EARLY ARAB GEOGRAPHERS.
given rise to a proverbial saying. They are stout in person, and wear the Turkish costume. The country produces wheat, rice, various grains, sheep, and oxen. They eat sheep which have died a natural death, but not oxen, as we have already observed. From
Kandahár to Nahrwára is five days’ journey in carriages. The people of Kandahár are often at war with those of Kabul, which is an Indian city, large and well built, bordering upon Tukháristán. The mountains produce excellent aloe wood, and the neighbourhood supplies cocoa nuts and myrobolans, which grow in the hills, and of that sort which is called Kábuli, from this town. In the lowlands saffron is largely cultivated, and is the object of a large export trade. It is a hazardous crop, depending upon the state of the atmosphere. The city of Kandahár is defended by a very strong citadel built upon a scarped rock, and is accessible by one road only. It is inhabited by Musulmáns, and there is a quarter in which the infidel Jews dwell. No king can take the title of Sháh until he has been inaugurated at Kábul. According to an ancient law, the assumption of power must be made in that city, hence it is resorted to from foreign and very distant countries. In the fertile lands of Kábul a good deal of indigo is cultivated of the very best quality, it has a great repute, and is the object of a great trade. Cotton cloths are also made here, and are exported to China, Khurásán, and Sind. There are some well-known iron mines in the mountains of Kábul. The metal is of a grey colour, and veined—it becomes very sharp.
Arzalán, Khawás, and Khibar are dependencies of Kábul, with divers villages and fortified places. From Kábul to Khawás four days. From Khawás to Hasak five days. From Hasak to Kábul, through a tolerably level country, three days. From Kábul to Kalbata four days. Kalbata and Rúmala are on the borders of the desert which separates Multan from Sijistán, They are both towns of middling size, inhabited by Sindians, Indians, and a few natives of Sijistán. They produce wheat, rice, and fruits in small quantities. The drinking water is obtained from fountains and wells. Cotton cloths are made here, and sold in the country round. At the east of Multán is the town of Aughasht, four days’ journey
from Kandahár and the same from Multán. A small quantity of
