1 117
2 trom tlie cultivation, of the Soorkaiib, a rivuJet, which rises in the
3 hill of Kund, near the source of tlie Zhobe. It aiWwarils runs
4 through a narrow delile iii the hills of Speen Taizeh into Shoraubuk,
5 where it breaks iuto two branches. They unite again to the west of
6 that country ; and the whole is lost in the neighbourhowl ol Choghje
7 in tlie (lunnseer. The length of Lora is near two hundred miles,
8 aad it ia of a considerable breadth ; but never too deep to be forded,
9 fixr more than a weA. at a time. h» banks are bo high in Fiaheen, as
10 to prevent its bdng employed for irrigation } but in Shoraubuk they
11 are lower, and it supplies almost all the water nsed in agriculture.
12 The river, which was anciently caUed the Orchufl» can scarcely be -
13 reckoned to belong to A%hauni8taun. It rises at Oba in the Fkuo-
14 pamisan mountains, and nms past HerauL U continues to run
15 westerly for a short distance, through A^l^aun and Persian Khoras-
16 saun ; after which, it runs north, and enters the deaart on the left of
17 the Oxus. It is said formerly to have reached the Caspian Sea; but
18 I believe^ it is now lost in the desart. It is crossed between Merve
19 and Meshhed ; but I have no particular information regarding ita
20 lower course. It was anciently ciilled Herirood j but is now known
21 to the Persians and Afghauns by the name of PooUee MauUum, and
22 to the l^zbeks by that of Tejend.
23 Thouiih there are m an v streams in Aftrhaunistann as larfje in thorn-
24 selves as some of those I have mentioned, i need take no noiice of
25 them, unless their importance is raised by their contributing to a
26 great river, or by some other circumstance of that kind. It there-
27 fore only remains to mention tlie streams, which form the only lake
28 of which I have heaid ia A^haunistaun. The Pultsee, the Jiiga,
29 and another rivulet, issue from the mountains of Solimaun, north of
30 the range of Sirrufka, and flow west into the lake, irihich is situated
31 to the south-soiitb-west of Ghnaneo» and about two mazdbes south-
32 west of Mybolank.
33 It was on one of these stranns that Sukaun Mahmood huQt his
34 fiunous embankmoit, which siqiplied the city of Ghusnee^ and ita
35 neig^bouiiiood, with water $ and whSdi was destroyed by one of the
36 • ♦ Q 3