1 104 WE8TEBN BRANCHES.
2 Largee, which last is separated from tiie Indus by a hill about thirty
3 miles long.
4 These three branches are crossed by low ranges mnning north and
5 south, two of whirli mav y)orhaps be consiclerwi as coiiliuuatidns of
6 those already mentioned as parallel lo ihe mountains <A' Solimaun.
7 They divide Dour from Bunnoo ; Bunnoo Irom Esaukliail ; and Lar-
8 gee from the Murwut country, which is itself so crossed by ilitK icnt
9 ranges, that it resembles a network of hills enclosing cultivated plums.
10 None of the inter\ als between the Uircc great branches are indeed to
11 be considered as uninterrupted valleys ; besides the ranges which
12 cross them at right angles, they are rou^ened, particokrly towards
13 the west, by minor projections from the principal chain* aooe of
14 which, homevetf are deserving of much notioe^ even if it were posnble
15 to acquire accurate notions regarding them. As the Salt Range, the
16 Range of 84'. >nd the low ridges whidi run across the valley of the
17 Gaubul, all issue from the eastern side of Suffii^ Coh» and graduaflj
18 divei^ from ^tut mountain, the country near the point of their
19 separation is, of course, veiy mountainous. It is inhabited by fixir
20 tribes, who are comprehended under the general name of Khjiieiee.
21 The branches which issue fiom the Solinuumy range to the west^
22 ward, are more difficuk to trest of, than those I have jusi mentioned.
23 I shall, however, give such conjectures as my infoimation has led
24 me to, which althou|^ they will probably not be correct, may be near
25 enough the truth to assist in finmiag a general idea of the oonfop-
26 mation of the country.
27 , The space induded between the valley of the Caubul river, the
28 parallel of Ghuznce ; the meridian of Caubul, and the Solimannee
29 range, appears to be a mountainous region, containing some laige
30 valleys. I cannot discover by how many branches it is formed, or
31 whether, as is probable, they are crossed by ridges parallel to tlie
32 principal chain : but the mountains certainly extend nearly to tlie
33 road from (.huznee to Caubul, nm\ leave but a narrow valley between
34 tliem and tiie Paropamisan hiiis. Their Streams flow towards the
35 west, into the valley just mentioned.
36 10
37 Digitized by Gopglc