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AMAUN in its most extended sense, comprehends all the country between the Salt range, the Solimauny mountains, the Indus, and Sungur in Upper Sind. I have already disposed of the part of it which lies to the north of the Koorrum and Gombela, and now proceed to the remainder. This may be divided into three parts. The plain of the Indus, generally inhabited by Beloches, and called Muckelwaud*; the country of the Murwuts; and the plains and low hills (about the roots of the mountains) which constitute Damaun proper.

Muckelwaud extends along the Indus for about one hundred and twenty miles. Its mean breadth s from twenty-five to thirty miles. It is a plain of hard smooth clay, quite flat, bare of grass, but sprinkled with bushes about a foot high, and still more thinly scattered with separate bushes of tamarisk, and of the thorny shrub called in India Kureel; with here and there a tree of the sort called Jaut, from fifteen to twenty feet high. The soil, when much trodden on, turns into a very minute whitish dust. It seems to be composed of the slime of the river, which in summer inundates this country for a great extent; at the same time the mountain streams, swelled by the melted snow, pour down and cover all the flats with water. It is seldom very deep, but it seems to lie long from the appearance of the ground,

* This is a Beloche or Hindkee name, little used, and perhaps unknown to the Afghauns.

which is like that at the bottom of a drained pond; it is full of holes, and marked with channels by the water in all parts, and near the river these become considerable ravines.

The banks of the river are covered with thick jungle of low tamarisk, sometimes mixed with long grass, and sometimes with thorny bushes: abounding in wild boars, hog-deer, and all sorts of game. Round the villages are often large woods of dates, the only tall trees on the plain. Where there is cultivation, it is rich; but by far the greater part of the plain is waste, owing to the thinness of the population, and the badness of the government. The southern part of the plain has most jungle; the north is sandy. Camels of the same kind with those of India, are bred here in great numbers.

The principal town, Dera Ismael Khaun, is the residence of the governor, a Beloche appointed by Mahomed Khaun, the King's governor of this province, and Sya.

The people are Juts and Beloches, dark in complexion, and lean and meagre in form; their ordinary dress in summer is of dark coloured cotton; and in winter greyish or striped great coats of coarse woollen cloth, and quilted silk caps. They are perfectly submissive and obedient to the King and his representative.

The country of the Murwuts is composed of sandy and arid plains, divided by ranges of hills. It depends entirely on rain for cultivation, and in many parts the inhabitants are even obliged to carry water for several miles to supply their families.

Half the Murwuts are fixed and employed in agriculture. The rest wander about with their herds of camels; living chiefly in temporary huts of branches of trees, with a wall of thorns, and a roof of straw; some few have black tents of the worst description. They are tall, fair men, and wear a pair of loose trowsers, something thrown over their shoulders, and a handkerchief tied round their heads.

Their country is about thirty-five miles square, stretching from Bunnoo to Muckelwaud, and from near the foot of the Solimauny mountains to the short range of hills which separates Largee from the Indus. It is, however, thinly peopled. In the narrow slip be

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tween the short range of hills just mentioned and the Indus, live the small tribe of Khyssore.

Damaun proper, which lies to the south of the Murwuts, and extends along the foot of the Solimauny mountains, there inhabited by the Vizeerees, Sheeraunees, and Zimurrees, is of equal length with Muckelwaud, but of various breadth, from eight or ten miles to thirty and upwards. It is inhabited by the Dowlutkhail and Gundehpoors, the Meaunkhail, Bauboors, and Stooreeaunees, which tribes, with the exception of the Gundehpoor, are included in the general name of Lohaunee. The Esaukhail, Murwuts, and Khyssores also are comprehended under this denomination. Immediately to the south of the Murwuts, are the Gundehpoors and Dowlutkhails, of which the former are most easterly.

Their country is like Muckelwaud, but better cultivated; particularly that of the Dowlutkhail, which in ordinary years employs all the water of the Gomul in its cultivation. The Gundehpoors have several large villages, of which the chief are Colauchee, Tukwaura, and Lowee. Tuck is the chief town of the Dowlutkhail.

West of the Dowlutkhail are the Tuttores, Meeaunees, Bitnees, and some other small tribes subject to the Dowlutkhail; their country resembles that just described, but is more arid, and worse cultivated, and towards the west it is hilly.

The great road to Caubul runs past Tuck. It follows the course of the Gomul for a considerable distance, and is called from one pass in it, The Road of Gholarie.

To the south of the Dowlutkhail, are the Meeaunkhail, whose country is a little less flat than those I have been describing, and whose chief place is Deraubund.

The chief road from Candahar issues from the hills at Zirkunnee near Deraubund. It goes by Zawa, through a mountainous and difficult country.

To the south of the Meeaunkhail, is the country of the Bauboors, resembling that just described. The valley of Deheneh opens on it from the range of Solimaun, and pours out a stream which waters

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