'The Rivers of Khoten.—The Karakash, Kara Dereas, or Black River (Kara meaning black in Toorkee, and Kash, river), proceeds from the mountains of Khoten, flows first from east to west as far as Shaheed, Oollah, Kojah. twenty-four kos, then north for twelve kos, where it receives the Toghreesoo river.
'This stream (which signifies the straight water, Toghree, in Toorkee, meaning straight, and Soo, water) takes its rise in the Karhlik Duvan, or Icy mountains (Karlik, place of snow, and Duvan, mountain). After this increase it turns to the north-east, and continues in this diction till it reaches the city of Karakash, situated on its left bank. The whole of this distance, or from the source of the fiver to this city, is about nine days journey.'
'Pursuing its course in the same direction past the city of Yooroongkash, placed on its right bank, and within a quarter of a kos of its stream, in one day's journey more, this fiver unites with the river of Yooroongkash.
'The Yooroongkash, or rapid river, has its source in the Haringhoo Togh, or blind mountain, at three days' journey east from the rise of the Karakash, but in the same chain. It flows in a straight line to the city of Yooroongkash. Its stream is smaller, but more rapid than that of the Karakash, and abounds with jasper-agates[1]
- ↑ 'A widely spread belief obtains in Asia, that if poison intended for the destruction of man be put into a jasper-agate cup, the vessel will fly into pieces, and thus betray the quality of its contents. It is thought by some orientals that liquor drank from a cup of jasper-agate has the power of tranquillizing irregular actions of the heart, especially if aided by rubbing with their vessel the region of this organ, and also the mouth and surrounding parts. It is also reported that any ornament of this material has the quality of diverting from the person of the wearer the stroke of lightning. Absurd as Europeans may consider such attributes, prejudices, sanctioned by antiquity, have great influence on the minds of the inhabitants of the eastern world.'
whole road, which exceeded not a few hundred yards in length, was laid out with judgment, and executed with a solidity that had apparently long braved the influences of the seasons. Beginning abruptly, it ended as suddenly, and as if the last portion had been carried away by an earthslip which had formed a bed for a current. But looking back, I saw, or fancied I saw, its long line sweeping easily across the face of the chain of hills I had skirted. On questioning the peasantry who carried my baggage, respecting the knowledge of this road, they stated that it was called the Badshah's road, and was very ancient.
'Hearing some of them say, that it was the Rae or Rajrah, and not recollecting that the Rajahs of these mountains had been tributary to the Mogul emperors of Delhi, I told my informers that they probably meant the Rajah's road, to which an intelligent old man observed, that it was not made by any Rajah, but by some Baadsh whose name he had never heard. He had heard, he said, that in ancient times much commerce[Subnote 1], which are more highly prized than those of the latter was carried on by it between Hindoostan and some very distant countries. The fragment I allude to is a few kos, as far as my memory serves, to the north-east of the village of Bundalee, which lies, I conceive, to the north-west of the ruined fort of Chandpoor. Perhaps this may have been part of the read to Khoten, and if so, it is presumed not to be improbable that more of its line might be made out by the intelligent and zealous officers employed in surveying that region of the hills.'
- ↑ In regard to the commerce once carried on between Hindoostan and Khotan, see Abulghazis' Evidence, note 310. Mars. Marco Polo; and for the resort of the merchants from Khoten to Delhi, !n the reign of Shah Juhan, see the history of that sovereign.
