Page:Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal Vol 2.djvu/33

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JOURNAL

OF

THE ASIATIC SOCIETY.


No. 1.—January, 1833.


I. — Continuation of the Route of Lieutenant A. Burnes and Dr. Gerard, from Peshawar to Bokhara.
[The same gentleman who favoured us with the sketch of the route of these travellers to Peshawar (vol. I. 145) had prepared a continuation of his account, derived from the private letters of Dr. Gerard, for insertion in the present number. While

printing it, however, we were, through the kindness of Captain A. Gerard, put in possession of copies of his brother's more recent letters to himself: we have availed ourselves of both ; merely arranging the extracts in the order of the places visited ;

and we beg to offer our acknowledgments to both of our contributors for their permission to give publicity to private correspondence, in the absence of any direct communication to ourselves, relative to a journey which excites so much interest. — Ed.]

The travellers reached Peshawar about the 15th March, Kabul on the 1st May, Khulm, on the 30th May, and Balkh, before the 10th of June. They appear to have made twenty-six marches to the latter place, and to have traversed a space of about five hundred miles. They were induced to stop about 61 days at the principal cities on their way : of which 34 were spent at Peshawar, 17 at Kabul, and 10 at Khulm.

" The trip from Peshawar to Kabul, was very harassing, and to me, ill of fever, superlatively so. The country is naturally difficult, and our mer- ciless guide drove us about regardless of heat and cold; rain, and shelter. Our stay in Kabul was too short to recover such an exertion, and I left that place in the same state of health as I arrived. Dost Muhammed Khan's treatment of us was highly satisfactory, and more than we durst have relied upon, considering the position he occupies. We had none of the assiduous attentions and caresses of his brother at Peshawar : his charac- ter does not admit of familiarity, while his situation equally forbids it ; but his civilities were of the first estimation. Kabul is rising into B