1 APaHA,f7in8TAUN.
2 I am novr enabled to describe the complu;^t(J limits of the coimtrv
3 of the Al^hauns. On the north, it has Hindoo Coosh, and the i^aro-
4 amisan range. The Indus is its boundary on the east, as long as that
5 river continues near the hills ; that is, as far as lat, 32 20 . The plain
6 on tbe right bank ot On^ hadus, south of lat 32* 20', is inhabited by
7 Bekxihes ; but the chain of Sofimaun, with- <iti •aU»rdii»te riuiges*
8 Mid tlieoouDtiyJmniediately aft their baaei beknigt to'the A^|hMn«*
9 The hilbi.which have been mentioned, as boiindiDg Seewecrtaim on
10 tfae^north, fi«n 'thie,aoiithem.liznits of the ooontiy of the A^jjhauvei
11 The A^^un connti^rJinmediatdy to the north of thcie mountain^
12 dpet not at Ant coctend an far ifeat aa to xeadi the Td>le hiid of
13 Kalaati lrat.it.afberwaidB ahooti )paat it ou the north, and leeefaea to
14 Uie deiarty iiUch ia its nbrth-inertcirn bonndaiy. It iadHliciilf; to len-
15 this incignhtt.boiuidaiy jateDigible;^faut»itissti]lnM»esoto^ve^
16 in a general desciij^on, A netkm of the countiies whioh it oompin*
17 hends. They are so vaiious In their levels dimate, soil, and pvodno^
18 tlons, that I shall not attenrpt at pr^ent to diiitiwgwiih them i biit»
19 shall onljr remark, that the whole of A%hauniitaiui» west of the range
20 of 8oliniann» is a Table land, lying higher than most of the neighboiKw
21 ing countries. Hindoo Coosh, which is its northern bulwark, looks
22 down On the low lands of Bulkh. On the east, k is equally eWated
23 above the still lower plain of the Indus. On the south, it overlooks
24 Seeweestaun ; and, the deep valley of Bolaun, on the south-west, runs
25 between it and Belochistaun. On llie west, indeed, it slopes gradu-
26 ally down to the desart ; and, on the north-west, it loses its appear-
27 ance of elevation betore the Paropamisan mountaim. 'I'he Table
28 land of Kelaut, ouc-ht perhaps to be considered as a coiitiiiiiation of
29 that I have just desi: i i!)pd ; but, the low country, extending to the
30 desart, and tlie valley ot Bolaun, so nearly divide them, tliat it will be
31 con\ enient to treat them as separate. The Afgnauns have no gene*
32 ral name for their country; but, that of Afgliaunistaun, which was
33 probably first employed in Persia, ia Irequently used in books, and is not
34 unknown to the inhabitants of the country to which it applies. I
35 Digitized by Google