Voyage Round the Worldby Lieutenant Holman

Voyage Round the World by Lieutenant HolmanJournal of the Royal Geographical Society of London, Vol. 5 (1835), pp. 305-314Published by: Wiley on behalf of The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of BritishGeographers)Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1797881 .

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Persia and India. 305

that the two are allnost inseparable; and mere private speculations callnot give ofTence. It- may be aclded, that his conclusion is, that a Ellropean army would nleet with insupelable difficulties alol)g all the above routes; likelyt too, to be augmented by a re- unioll of the now divided Affghan states illtO one sovereignty, which seems to him not improbable.

II.-Voyage Round the World . By L;eutenant Holtnall, R. N. Lolldon. 1834 5. Svo.

THE deficiencies ullder which Mr. Holman laboLrs are known tothe public; but withthemwe have here littleconcerll. \Fe are even not disinclined to admit that within otlr province thele is considerable trtltll in the apparent paradox with uhich he prefaces his work, viz. that these deficiencies are rather in his favour, as a traveller, than othervsise. Geography deals with facts, ot ap- pearances; and he who, unalJle to see tlle 1:3tters zealously and dilit,ently endeavours everyvvhere to obtain the best allthorities for the former, may, we think, not unlikely acquire therll more exactly thall tllose svho confide in their powers and opporttlnities of cursory inspection. I3e this as it Inay, however, ze shall not ac,ain recur either to tl^le advantages or disade7alltages *Inder which this traveller has brought tot,ether 11is materials; but leavillb out of sight the personal 1larrative by which lle has macle his volumes popular, shall strin together the chief passages by whicll he has also soubht to make them 1lseful.

Mr. Holmall's route was by way of Madeira, TeneriXe, St. Jago, Sierra Leone, Cape Con.st, Fernando Po, tl-le Coast of tlle Bight of Benin,Ascension, RioJaneiro (incluclint,aportion of

the interiol of Blazil), the Cape of Good Hope, Alallritius, Madat,ascar, tl-le Conloro and other lleigllboul ing islands, Ceylons the Coast of Coromandel, Calclltta, N ew South \vales, and Canton. Tl1e three first volumes of his intellded publicatioll have beell some tinle out, terminating lith his residellce at Calelltta; alld one more, whicl1 will probably appeal as soon as this notice will, it is understood, complete his plan. He is amog the latest travellers ill 1nost parts of his track, and certaillly appears to have been everywhere most indefitit,able ill Inaking the inquiries of hich the results are ths in the couIse of appearing befole the public.

The wine-trade of Macleira seems to be rapidly declining. Il1 1825 the export was 14,4Cz5 pipes; il] 1826, 9391; in 1827, the returns are 1lot here complete, balt up to Fieptember they only bive 5074. Ill conseqllece tile plalltil^, of cofTee has lately become very t,eneral ill the islullcl} alld vith stlch sllccess, that already

VOL. V. X



306 Yoycge round the Wortd.

t-he berry is become an article of export. The sugar-cane has been also tried7 but does not repay its expense. The culture of provisions has extended, the higher grounds ill the island being chiefly takell in fol this purpose; and potatoes in particular are found to thrive well, and yield excellew1t crops at an elevatioll of 6000 feet above the sea. The peasantry of the island ale actix7e and enterprisillg, and their attention is steadily bent on thus findillg mealls of ivBproving their condition, and increasing the resou}ceQT of their country.

The populatioll of Sierra Leolle, in ]827, Mr. Holman esti- mates at 1a,0()0. Mr. Molltoomery Martin, about the same time, makes it exceed 30,000; and both gentlemen break their general statement into fractional parts, as though taken from a regular cexlsus. Of the whole, only 11() (Hollnan) 200 (Martin) were Etlropeans, two-thirds of these, bIr. Holmau says, beinO under thirty; " whence," he adds, (' the great mortality that prevails amon, them," a sequence which does llot appear obvious. A more intelligible reason seems to be the state of morals in the colony, and a nant of attention to precautionaly meastlres of clearillg and draining. The internal tracle is chiefly maintained throut,h the medium of the neighbouring Foulahs and Mandin- goes, who travel douTll ill parties of froln six to thirty or more, bringillg gold in small qualltities which tl)ey excilallt,e for Euro_ pean goods. The river alld coasting labour of the settlenlent is, on the ot}er hal d, to a large extent performed by a race of egroes, called Kroo-men (ottlerwise denomillated the Scotchtnen

of this coast), of wllom Mr. Holman's accoullt is by uluch the fullest that ure have anywhere nlet (vol. i. pp. 184-g2). Iti3 deficiellt chiefly in suggestillg no probable reason for the rander- int Savoard, and industrious habits of this people so strikingly differellt frolll those of other tribes. Their native district is on the Grairl Coast, and stretches along tlle sea-shole} withouts as is believed, exten(Aing far inlalld. Its chief towns are Setta Kroo, Little E(roo, Kroo Barru, Kroo Settra, Sc, However widely dispersed along the coast sn xearch of employment ancl wealth, these Kroo-mell re-visit their homes every two or tl-lree years, generally adding a llew wife each visit to their domestic establisll- mellt. Tlley are much liked, and confided ill by traders on the coast, the crews of ships never being con3idered complete sithout a cletachment of thelll on board; alld we have heard one of the survivors of Richard Lander's la.st expedition say, that, but for the steadiness and fidelity of the Kroo-men who were with hirll, his disasters wvtlld llave beell brou^,ht to a rxluch eallier fllld more fatal ternlillation.

The xettlenlent at Felnando Po having beel1 given up arsd ti-lat on the lsialld of Ascellsiou being allweady described at lellt,tl



Voyage round {he World. 307

in our presellt volume, it seems unnecessary to advert to Mr. Holman's accotlnt of either. From Rio Janeiro he visitedo the gold mines of Gongo SoccoS then undel the direction of the late Captain Lyon, from whose papers it seems remarkable that no detailed account has ever been drawll up of this district (the Minas Geraes), with which he must have been so well acquainted. Its produce has been amont, the most considerable and steady in South America It is the property of the Inlperial Brazilian Mining Association. SIr. Holman (vol. ii. p. 13) gives an account of the geology of Gongo Socco, being part of an official report to the company, by Mr. Hochedder, chief manager, in 1833. He states, also, that though agricultural improvements do not always accompany mining speculations, in Brazil the illflux of foreign capital and lesidents is combining them: great illcon- veniellce and evell solrle dallgel being, howevel, frequelltly ex- periellced by travellers through the country, from the reckless manner in which the woods are set on fire in older to clear it. Another plague is frequently indicated on the road by the cry of " Marambulldas ! Marambundas l ' when aninluls lie down, and their ridels and leaders escape ill all directions,-the danger in such cases to be avoided being a fiight of svasps. Both mining and agricultural operatiolls are carried oll by slave-labour. One hundred and twenty-seven varieties of gold-ore are enumerated in the cabinets of those collectors svho are curious in observillg and registering minute distinctions. Diamonds ale alscy fbund. The auriferous fcyrmatioll is iron-mica-schist. The surface soil is productive; and there is a considerable variety of temperatule in the country, arisisg from differences of aspect alld elevation. Nearly all descriptions of crops may thus be grown; bllt as yet provisions are chiefly looked to.

On his passage from Rio to the Cape, WIr. Holmatl obtained the following account of the island of lleaccessible, olle of the rRristan d' Aculha group, so named from the difficulty or sup_ posed inlpossibility of lalldillg on it. A merchant vessel had been recelltly wrecked oll it, of vhich tlle ,reater number of the crew gained the shore; alld orle of the sursivors thus spoke of it:-

" The islarld of Inaccessible is in length about sixteen miles, breadth twelve, forming an oblong square: it is about three thousand feet high, with a very flat top. The rr.ountain is generally enneloped in a thick cloud, 2zld the sides coGrered ty a dense haze which renders it extremely dangerous for the approach of s}ipping; hllt in a tolerably clear day a Aistarlt view may be attainel, *hen its high perpendlcu]ar cliffs may be discerned to^ering in the centre of the island. Thete is a sandy bay OI1 the N.XM. side, sthere a boat can land, but not without danger, and it ou>ht ne07et to lJe attempted by anv orle not thoroughly conversant s^7ith the intricacies c)f the passage, the rest of the beach being

x e



308 Voyage round the EVorlde

covered lvith large rouOh stones, rhere it is not possible for a boat to

land. Nearly the lvllole islan(l is overgrown lvith heath, stunted trees,

brush-Xsrood, and reeds; the latter grow to a great height, often to eigElt

or ten bet. \Vild celery sas the only lregetable tbat we found on the

island fit for clllinary purposes; and on our first landing it ras to be

had in great abundance, but owing to our inordinate consumption of it,

this vegetable had become scarce before ̂^Je left the island. From the

rugged surface and light sandy soil, the ground is little capable of

cultivation, at least IlOt without great labour, and even in that case I

Aoubt whether the produce xvould be sllfficient to recompense the

trouble. ' The stream of water is so small, that no vessel could be supplied

xvith even a moderate quantity syithout incurring great danger and

delay; shile the leefs of ro,qks encompassinXr the island ought to deter

all voyagers from visiting its inhospitable shore."-vo]. ii. pp. 97, 9&.

XVithill the Cape territory, Mr. Holman's travels wele along the

south-east coast as far as the frontier, an interesting line, as ill-

cluding tnuch the most promising part of the colony; a-ld after-

wards across from Worcester to Helella and Saldanha Bays,

re^,ardillg the latter of which he states that it is believed to be

fill2ng up, a treat misfortune, if true, but stated here too vaguely

to be implicitly adnlitted. In both journeys, but in the first

especially, his leaders will find a number of minute details re-

gardinb the circunlstances and prospects of settlers, interesting to

such as look in tbis direction; but as we avail ollrselves of his

materials on these subjects elsewhere in this nolume, it would be

superfluous to make an abstract of tbem hele.

From the Cape our traveller visited ill successioll Mauritius,

Mozambique, Madagascar, the Comoro Islands, Zellzibar, and

the Seschelles; bt rvitllill the range of his possible observation

Captains Owen and Boteler have lately occupied tllis 7round to

more advantage. Perhaps an exception may lJe nlade in favour

of the account given by him of the Seychelles, vilich is historical

as well as descliptive; and that of the interiol of the islalld

of Madagascar. His tour in the interior of Mauritius is also

not devoid of illterest, being ellriched with a ,eolo,ical descrip-

tion of the island, contributed by Captain Locke Lewi<, R.E.^

aulllor of an article in the presellt volLlme of 11lis Journal re^,ard-

int, the Ovahs of Madagascar, alld vho was (lbove eit,llt years

emploed oll tlsis station. But the island of Ceylon, beillg less

recently occupied bround, we shall rather follovv our author thither;

and conclude this analysis of his work by bringinb toDether what

he has observed as most remarkable in this celebrated island.

There are three p(:)illtS of *iew in which the I.sland of Ceylon is

an intelestillg object of rebald. It is the site of some of the most

remarkable retnaills of a lemote aald almost elltilelv Illlkaou

antiquity extant. lt is an island of Ille l}i;,llest natural capabili-



Yoyaye rolend the World. 309

ties. Alld these capabilities are now southt to be developed by a very collsiderable lelaxation ot the plestiously exist;lg ltlles by which the conlnlerce alld inclstry of tlle inhabitants zZele fettered. We could hase vished tllat Mr. Holll-lall had thals previously classed the objects c)f his future inquiries; il ohicll case, Witll his illdtlstry alld opportunities, we think that lle could have made his accotlnt of it fullel and mole valuable. Nevestheless, even as it is, it is llot devoid of illterest.

The antiquities of Ceylon appear to be of different a^,es, but are all stupendous. They are extensistely distributed over the island, and consist of the rtlills of lart,e cities, pa^,odus, alad embank- ments on a prodit,ious scale, bv whicll the waters of the island were collected alld distributed, for tlle purpose of irri^,ation, ^ith a cal e M hich indicates a hit,h val ue set on a;,rictll tllral prod uctions, and consequently a dense, and, to a considerable extent, civilized population. It ls inzpossible, indeed, to read the accounts given of these most remarkable structllres, and consider especially their e;tent, (one i.s an artificial basin of from 16 to ]8 miles Cil'CUit,)

the size of tlle stones used in their construction, and consequently the mechallical powers which must have been so employed, ssrith- out beint, convinced that they are the ren)ailes of a far superior people to the moderll Cint,alese- whose traditioll, by the wav, that they were erected by giants 40 feet high, is an amusing form in which a confession of inferiority is collched. Unfortunately 3!lr. Holmall's route, which, exclusive of an excursion to the sum- mit of Adam's Peak, was directly across the island in only one line, from Columbo to Trincomalee, did not lead hinl to tile most remarkable of these structures: he rllerely advelts to, but does not describe the " enormous" tanks neal which he travelled; and states that one district of the country is called " the country of tanks," from their great llumber. They seem, illdeed, to have been here so numerous, that his attention was not pal ticularly called to them; and it was more remarkable to him that a *vild elephatlt shollld be bathing in them, thall that they were there to receive him.

Of the 1latllral capabilities of the mot nttain prontitlces of Ceylon, Mr. Holmant like all his predecessers, draws an animated picture. The finest szoods in the s^torld cumber the surface of the earth with a mass of vegetation at once useless anal pestilential, from its superabundance; alld thellever this has been cleared avay the crops yielded even to the most superficial culture are enormous. The chief article yet looked to, however? for export is the cinnamon tree, which grows in greater abundance in Ceylon thall any otber palt of the world. lt is chiefly confined to the south-west quarter; and in the extleme north and north-east is never seen. It yields three prillcipal articles of commerce7 viz. l. The cassia- buds, or urlripe fruit and flesby receptacle of the seed: which



Foyagv round the World. 310

fetch ill London about six shillings per lb.; 2. Cinnamon, which is the dried bark of t!ae tleJe; and 3. rl'he essential oil, distilled from chips, of nhich S0llJs. meight yields about 21oz. of oil, worth in England a ,uillea per oz. The property of all the cinnamon trees on the island is still retained by the government, though the regulations by which the preparation of their produce for market vvas limited and re.t;cted are now relaxed.

The interior of the island is greatly less productive. The northern provinces are even, many of them, comparatively barren, being characterised by the frequent lecurrewlce of extensive sandy plaitls. 'rhe southerll and central districts in the vicinity of the native capital, Kandy, are however all productise; and the tanks and othel hydraulic apparatus, by which an extensive svstem of irrigation must have once commanded heavy agricultural returns irl them, though comparatively ruinous, are still brought into some use. 'l'he Cillgalese, without being absolutely industrious, are more steady in the prosecution of their familiar labours than most

. , orlenta natlons. In a former volume of this Journal a detailed account was given

of the Mahavillat,anga, the principal river of Ceylon, of which the capabilities, as a means of easily bringing dolvn the produce of the interior to the splendid harbour of Trincomalee, on the eastern coast, are there also much insisted on. The other rivers are comparatively unimportant; but many roads have been marked off in all directions, alld are being cut as the requisite labour can be spaled. A limited colollization having been per- mitted, various estates are held by British proprietors, and a considerable anlount of emulation has bee1} exhibited in their im- provement.

A great part of the interior of Ceyloll, especially in the cetltral northern distlicts, is covered nvith dense forests; and ]!vIr. Holman furnishes the following statement of the names and qualities of the principal woods in the vicinity of Trincomalee i-

" Ironwood; the specific grarrity of which is 75 lbs. per cubic foot. This is a red wood, and its specific gravity is sufficient to recommend it fot durability, which also renders it unassailable by insects. It is cheap, from its abundance, and worthy of more attention than it has hitherto received. It answers all the purposes of Lignum Vitse. The price inereases according to its length, but logs 1lnder tlventy feet average about three pence per foot.

" EborBy. Specific gravity 73 lbs. per cubic foot. There are variolls kinds of this wood OI1 the island, therefore great care is required in seleeting it. and also in removing all the white part previous to its being exported, particularly for the China market It is to be procured of any weight or size, but that from a foot to eighteen inches in circumitence is generally the best. The logs are from nine to ten feet in length. It is very expensive to convert it into planks, scant-



Koyag, round the World. 311

ling br bed-posts, chairs or coliches, by the common mode of sawings therefore, it is desirable that saw-mills should be introduced into the island, not only for cutting the hard and more valuable woods, but for general purposes, as plank-vood might then be exported with great advantage to those engaged in the trade. This wood is at preselat shipped in its rollgh state, at Trincomalee, from tgro pounds to two pound3 ten shillings per ton, and brings from six to eight pounds at Singap()re, where it is purchased for the China market.

" Tzeree. Specific gravity 75 lbs. per cubie foot. " Fahgee. Specific gravity 72 lbs. per cubic foot. These are both

of a light yellow colour, and are but seldom used. " Illepay. SpeciSc grarrity 70 lbs. per cubic foot. This is of a

lighter yellow than either of the two former. It is not remarkable for any peculiar quality, but it is in general use for ordinary ptlrposes.

" Satin-wood. Specific gravity6s lbs. per cubic foot. This is very abundaIlt, and is to be obtained of almost any size and length. It is much used in the Naval vard for caps, bits, capstalls, knees, &c., and by the inhabitants for various purpo.ses. There is also a large quantity sent to diderent parts of Irldia. It is generally exported in logs of about eight feet in length, and from four to four and a half in circumference, the price of which is six shillings.

sc Katamanac. Specific gravity 641bs. per cubic foot. This *arood is of the colour of oak, possessing nearly all its qualities. It is much used for naval purposes, and is found to be very durable in *rater. It is well adapted for keels, beam3, arld decks of vessels. It is sold at about sixpence per foot, in logs of large dimensions, Bzhich is dearer than other woods, from the difficulty of getting it out of the jungle, owing to the inefficient means used by the natives. This wood is well calculated for exportation to the Cape and Mauritials markets, and may be converte(l into staves for casks.

" Red Halmabniel. Specific gravity 57 lbs. per cubic foot. " Mhite Hatmaniel. Specific graxrity 54 lbs. per cubic foot. These

are two woods that are very abundant, easily yrocured, and readily worked. They are applied to a great varietet of purposesX and are used in the Naval yard for oars, handspikes, &c. Logs are generally flom ten to fifteen feet in length, and from five to six feet in circumference, which are very straight and free from knotss and average about five shillings. These may be connrerted into staves for casks.

" Maroda, and Margosscl. Specific gravity 57 lbs. per cubic foot. These woods are tougher and more durable than the Halmarliels, but although tlley are to be procured at the same rate, they are IlOt much used

" Jamblow and Kclwney. Specific gravity 50 lbs. per cubic foot. These lvoods are but little used, probably from the Halmaniel being more serviceable for all ordinary )urposes.

" Yavering or Crclanwood. Specific gravity 48 lbs. per cubic foot. This is more brittle than Halmaniel, and is much used for ordinary purposes.

" Red Poone. S}?ecific gravity 48 lbs. per cubic foot: it is two lbs per foot lighter than the celebrated Mangalore Poone.



Voyage round the World. Voyage round the World. 312 312

' Pina Poowle. Specific gravity 36 lbs. per cubic foot. These woods are very valuable for masts, because they growv very tall and straight, and have all the good qualities of teak, which is of the same weight as the Pina Poone. They may be procured in almost any quantity in the S.E. palts of the island.

" Oily and Anyelic. Specific gravity 44 lbs. per cubic foot. These woods h;lve been mucll used in the Naval yard for ordinary purposes.

" Jackwood. Specific gravity 43 lbs. per cubic foot. This is of a beautiful yellow xvhen first cut, but after it has been oiled it cannot be known from the finest mahogany. A great quantity is made into furniture which is much prized all over India.

" Chalumby. Specific gravity 29 lbs. per cubic foot. This wood is but little known.

" Chitagong. Specific gralrity 27 lbs. per cubic foot. This rood is used for light articles of furniture, and is similar to Jackwood.

" Japan-wood. This is an article of exports but of no value as timber, being crooked and small: it is merely a dye-wood, and is found in the Galle district. All these woods, with the exception of a few of the inferior kinds, rvhicil are common all olTer the island, belong ex- clusively to the Trincomalee and Batticoloa districts: however, there are many others on the west side of the islarld whicll are not to be found in these districts.

'; Gambot,e. This tree grows on the island, but is little sought after, which is rather surprising, when tlze valuable qualities of its sap are taken irlto consideration.

" Bark. This is an article well worthv of the attention of the. Ceylon merchants.

" Palmyras. The Jaffnapatam district furnishes Indlia annually with an immense number of rafters for houses, from the Palmyra trees with which that district abounds."-vol. iii. 321-8.

'l'he follo^illg is our author's statement regardirlg the climate of the islalld :-

" Ja1luary an^] February. These are the most delightful months in the year; the ind is constantly DI.E. and easterly, blowing from the sea. The thermometer about 82?, without any appearance of felrer or other disease.

" March and April. At this time the sun becoming vertical, the sea-breeze is scarcelv ever strong enough to reach the shore, or the light breezes from the lanxl suSiciently strong to be of service: it is therefore perfectly calm the greater part of the day, and exposure at these times is very apt to brin, on ague and fever; remittent fe+7ers freqllently rage among the natives, but of course more particularly among tllose Europeans who are not inured to the climate.

" May and June. The land xvinds now commence bloving steadily from sunset to sunrise. The natives hail this with delight, as it entirely disperses fevers.

" July. The land lvind blows very strongly and hotly. Thermo- meter fIom 90? to 96? F.; sometimes an occasional storm, with heavy thunder and rain: but they seldom last long

' Pina Poowle. Specific gravity 36 lbs. per cubic foot. These woods are very valuable for masts, because they growv very tall and straight, and have all the good qualities of teak, which is of the same weight as the Pina Poone. They may be procured in almost any quantity in the S.E. palts of the island.

" Oily and Anyelic. Specific gravity 44 lbs. per cubic foot. These woods h;lve been mucll used in the Naval yard for ordinary purposes.

" Jackwood. Specific gravity 43 lbs. per cubic foot. This is of a beautiful yellow xvhen first cut, but after it has been oiled it cannot be known from the finest mahogany. A great quantity is made into furniture which is much prized all over India.

" Chalumby. Specific gravity 29 lbs. per cubic foot. This wood is but little known.

" Chitagong. Specific gralrity 27 lbs. per cubic foot. This rood is used for light articles of furniture, and is similar to Jackwood.

" Japan-wood. This is an article of exports but of no value as timber, being crooked and small: it is merely a dye-wood, and is found in the Galle district. All these woods, with the exception of a few of the inferior kinds, rvhicil are common all olTer the island, belong ex- clusively to the Trincomalee and Batticoloa districts: however, there are many others on the west side of the islarld whicll are not to be found in these districts.

'; Gambot,e. This tree grows on the island, but is little sought after, which is rather surprising, when tlze valuable qualities of its sap are taken irlto consideration.

" Bark. This is an article well worthv of the attention of the. Ceylon merchants.

" Palmyras. The Jaffnapatam district furnishes Indlia annually with an immense number of rafters for houses, from the Palmyra trees with which that district abounds."-vol. iii. 321-8.

'l'he follo^illg is our author's statement regardirlg the climate of the islalld :-

" Ja1luary an^] February. These are the most delightful months in the year; the ind is constantly DI.E. and easterly, blowing from the sea. The thermometer about 82?, without any appearance of felrer or other disease.

" March and April. At this time the sun becoming vertical, the sea-breeze is scarcelv ever strong enough to reach the shore, or the light breezes from the lanxl suSiciently strong to be of service: it is therefore perfectly calm the greater part of the day, and exposure at these times is very apt to brin, on ague and fever; remittent fe+7ers freqllently rage among the natives, but of course more particularly among tllose Europeans who are not inured to the climate.

" May and June. The land xvinds now commence bloving steadily from sunset to sunrise. The natives hail this with delight, as it entirely disperses fevers.

" July. The land lvind blows very strongly and hotly. Thermo- meter fIom 90? to 96? F.; sometimes an occasional storm, with heavy thunder and rain: but they seldom last long



bef ween Persia and India. SoS

its clixnate nearly resembles [llAt Qf Elerope-beillg cold in willter but agreeable itl spling, summer, and tUNlll. It is sur- rounded with gardens and olchards; and the quality of its frtlits is celebrated. Ilhe descel)t frons it to the south is precipitate, the detiles are numerous, and the cvul1try onevery side is occupied by vlnruly tribes, whose practice it is to illterrupt alld levy colltriblltions on all passengers. l'he power of the present chief of Cabool, Dost Mahommeds and his anxiety to encourage its

trade, have of late years imprQveci the commlWIllcatiorls; btlt they a1e still difficult in themselves, alld rnucll interrupted.

;' From Cabool to Peshawtsr the Khelgees and Kyberees are found in great forebe; and the Mymunsf vtho irlhabit Lalpoor, aIe also ull-

merouss and live on the left of the Cabool rinrer, opposite to Dukha. There are lnany passes of magnitude and difficulty, both on the range of hills situated betsveen Cabool and JullaIalSad, and betssreen the latter place and Peshawur.

" Owing tO tht bequexlt interruption of these last passesS two other routessthougheiIcuitous and difficult,areoften chosenbytralrellers and kaffilahs; one of whi(>h I myself took, and found it in many places

troublesorlle an(1 datlgerous: our mules could not pass without great

risks and somletimes we had to unload them. This road enters the

plains of Peshawur at Aluchnfee, srhere the Caboot xwiver quits the

xvestern hilis. P;etween Ll)uklla and this place ssre clossed the river

twicefl on a small raft rnade of inflated buSalo-skins and a iw cross

sticks The stream is rapidS anfdS I should irnagirle at the spot where

we first passed oxJer, dee): it was confined in a rc)cky bed, and hills

formed its banks and narrowed its chanilel.

i; 'the road which leads th}rotlgh the Kherberee pass t)ranches off in

the vicinity of I)ulla: it is the hlgh roafl} and the lest iil a11 respects

except that it is infested by the Khyteree tribe. It is tile orle usually

travelied by armies and large bodies of fnen; bllt, notsvit}1starlding

every precaution, the mollrltaineers iequerltlv manage to harass and

plurlder them, a}ad to cut oS small paIties

" There is another soad, tnore to the north than the one by Dukha;

but I krow little concerl1ing it: it is, 11owever represented as not so

good though shorter than that of J)ukha.

'; From Jullalabad to Peshawllr3 jallahs or rafts, made of inflated

buSalo-skins, flequently raarirate the risrer; bllt ntery great dexterity

is zequired irl seveial cllannels ancl diflicult straits, wheIe no inconsi-

derable danger exists.* The3*e is )lenty of water in the river, but

llovSr f1l' it na}ght be naLlrigable for boats it is not easy to foresee; it

may however be mentioned, that two rery strotlgly constructed} br

the purpose of ferrying over people and cattle, were found at Lalpoor,

where the chief of the Mymuns resides, but it may fairly be left a matter of dowlbt whether stach boats ssrould answer for rilrer naYi

$ ;' Hurnayvon, the father of Akber} went down the river in this manner to Peslla- wtlr from Jullalabad; and sny servant travelled in the same way without any zliffi* culty,2^



^,04 Politicall Stafe of fAe Counfries

gation, for if they were found useflll, ̂ rould they not be employed ?- +^rould not the natives of the country have increased their nllmber ?

" Owing to the strong rapids and other obstacles, nothing, I ima- gine, is found to be more suited to the navigation of the river thfln these inflated lbafts, however coar3e the materials and rude the archi- tecture. I was told it wras not uncommon for the fruit-merchants to transport their property and mercllandi3e on them from Julla}abad as far as Peshawllr, and even to the Attock; and the men, therefore, wsho conduct these rafts ought to be lvell experienced. When they have arrived at their destination, the raft is taken out of the water, tl-le svind allowed to escape, and the skins ordinarily conareyed by their ourners back to the place xYhence they haA started

" It is worthy of obsersTation, that it was in the valley of the Soorka- band neal Jullalabad7 that open and undefended villages were first remarked. This lesemblance to the nrillages iIl Hindostan was vely striking about Jullalabad: not only these vpen and unprotected vi-l- lages, but all the natural productions, both animal and vegetable, indicated our approach to the collntry of the eastern sun. We now bllt selAom met xvith fortified villages; and exten the people had become rely black in their complexion and less athletic in their appearance. Here the mirla anel the parrot were recognised among the feathery tribe; while the orange and the sugar-cane salllted our sight among the productions of the regetahle xvorld. ' Herew also sve began to meet vith the full-channelled rivers, navigable streams, and effen:zinate faces. These symptoms ̂ere more apparent ̂7hen wre entered the ralley of Peshawllr, where the extensirely-cultiGrated plains, defence- less-rillagess and lvide^scattered hamlets, might have heen taken for a portion of Hindostan: and f \\tas much struck witll the pertinent resemblance.; After reaching the valley of Pashatur, the remainder of the journey to Hindostan as easy and unembarrassing."-p. 54-58.

3. The line of the third of Mr. Stirling's loutes beint, the same fiotn Bokhara as that of +7vhicll his account is thus collcluded ill his own words, we have only to advert to his observatiolls oll its bet,illlling. rlthe countryn then, frolll Otral to Tunkat and rI'ash kend he considers nearly le57el; and from 'rashkend to Kojend the emperor 1Saber represents the whole as i]l illhabited, and little better ttlan a desert. Near Kojend, on the col traly, (a celebrated city otl the Sir,) the plains are fertile frluits in particular are abuv}dant, arld supplies, to any extellt, may probably be draszn from the fertile province of Ferghana, up the riser. The valley of So,,d, quite to Samarkand, seems also open from this point; }ut there is reason to believe that these fertile valleys are filled witl-l a 1lutllorotls, u?arlike, and hostile population, imblled svith a11 the )rejudices of the Chinese against strallt,er3. Samarkand gaitled, the road is opell t3 Bokllara.

In thus funalyzing WIr. Stirlin^,'s statenlents, we have found it impossible to keep perfectly out of view, as we had proposed, tlle object oll account of +\>hiGh he malies tllem. But the trutll is



Voyage Round the Worldby Lieutenant Holman

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