founding of Heraut is attributed. It is asserted by others, with far greater probability, to have been built by Secunder Zoolkurnyne, that is, by Alexander the Great. The traditions of the Persians here agree with the conjectures of European geographers, who fix on this site for one of the cities called Alexandria.

The ancient city stood till the reign of the Ghiljies, when Shauh Hoossein founded a new city under the name of Husseinabad. Nadir Shauh attempted again to alter the site of the town, and built Nadirabad; at last Ahmed Shauh founded the present city, to which he gave the name of Ahmed Shauhee, and the title of Ashrefool Belaud, or the noblest of cities; by that name and title it is still mentioned in public papers, and in the language of the court; but the old name of Candahar still prevails among the people, though it has lost its rhyming addition of Daurool Kurrar, or the abode of quiet. Ahmed Shauh himself marked out the limits of the present city, and laid down the regular plan which is still so remarkable in its execution; he surrounded it with a wall, and proposed to have added a ditch but the Dooraunees are said to have objected to his fortifications, and to have declared that their ditch was the Chemen of Bistaun (a meadow near Bistaun in the most western part of Persian Khorasṣaun). Candahar was the capital of the Dooraunee empire in Ahmed Shauh's time, but Timour changed the seat of government to Caubul.

number of inhabitants it contains. I have always heard that Candahar was larger than Heraut; but Captain Christie, who resided for a month at Heraut, considers the numbers of its inhabitants to be 100,000, a number which I cannot reconcile with the comparison I have heard between Candahar and Peshawer.

The form of Candahar is an oblong square, and as it was built at once, on a fixed plan, it has the advantage of great regularity.Four long and broad bazars meet in the middle of the town, and at the place of their junction, there is a circular space of about forty or fifty yards in diameter, covered with a dome, into which all the four streets lead.

This place is called the Chaursoo; it is surrounded with shops, and may be considered as the public market-place; it is there that proclamations are made, and that the bodies of criminals are exposed to the view of the populace. Part of the adjoining bazar is also covered in, as is usual in Persia, and in the west of the Afghaun dominions.

The four bazars are each about fifty yards broad; the sides consist of shops of the same size and plan, in front of which runs an uniform veranda for the whole length of the street. These shops are only one story high, and the lofty houses of the town are seen over them. There are gates issuing into the country at the end of all the bazars, except the northern one, where stands the King's palace facing the Chaursoo.

Its external appearance is described as not remarkable, but it contains several courts, many buildings,

buildings, and a private garden. All the bazars, except that leading to the palace, were at one time planted with trees; and a narrow canal is said to have run down the middle of each; but many of the trees have withered, and if the canals ever existed, they are no longer visible. The city is, however, very well watered by two large canals drawn from the Urghundaub, which are crossed in different places by little bridges. From these canals, small watercourses run to almost every street in the town, which are in some streets open, and in some under ground. All the other streets run from the four great bazars. Though narrow, they are all straight, and almost all cross each other at right angles.

The town is divided into many Mohullas, or quarters, each of which belongs to one of the numerous tribes and nations which form the inhabitants of the city. Almost all the great Dooraunees have houses in Candahar, and some of them are said to be large and elegant.

There are many caravanserais and mosques; but of the latter, one only near the palace is said to be handsome. The tomb of Ahmed Shauh also stands near the palace; it is not a large building, but has a handsome cupola, and is elegantly painted, gilt, and otherwise ornamented within. It -is held in high veneration by the Dooraunees, and is an asylum against all enemies, even the King not venturing to touch a man who has taken refuge there. When any of the great lords are discontented, it is common for them to give out that they intend to quit

the world, and to spend their lives in prayer at the tomb of Ahmeed Shauh; and certainly, if ever an Asiatic king deserved the gratitude of his country, it was Ahmed Shauh.

On the whole, Candahar, though it is superior to most of the cities in Asia in its plan, is by no means magnificent. It is built for the most part of brick, often with no other cement than mud. The Hindoos, as usual, have the best houses of the common people, and they adhere to their custom of building them very high. The streets of Candahar are very crowd ed from noon till evening, and all the various trades that have been described at Peshawer, are also carried on there, except that of watersellers, which is here unnecessary, as there are reservoirs every where, furnished with leathern buckets, fitted to handles of wood or horn, for people to draw water with. Ballad-singers and story-tellers are also numerous in the bazars, and all articles from the west are in much greater plenty and perfection than at Peshawer.

Contrary to what is the case with other cities in Afghaunistaun, the greater part of the inhabitants of Candahar are Afghauns, and of these by far the greater number are Dooraunees. But their condition here bears no resemblance to that of their brethren in the country. The peculiar institutions of the Afghaun tribes are superseded by the existence of a strong government, regular courts of law, and an efficient police.— The rustic customs of the Afghauns are also in a great measure laid aside: and, in exteriors, the inhabitants of Candahar a good

deal

deal resemble the Persians; the resemblance is, however, confined to the exterior, for their characters are still marked with all the peculiarities of their nation. The other inhabitants are Taujiks, Eimauks, Hindoos, Persians, Seestaunees, and Beloches, with a few Uzbeks, Arabs, Armenians, and Jews.

There are many gardens and orchards round Candahar, and many places of worship, where the inhabitants make parties more for pleasure than devotion. Their way of life is that of the other inhabitants of towns, which has already been explained.

PESHAWER.

(From the Same.)

The plain, in which the city is situated, is nearly circular, and about 35 miles in diameter. Except for a small space on the east, it is surrounded with mountains, of which the range of the Indian Caucasus on the north, and the Peak of Suffaidoch on the southwest are the most conspicuous.The northern part is divided by three branches of the Caubul river, which unite before they leave the plain. It is also watered by the rivulets of Barra and Budina, which flow from the mountains to the river of Caubul.

When we entered Peshawer in March, the upper parts of the mountains around were covered with snow, while the plain was clothed with the richest verdure, and the climate was delicious. Most of the trees were then bare, but enough were in leaf to give rich

ness and variety to the prospect; and, in the course of a fortnight, the numerous gardens and scattered trees were covered with new foliage, which had a freshness and brilliancy, never seen in the perpetual summer of India. Many streams ran through the plain.Their banks were fringed with willows and tamarisks. The orchards scattered over the country, contained a profusion of plum, peach, apple, pear, quince, and pomegranate trees, which afforded a greater display of blossom than I ever before witnessed; and the uncultivated parts of the land were covered with a thick elastic sod, that perhaps never was equalled but in England. The greater part of the plain was highly cultivated, and irrigated by many watercourses and canals. Never was a spot of the same extent better peopled. From one height, Lieutenant Macartney took the bearings of thirty-two villages, all within a circuit of four miles.The villages were generally large, and remarkably clean and neat, and almost all set off with trees. There were little bridges of masonry over the streams, each of which had two small towers for ornament at each end. The greater part of the trees on the plain were mulberries, or other fruit trees.— Except a few picturesque groups of dates, the only tall trees were the Ficus Religiosa or peepul, and the tamarisk, which last grows here to the height of 30 or 40 feet. Its leaves, being like those of the cypress, and very thick, the groves composed of it are extremely dark and gloomy. The town of Peshawer itself stands on an uneven surface. It is upwards of

five miles round; and contains about 100,000 inhabitants. The houses are built of brick (generally unburnt), in wooden frames: they are commonly three stories high, and the lower story is generally occupied by shops. The streets are narrow, as might be expected, where no wheeled-carriages are used: they are paved, but the pavement sloping down to the kennel, which is in the middle, they are slippery, and incovenient. Two or three brooks run through different parts of the town; and, even there, are skirted with willows and mulberry trees. They are crossed by bridges, none of which, however, are in the least remarkable.

There are many mosques in the town; but none of them, or of the other public buildings, deserve notice, except the Balla Hissaur, and the fine Caravansera. The Balla Hissaur is a castle of no strength, on a hill, north of the town it contains some fine halls, commands a romantic prospect, and is adorned with some very pleasing and spacious gardens; but, as it is only the occasional residence of the King, it is now much neglected. On the north it presents a commanding aspect; but a view of it from the side nearest the town, discloses strong signs of weakness and decay. Some of the palaces of the great are splendid, but few of the nobility have houses here.

The inhabitants of Peshawer are of Indian origin, but speak Pushtoo as well as Hindkee. There are, however, many other inhabitants of all nations; and the concourse is increased, during the King's visits to Peshawer. We had

many opportunities of observing this assemblage in returning from our morning rides; and its effect was heightened by the stillness and solitude of the streets, at the early hour at which we used to set out. A little before sunrise, people began to assemble at the mosques to their morning devotions. After the hour of prayer, some few appeared sweeping the streets before their doors, and some great men were to be seen going to their early attendance at Court. They were always on horseback, preceded by from ten to twelve servants on foot, who walked pretty fast, but in perfect order, and silence: nothing was heard, but the sound of their feet. But, when we returned, the streets were crowded with men of all nations and languages, in every variety of dress and appearance. The shops were all open. Dried fruits, and nuts, bread, meat, boots, shoes, saddlery, bales of cloth, hardware, readymade clothes, and posteens, books, &c. were either displayed in tiers in front of the shops, or hung up on hooks from the roof. Amongst the handsomest shops were the fruiterers, (where apples, melons, plums, and even oranges, though these are rare at Peshawer, were mixed in piles with some of the Indian fruit); and the cook-shops, where every thing was served in earthen dishes, painted and glazed, so as to look like china. In the streets were people crying greens, curds, &c., and men, carrying water in leathern bags at their backs, and announcing their commodity by beating on a brazen cup, in which they gave a draught to a passenger for a trifling piece of

money.

money. With these were mixed people of the town in white turbans, some in large white or dark blue frocks, and others in sheepskin cloaks; Persians and Afghauns, in brown woollen tunics, or flowing mantles, and caps of black sheep-skin or coloured silk; Khyberees, with the straw sandals, and the wild dress and air of their mountains; Hindoos, uniting the peculiar features and manner of their own nation, to the long beard, and the dress of the country; and Hazaurehs, not more remarkable for their conical caps of skin, with the wool, appearing like a fringe round the edge, and for their broad faces, and little eyes, than for their want of the beard, which is the ornament of every other face in the city. Among these, might be discovered, a few women, with long white veils, that reached their feet, and some of the King's retinue, in the grotesque caps, and fantastic habits, which mark the class to which each belongs. Sometimes a troop of armed horsemen passed, and their appearance was announced by the clatter of their horses hoofs on the pavement, and by the jingling of their bridles. Sometimes, when the King was going out, the streets were choaked with horse and foot, and dromedaries bearing swivels, and large waving red and green flags; and, at all times, loaded dromedaries, or heavy Bactrian camels, covered with shaggy hair, made their way slowly through the streets; and mules, fastened together in circles of eight or ten, were seen off the road, going round and round to cool them after their labour, while their keepers were indulging at an

eating-house, or enjoying a smoke of a hired culleeaun in the street. Amidst all this throng, we generally passed without any notice, except a salaum alaikum from a passenger, accompanied by a bow, with the hands crossed in front, or an application from a beggar, who would call out for relief from the Feringee Khauns, admonish us that life was short, and the benefit of charity immortal, or remind us that what was little to us was a great deal to them.

It sometimes happened, that we were descried by a boy from a window; and his shout of Ooph Feringhee would bring all the women and children in the house to stare at us till we were out of sight.

The roads in the country were seldom very full of people, though they were sometimes enlivened by a group of horsemen going out to forage, and listening to a Pushtoo or Persian song, which was shouted by one of their companions.— It was common in the country to meet a man of the lower order with a hawk on his fist, and a pointer at his heels; and we frequently saw fowlers catching quails among the wheat, after the harvest was far enough advanced. was fastened at one corner of the field, two men held each an end of a rope stretched across the opposite corner, and dragged it forward, so as to shake all the wheat, and drive the quails before it into the net, which was dropped as soon as they entered. The numbers caught in this manner are almost incredible.

A net

Nothing could exceed the civility of the country people. We were often invited into gardens, and we were welcomed in every

village