1 i 6" )
2 ACCOUMT OF lOMB MBIOBSOinUNO COIRmXBt.
3 ^T^HOUGH they arc not included in the King of Caubul's dominions, I
4 make no npoiogy for giving an account of the Caufir^, or for stutincr ihv
5 tew iact.s I know about Budukshaun and JsLauslikaur, countries of whicii the
6 names alone are known in Europe.
7 , The followiug |)a&i»age is quoted in Rennd'i Memoir of a Map of Hin-
8 diwrtiffl-
9 . ** There is a oertaiii tribe at thie dey uiiilntuig modern Bijore (Bajour),
10 or iit least there not long ago^ who pretend to he the descendants of
11 M certain persons belonging to ihat conqueror's (Alexander's) army, who they
12 say, were letl tliere as he passed through the country. Both Abool Fuzl
13 *f imd Soc^uu Rae report tliis tradition without material variation. The latter,
14 M indeed, adds that tiieae Europeana (^f we jnnj qril fhfm ao^ oontiiuwd to
15 " ^eaenre that aacendanqr over tfaev nei^fabonn y^oA their anceatoia maj
16 ^<.be|8Dppqsed to have possessed '«Hbiieii tiiey first settled here*" (KiApati^V
17 IdSS. quoted in Rennell's Memoir, page i6?, Ed. 1704).
18 It may easily be supposed ibat this account excited great attention during
19 ;die journey of the mission to Caubu^ and tb^t we were not long at Peshawer
20 bdiire wo bcigan to enquire after our Ma<:ffdniiian ncigJibourB. We were
21 400B oU^pdto givs iq|» an opmioo, derived from AIk>oI Ibd, that theee qolo-
22 nists weie a Inm^i of the Busoizyes ; but we learned that the Caufirs, ape(^
23 pie in the mountains north of Bajour, had many points of character in com-
24 mon with the Greeks. Tliey were celebrated for their heauty and their
25 European complexion, worshipped idols, drank wine in silver cups or vases,
26 used chairs and tables, and spoke a langu^e unknown to their neighbourly.
27 ^ it ym not eaejr to gratify ^ cniioaitjr these descnptkma evit«^ Ibr
28 ahhou^ I vfAj determined to aend a penop to make enquiriea on 13» apo^
29 'it aeemed impossible to prevail on any one ^copeify qoalifoc^ to engage in a
30 loumcgr into the coontiy of a people amozi^ vbom there was no action ao
31 4«
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