si <^ n*!! #' % %, <<• Sy' cfit cct '<ril30NVS01^ .^V\E•UNIVER% <S' — ^ . _ o -v^lllBRARY^'/ ^,OF•CALIFO%. .^V\EUNIVER5•/A '^ <s — 13 , ^WEUNIVERiV/, S3 ^UIBRa/^^' lYL TRAVELS INTO BOKHARA, VOL. Ill, London : Printed l)y A. SroxriswooDE, Ne\v-St!C'(.'t-Squarc, -I ft i^i TRAVELS BOKHARA; BEING THE ACCOUNT OF A JOURNEY FROM INDIA TO CABOOL, TARTARY, AND PERSIA; ALSO, NARRATIVE OF A VOYAGE ON THE INDUS, FROM THE SEA TO LAHORE, WITH PRESENTS FROM THE KIMG OF GREAT BRITAIV ; PERFORMED UNDER THE ORDERS OF THE SUPREME GOVERNMENT OF INDIA, IN THE YEARS 1831, 1832, AND 1833. BY LIEUT. ALEX'^ BURNES, F.R.S. OF THE EAST INDIA COMPANY'S SERVICE ; AST POLITICAL RESIDENT IN CUTCH, AND LATE ON A MISSION TO THE COURT OF LAHORE. " Pel" syrtt's iter ;ostiiosas, jiir iii/iosjiifalem Ccnicti.<uin, vel quce locu fubidonus l.umhit Ili/daspes." Hon. IN THREE VOLUMES. VOL. III. LONDON: JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET. MDCCCXXXIV. OK fTCS V.5 THIS THIRD VOLUME TRAVELS INTO BOKHARA, CONTAINING AN ACCOUNT OF THE RIVER INDUS, IS INSCRIBED TO THE MEMORY OF THE LATE MAJOR-GENERAL SIR JOHN MALCOLM, G.C.B. &c. &c. &c. IN GRATEFUL REMEMBRANCE, THE AUTHOR. A 3 819906 NARRATIVE OF A VOYAGE BY THE RIVER INDUS, FROM THE SEA TO THE COURT OF LAHORE IN THE PUNJAB, WITH PRESENTS FROM THE KING OF GREAT BRITAIN; COMPRISING AN ACCOUNT OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE MISSION, AND A MEMOIR OF THE RIVER INDUS, WITH CURSORY REMARKS ON THE REMAINS OF ANTIQUITY NEAR THAT CLASSICAL AND CELEBRATED STREAM. A 1- INTRODUCTION. I WAS employed as an officer of the Qiiarter- master-general*s department, for several years, in the province of Cutch. In the conrse of en- quiries into its geography and history, I visited the eastern mouth of the Indus, to which the country adjoins, as well as that singular tract called the " Run," into which that river flows. The extension of our knowledge in that quarter served only to excite further curiosity, in which I was stimulated by Lieut-General Sir Thomas Bradford, then Commander-in-Chief of the Bom- bay army. That officer directed his views, in a most enlightened manner, to the acquisition of every information regarding a frontier so im- portant to Britain as that of north-western India. Encouraged by such approbation, for which I am deeply grateful, I volunteered my services, X INTRODUCTION. in the year 1829, to traverse the deserts between India and, the Indus, and finally, endeavour to descend that river to the sea. Such a journey involved matters of political moment ; but the government of Bombay was then held by an in- dividual distinguished above all others, by zeal in the cause of Asiatic geography and literature. Sir John Malcolm despatched me at once, in prosecution of the design, and was pleased to remove me to the political branch of the service, observing, that I should be then invested " with " influence with the rulers, through whose " country I travelled, that would tend greatly " to allay that jealousy and alarm, which miglit *' impede, if they did not arrest, the progress of *' my enquiries." In the year 1830, I entered the desert, ac- companied by Lieut. James Holland, of the Quartermaster-general's department, an officer ably qualified to assist me. After reaching Jaysulmeer, we were overtaken by an express from the Supreme Government of India, desiring us to return, since at that time '' it was deemed INTRODUCTION. xi " inexpedient to incur the hazard of exciting " the alarm and jealousy of the rulers of Sinde, " and other foreign states, by the prosecution of " the design." This disappointment, then most acutely felt, was dissipated in the following year, by the arrival of presents from the King of Great Britain for the ruler of Lahore, coupled, at the same time, with the desire that such an oppor- tunity for acquiring correct information of the Indus should not be overlooked. The following work contains the narrative of that mission, which I conducted by the Indus to Lahore. The information which I collected, relative to Jaysulmeer and the countries on the N. W. fron- tier of India, has just been published in the Transactions of the Royal Geographical Society of London. London, June 7. 1834. —- CONTENTS OF THE THIRD VOLUME, Page IXTRODUCTIOX - - ... - ix CHAPTER L Arrival of presents from the King of England — Inform- ation on the Indus desired — Suggestions for procuring it — Appointed to conduct the Mission to Lahore — Departure from Cutch — Ability of the Navigators — Arrival in the Indus — Phenomena — Scenes of Alex- ander's Campaigns — Ebb and flow of the Tides Correctness of Quintus Curtius — Visited by the Au- thorities — Forced out of the Country — Correspond- ence — Return to the Indus — Imminent Danger — Starved out of the Country — Third Voyage to the Indus — Land in Sinde — Negotiations — Advance on Tatta — Sindian Policy and Reasoning — Successful Negotiations - - - - - 2 CHAP. II. Tatta described — Hinglaj, a famous Pilgrimage — Re- turn to the Sea-coast — Notions of the People Alexander's Journey — Embarkation on the River — Anecdote — Strictness of Religious Observances — Pulla Fish — Arrival at Hydrabad — Welcome of the Rulers — Presentation at Court — Sindian ^Meanness — Audience of Leave — Scenery near the Capital - SO XIV CONTENTS. Page CHAP. III. Depai'ture from Hydrabad — Sehwun — Crew of the Boats — A Sindian Song — Sehwun described — Reasons for supposing it to be the Territory of the Sindomanni — Pilgrimage — High Antiquity of the Castle of Sehwun — Congratulations from the Ruler of Khyrpoor — Address that Personage — Character of the People — The Indus —Visited by the Vizier of Sinde — Arrival at Khyrpoor — Audience with the Chief—Character of the Sindian Rulers — Arrival at Bukkur — Amusing Predictions — Anecdote of an Afghan — Mihmandar— Alore described — Supposi- tion of its being the Kingdom of Musicanus - - 51 CHAP. IV. Quit Bukkur — Curiosity of the People — Reach the Frontiers of Sinde — Farewell Letters — Creditable Behaviour in our Escort — Fish Diet — Costume — Enter Bhawul Khan's Country — Quit the Indus at Mittun — Effects of this River on the Climate — En- ter the Chenab or Acesines — Incident at Ooch — Ar- rival of Bhawul Khan — Interview with him — Merchants of Bhawulpoor — History of Ooch — Visited by Bhawul Khan — Mountains — Pass the Sutlcge — Peculiarity in the Water of two Rivers — Simplicity of the Mihmandar — Enter Runjeet Sing's Country — Honourable Reception — Exhibition of the Dray-horses — Orders of the Court - - 81 CHAP. V. Voyage in the Country of the Sciks — Shoojuabad — Mooltan ; its Antiquity — Probably the Capital of the Malli — Public Buildings — Religious Intolerance — Climate — Phenomena — Date-trees ; Traditions of their introduction — Quit Mooltan — Peloo Shrub — CONTENTS, XV Page — Arrangements for our Advance so Lahore — Alex- ander the Great — Enter the Ravee, or Hydriiotes — Tolumba — Visit the Hydaspes — Description of its confluence with the Chenab — Probable identity of a Modern Tribe with the Cathaei — Ruins of Shorkote — Valuable Bactrian Coin found at it — Birds and Reptiles — Heat — Ruins of Harappa — A Tiger Hunt — Seik Courage — Intelligence of the Mihman- dar — Letter and Deputation from Lahore — Seik Females ---... 108 CHAP. VL Enter Lahore — Presentation to Runjeet Sing —De- livery of the Presents — Copy of a Letter from the King of England — Stud — Hall of Audience — Mi- litary Spectacle — Conversations of Runjeet Sing — Amazons — French Officers — City of Lahore — Tomb of Juhangeer — Shalimar of Shah Jehan — Horse Ar- tillery Review — Character of Runjeet Sing — Au- dience of Leave — Superb Jewels — Dresses of Honour — Runjeet Sing's Letter to the King — Quit Lahore —Umritsir ; its Temples — Reach the Beas, or Hypha- sis — Fete of a Seik Chieftain — Reach the Sutlege Antiquities of the Punjab — Arrival at Lodiana — Exiled Kings of Cabool — Visit them — Journey to the Himalaya Mountains — Interview with the Go- vernor-general — Acknowledgments of his Lordship 148 MEMOIR ON THE INDUS AND ITS TRIBUTARY RIVERS IN THE PUNJAB. Notice regarding the Map of the Indus - - 193 CHAPTER L A general view of the Indus - - - - 199 — Xvi CONTENTS. CHAP. II. Page A comparison of the Indus and Ganges — Propriety of the comparison — Size of the Ganges — Of the Indus — Compared — Slope of the Indus — Conclusions from it — Tides in both Rivers ... 203 CHAP. III. ON SINDE. Extent of the Country — Chiefs and Revenue — Power and Conquests — Military Strength — Connection with Persia — External Policy — Internal State — Hydra- bad Family — Khyrpoor Family — Meerpoor Family — Condition of the People — Population - -212 CHAP. IV. ON THE MOUTHS OF THE INDUS. Division of the Indus into two gi*eat branches below Tatta — Sata — Buggar — Delta ; its extent — Dan- gers in navigating it — Eleven Mouths of the Indus — The Pittee — Pieteeanee, Jooa^ Reechel, Hujamree Khedywaree, Gora, or Wanyanee — Khaeer, Mull, Seer —Koree, or Eastern Mouth — Advantage of these to Sinde — Coast of Sinde — Tides of the Indus — Curachee Seaport — Boats of the Indus; Dingoes and Doondees — Indus adapted for Steam-vessels — Mili- - - tary remarks on the River . - 228 CHAP. V. ON THE DELTA OF THE INDUS. Inundation of the Delta — Extent — Neglected State — Towns — Population — Jokea Tribe — Fisheries — Animals — Productions — Climate - - - 249 CONTENTS. XVll CHAP. VI. THE INDUS FROM TATTA TO HYDRABAD. Page Sand-banks — Course of the River — Towns — Country Supplies — Trade — Means of improving it — Boats; their Deficiency ----- 255 CHAP. VH. THE INDUS FROM HYDRABAD TO SEHWUN. Course and Depth — Fulailee River — Current — Im- portance of this Part of the River — Crossing the Indus — Navigation of it ~ Towns — Sehwun — Mountains of Lukkee - . - . 260 CHAP. VIII. THE INDUS FROM SEHWUN TO BUKKUR. Position of Bukkur — FertiHty of the Country —Current —Eastern Bank of the Indus — Western Bank — For- tress of Bukkur — Roree and Sukkur — Alore ; its Antiquity — Khyrpoor and Larkhanu — Productions of the Soil - - - - - - 267 CHAP. IX. THE INDUS FROM BUKKUR, TILL JOINED BY THE PUNJAB RIVERS.