranic or mythological tales are common enough. 

 Fortunately , this waut is largely compensated for by numerous 

 contemporary records in the shape of inscriptions, forming the 



