much larger. I have heard of a Cauraiz near Subzewaur in Persian Khorassaun, through which a horseman might ride with his lance over his shoulder. The number of wells, and, consequently, the length of the Cauraiz, depend on the number of springs met with, as the chain is generally continued, either till water enough has been obtained, or till the wells become so deep, as to render it inconvenient to proceed. I have heard of various lengths, from two miles to thirty-six, but I should suppose the usual length was under the lowest of those measures.

It may be supposed that the expense of so laborious a structure must be great, but the rich are fond of laying out their money on those means of bringing waste land into cultivation, and it is by no means uncommon for the poor to associate to make a Cauraiz, and to divide the land which it irrigates, among them.

Cauraizes are very common in all the west of the country, and their numbers are on the increase. I know but of one on the east of the range of Solimaun, which is at Tuttore in Damaun. They are in use over all Persia, as they have been in Toorkistaun, but they are now neglected in the latter country. Even their name is unknown in India.

1. These are the only important modes of artificial irrigation. Wells and ponds are scarcely used, except to drink from, and there are not many instances of those reservoirs so common in the south of India, where a great body of water is collected by an embankment thrown across a valley. A famous one at Ghuznee will hereafter be mentioned, and there are some of great magnitude in the Paropamisan mountains, but they are not general throughout the country.

At Peshawer, and for a considerable space on the eastern side of the Indus, during the whole of its course, the Persian wheel is used for raising water; in most places from wells, but at Peshawer from rivers, on the banks of which the machinery is erected.

A portion of the land is not watered by artificial means; many spots among the hills in various parts of the kingdom, and even some of the richest parts of the plains, depend entirely on the rain which

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falls on their surface: other parts are so situated, from their being in a basin, or on the banks of a river, that they are always moist enough for cultivation. These lands are called Lulm, or Khooshkaubeh, and, with the exception of some tracts in the east, are comparatively unpro ductive: they are probably inferior to the irrigated lands in extent, and are certainly so in importance.

I am by no means qualified to describe the whole process of cultivation among the Afghauns. I shall, however, give some particulars respecting the culture of wheat, which is the great grain of the country. The land is always watered before it is ploughed, in every situation where water can be obtained. It is ploughed deeper than is usual in India, and with a heavier plough, but still one pair of oxen are found quite sufficient for the labour. The drill plough which is used in India, is not known, and all the sowing is broad-cast. The place of a harrow is supplied by a plank, which is dragged over the field; a man stands on it to guide the cattle, and increase the effect of the harrow by his weight. After this operation, some farmers give another water, but most leave it till the grain has risen to a considerable height, when they turn in cattle to eat it down; after which they water it again, and some give another water in winter; but in most parts of the country it is either covered by the snow throughout that season, or sufficiently moistened by the winter rain. The rains in spring are material to the wheat, but do not supersede the necessity of irrigation; one water at least must be given in the course of the season; but some water three times a month till the corn begins to ripen. It may be remarked in passing, that the spring-sown harvest requires much more water than that of which I am now speaking. The crop is reaped with the sickle, which indeed is the only instrument used for cutting down grass, and all kinds of grain. The use of the flail is unknown for separating the grain from the straw; it is either trodden out by oxen, or forced out by a frame of wood filled with branches, on which a man sits, and is dragged over the straw by cattle. This seems to be the way in Persia also. It is winnowed, by being thrown up to the wind with a large shovel. When cleared,

the grain is generally kept in large round hampers (like gabions), which are supported by wooden feet, and plastered with mud. It is also kept in unburnt earthen vessels, and in coarse hair-cloth bags. The Dooraunees often heap it up in barns; and in towns it is stored in large granaries.

It is ground into flour by wind-mills, water-mills, or hand-mills. The wind-mill is not generally used, except in the west, where a steady wind can be relied on for four months in the year at least. The ruins of old wind-mills are to be seen as far east as Caubul and Ghuznee, but they are certainly not common in those countries at present: one ruined wind-mill is in existence even on the borders of Damaun, where the use of such a machine is now never thought of, Nothing can be imagined more different from our wind-mill than the sort in question; I have examined a model of one, but have not a sufficiently distinct recollection of it to enable me to describe it fully. The sails are enclosed within the building, in which there is an opening to admit the wind. They are square or oblong in shape, are placed upright, and move on a vertical axis: when in motion, each in succession is brought to the opening so as to receive the wind, which presses against each, as the water does against the float-board of a water-mill. The mill-stone is immediately below the sails, which move it without the intervention of machinery.

The water-mills are also exceedingly different from any that I have seen, though I understand a similar kind is used in the Shetland isles. The wheel is horizontal, and the feathers are disposed obliquely, so as to resemble the wheel of a smoke-jack. It is within the mill, and immediately below the mill-stone, which turns on the same spindle with the wheel. The water is introduced into the mill by a trough, so as to fall on the wheel. The wheel itself is not, if I recollect right, more than four feet in diameter. This sort of mill is used all over Afghaunistaun, Persia, and Toorkistaun. It is also used in the north of India, under the Sireenuggur hills, but, in general, no water-mills are known in India, where all grain is ground with the hand.

The hand-mill is used by the part of the population that live in tents, and also in the rudest parts of the country; it is simply two flat round stones, the uppermost of which rests on a pivot fixed in the lowest, and is turned by a wooden peg, which is fastened in it for a handle. Except where hand-mills are used, a miller has a distinct trade, and is paid by a share of the corn which he grinds.

I can say little about the succession of crops adopted by the husbandmen of Afghaunistaun. It seems to be only in the very poorest parts of the country that land is allowed to lie fallow for a year. It is more frequent to cultivate the autumn harvest one year, and the spring one the next, but in some places where manure is in plenty, both are raised in one year. The manure used is composed of dung and straw collected in dunghills, of ashes, the mud of old walls, and various other substances. The dung of camels is carefully avoided, from a notion that it impregnates the land with saltpetre. Lime and marle seem both to be unknown.

Horses are employed to draw the plough in Toorkistaun, and in the Eimauk country, but in no other part of Afghaunistaun, nor in Persia nor in India. That task is generally performed by oxen, but in Shoraubuk and in Seweestaun, it is done by camels (which animal is also used in the kingdom of Cokaun or Terghauna, and in the Indian Desart), and asses are employed in some parts of Afghaunistaun. Grain, manure, &c. are generally carried about the farm by asses or bullocks, and sometimes by camels: carts, as has been observed, do not exist in the country.

CHAP. XII.

TAUJIKS, HINDKEES, AND OTHER INHABITANTS OF AFGHAUNISTAUN.

IT

*

has been observed, that there is scarcely any part of Afghaunistaun in which the whole population is Afghaun, and that the mixture is composed of Taujiks in the West, and of Hindkees in the East. I now proceed to give an account of those classes, and of the other tribes and nations that are to be met with in Afghaunistaun.

The situation in which we find the Taujiks is calculated to excite a degree of curiosity, which my information is ill calculated to remove. The Taujiks are not united into one body, like most other nations, or confined to one country, but are scattered unconnected through a great part of Asia. They are mixed with the Uzbeks through the greater part of their dominions, in the same manner as with the Af ghauns. The fixed inhabitants of Persia are called Taujiks, in contradistinction to their Tartar invaders; and also to the moving tribes, who seem to have been originally Persian. They are found even in Chinese Toorkistaun; and they possess independent governments, in the mountainous countries of Kurrategeen, Durwauz, Wukkeekha, and Budukhshaun. Except in those strong countries, and in a few sequestered places, which will be mentioned hereafter, they are never

* Bauber enumerates the tribes which inhabited Caubul in his day. In the plain were Toorks, Eimauks, and Arabs. In the towns, and in some villages, Taujiks, Pushauees, and Puraunchehs. In the hills were Hazaurehs, Togderrees, Afghauns, and Caufers. The languages, spoken among these tribes, were Arabic, Persian, Toorkee, Moghoollee, Hindee, Afghaunee, Pushauee, Puraunchee, Gubree, Burrukee, and Deggaunee.