Margiana and part of Bactriana to the north ; Parthia, with
a small portion of the desert of Carmania, on the west; and,
finally, Drangiana and part of Arachosia oh the south.1
According to Arrian, the capital was called Artacaona,2
near which place, during the advance of the Macedonian
conqueror, was constructed the city of Alexandria in Ariis.3
The vicinity of this place to Bactria, as well as its distance
from the Caspian Sea, seems to indicate that the Persian city
of roses coincides with the ancient capital; especially as it
stands upon the great commercial route above alluded to. If
this opinion be correct, the river of Herat will be the same
as the Arius, which passes near the city founded during the
advance of the conqueror,4 and which is known to be lost in
the soil of Turkistan, as described by Arrian.6
To the south-east of the territory of Herat is the valley of
the Helmand, and in the same direction onward is the extensive
province of Kandahar. From its source in 34° 40' N.
latitude, and 49° E. longitude (a little way west of Kabul),
the Helmand flows S.W., and in 32° N. latitude it receives,
on the eastern side, a stream formed by the united waters of
the Urghand-ab, the Turnuk, and the Urghesaun rivers,
which descend from the mountain-chains lying to the N.E.,
and water the principal portion of the province. The site of
Kandahar is supposed to represent the Greek Alexandropolis.6
The present town was the capital till Timour Shah removed
the seat of government to Kabul. At this time it was
distinguished by the appellation of Ahmed Shahi, or Ashriful
Bolaud (the noblest of cities), but the older name of Kandahar
still prevails among the people.7
It stands upon an elevated plain, in a fertile and cultivated
country ; it is watered by a canal from the Urghand-ab river,
and is defended by a substantial, loop-holed mud wall, with
towers, and a narrow ditch. There are six gates, one of
1 Ogilby’s Asia, p. 3 9 ; and Ptol., lib. VI., c. xvii.
2 Book VI., p. 231. Venice, 1562.
3 Ptol., lib. VI., c. xviii. < Pliny, lib. VI., c. xxiii.
5 Lib. IV., c. vi.; and Strabo, XI., p. 511.
• Letter from Major Rawlinson to the Secretary of the Geographical Society,
May 1, 1841. 7 Elphinstone’s Kdbul, p. 423.
which leads to the citadel, a triangular structure towards the
north side of the town. Kandahar is a parallelogram, lying
north and south; it has a circumference of 4 miles, and contains
about 13,000 brick houses, and nearly 60,000 inhabitants.
In addition to Several fine mosques and karvanserai's, there
is an arched rotunda, called Chahar-su, which contains shops,
and serves likewise for a place of public resort. This remarkable
building occupies the centre of the town, and from it the
four great divisions of the bazaars diverge; three of these
lead to different gates, and the fourth to the king’s palace.1
The direction of the valley of the Helmand continues to
the south-west, after the river of that name has received the
Turnuk, and the streams already mentioned \ and, farther on,
there are other valleys, which approach it from the southern,
or come into it from the northern side. The principal of the
former are those of Pishin, which lie along the left bank of
the Lorah river, and Shorawuk, which last forms a continuation
of the rich province of Shal, and extends to a point at
some distance short of the Helmand, where the river Lorah
is lost. A little westward of the termination of the Lorah
the river Kash enters the HHrnand from the north. Some
of the valleys along the tributaries of the last river are rich
and flourishing, and resemble those which penetrate the
Khwajeh’ Amran range from the west. The hills throughout
these tracts are occupied by a numerous race of shepherds,
and inclose many villages, besides plains of moderate size,
some of which are well cultivated * the rest are appropriated
to pastoral Camps.2
The country near the banks of the Helmand is also well
cultivated and fruitful, and has a fine rich soil, which is
irrigated by the river; but the utmost breadth of this fertile
land does not exceed two miles.3 The great Valley of the
Helmand, therefore, presents that remarkable contrast which,
in the east, is the result of the presence or absence of water;
for a single step carries the traveller from the uninhabited
1 MS. notes of Mr. Masson’s First Journey into Afghanistan.
3 Elphinstone’s Kdbul, p. 452.
3 Captain Christie, in Fottinger’s Travels, p. 401.