392 
Overland Journey to India. 
[Dec. 
taken the liberty of supposing part of it to belong to Mahomed KMnKani-i of 
Turbat-e-Hyderah, and had wasted his lands accordingly for an old grudge, the sirdar 
got less credit for his delicacy than for his prudence, for it was rumoured that Maho- 
med Khan had leagued with the Serrux Turkmans to fall upon the Afghans on 
their return. 
We made 10 marches from Meshid to Herat (a distance of about 225 miles) 
through a naturally fertile, but deserted country. Our halts depended upon water and 
forage, as we carried with us all necessary provisions ; and after the day’s march 
all thought it a luxury to spread their carpets on the ground, and sleep securely 
through the clear cold nights. On the second day, after marching 30 miles over 
plain country, we entered the hills of the main range running down to Herat, We 
quitted these on the 5th day’s march, and passed in sight of Turbat-e-Shekh Jam, 
a small town of 200 houses, which is in the course of the usual Kafila road. The 6th 
day saw us at the Herirud or Herat river, the pebbly bed of which was dry, except 
where water had been kept in pools. On the morrow, we passed through Kousan, 
a fine town which had only been the year before entirely deserted, on account of 
the inroads of the Turkmans. To Rosknak, the country was uninhabited from the 
same cause, but from that place we journeyed 40 miles to Herat, by many little 
fortified villages, and well watered lands of cultivation : as we advanced these 
crowded on each other till they filled the valley, and our road lay through them to 
under the very walls of the city. 
Herdt is a well fortified town, ^ of a mile square. It contains about 45 000 inhabi- 
tants, the majority of whom are Sheahs ; and there may he 1000 Hindus settled 
there, and 40 families of Jews. The outside wall is thickly built upon a solidmound 
formed by the earth of a wet ditch, which filled by springs within itself, goes en- 
tirely round the city. There are five gates, defended each by a small out-work, and 
on the north side is a strong citadel (also surrounded by a wet ditch) which over- 
looks the town. The interior of Herat is divided into quarters, by four long bazars, 
covered with arched brick, which meet in a small domed quadrangle in the centre of 
the city. It contains 4000 dwelling houses, 1200 shops, 17 caravanseris, and 20 baths, 
besides many mosques, and public reservoirs of water. The city itself, is I should 
imagine, one of the dirtiest in the world, but without the walls all is beauty. 
Heidt is situated at tour miles’ distance from bills on the north, and 12 from those 
which run south of it. The space between the hills is one beautiful extent of little 
tortified villages, gardens, vineyards, and corn fields 2 ; and this rich scene is 
lightened by many small streams of shining water, which cut the plain in all 
directions. A bihid is thrown across the Herirud, and its waters are thus conducted 
over the vale of Herkt, so that every part of it is watered. 
The most delicious fruits, of every kind, are grown in the valley ; the necessa- 
ries ot life are plentiful and cheap ; and the bread and water of Herdt are 
proverbial for their excellence. The climate of this country is said to be salubrious; 
the heat is excessive for two months in summer, and in winter much snow falls. 
On the 24th of September, the thermometer stood at 85° (in the shade, at the 
hottest time of the day) : between that date and the 8th of October, it fell gradu- 
ally to 05° ; and on the four last days of our stay at Herat, it stood at 70°. The 
nights were very cold, and winter was evidently fast approaching. 
Abbas KhAn, a Persian nobleman, in Shah Kamran’s service, with whom we 
had made acquaintance on the road, gave us a small house to live in during our 
stay. The second night, after our arrival, we were subjected to an inquisitorial 
* r,le,e are 450 villages of Suni population immediately round Herat. Their lan<b 
are watered by 8 large canals, and 125 kahrezes, and the yearly produce ofwheatand 
Mi ey is averaged at 22000 khur-wars, or asses’ loads of about 725 lbs. English each. 
