1 318
2 DEOOAUN&
3 them to ridicida Thsj are often employed about tlie court, in
4 offioet connected with money or accomrta ; the doty of stevraxd aad
5 treasurer about every greet 'man» is eKeraaed eidier by a Hindob or
6 a Feraian. There ham even been Hindoo governors of proiruioeib
7 and at this moment the great government of Feshawer has bean pnt
8 into the hands of a penNm of that leUgUm. The people^ bewever,
9 view the appdintment with more surprise than approbation, and the .
10 government must be strong to be able t o support such an agent.
11 I have mentioned the degree of toleration which the Hindoos
12 meet with, and have only to add, that many of them are in verj'
13 good circumstances, and thnf thcv possess the best houses in every
14 town, it' we except tlie jialiices ol theaiiobilitv.
15 The Hindoos represent Uiemseh es to l>e rnii^rants from India, wlio
16 settled in Afgiiaunistaun at no very remote period, and theur t»toxy
17 appears to be well founded. *
18 The tribe, or rather the nation ot the D^jgauns, wlutli s( ems to
19 have once been spread over most of the north-east of Afglmuuistaun,
20 is now confined to the valley of Coonner, and some parts of the
21 neighbouring country of Luglnnaun. ' , '
22 It is iu Coonner alone Liial they still ioim a separate people ; they
23 are there under a diief, who is sometimes called the Synd, and some-
24 * There are, however, some tnoei of an aacfaat noe of idoUrtm in A%hB«nwtMB,
25 such are the colossal idols of Baomecaun, and the numerous little statu^f whu-rh nrt- orrn-
26 aionally dug up in the ootmtry of the Eimauks. Some places have abo Hindoo l<^end»
27 ttHttAtA to dtenny but none trt of vndNibtitd tnti(|iiiiy. ^Rw Oonfcnltjfi 'vhsra tfK ttnh
28 rtamni at PctliMMr vtands, was a place of Hindoo worship in Bauber's tine. Tbane b
29 a cave of vast extent nenr Auksorai, north of CaubuK which the Hindoo<< sny wns the
30 scene of the Tapasya, or ascetic devotion o{ Gnrug, a Bnunin who belonged to the
31 hooMhold of X^duia, and wfaidb Csptain Willbnl tuppom to bs the cm «f Vn-
32 inctheus, or rafter die cafe iHudiAeOncfa irMi Alesw^ Aiink
33 Researches.
34 The Mahonunedan historians speak oi Kajas of C«ubul in ancient tines, but this
35 limMa noddn^ ftrdie Mme mitm ctffad die Hiadoes OaelfM) end MabommcdMW
36 are not accurate in thdmiecr dw mM' Ra^ at w ifacnni faj TIppiM^e edttag die-Kiqg
37 of England.
38 Digitized by Google