Posthumous Papers Bequeathed to the Honorable the East India Company, and Printed by Order of the Government of Bengal (Volume 1)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1847. Excerpt: ... OLD CANDAHAR. 361 complete, but if viewed parallel to the surface, no appearance of the sort occurs. The reflection is due to the surface.of the ghee which appears to be more dense than the rest, probably more oily; this mathematical reflection may suggest others of a moral nature, touching our liability to mistaken views of things, from observing only one side. Old Candahar is about three miles to west of the new town; it is immediately under a steep limestone range, running about southwest, and not exceeding 500 feet in height. It bears marks of having been fortified, and at either extremity remains of forts are still visible. The fort of forty steps is at the north end of the range. The town is in complete ruins; indeed none of the edifices are visible except those that occupy the mound of stones, (with which they are partly built) probably the site of the citadel. On three sides, the town is fenced by two respectable ditches, the outer one about 50 yards wide; both are now, especially the outer, beds of marshes; they were supplied by cuts from the Arghandab river. Wells exist however. There is one white mosque in good preservation. The works were strong, and much better than the very indifferent ones of new Candahar-, and the walls of the town were prolonged up the face of the hills. About Candahar, conical houses occur, probably for granaries. A curious mosque cut out of the rock in situ, is seen on the Gtrishk road, with a flight of steps leading to it, cut in like manner out of the rock. There is'also in the same quarter the fort of Chuhulzeenat, or forty steps; a work not of very considerable extent; and as in other Asiatic countries I have visited, troughs are cut in rocks for separating grain from the husk. But there is no work to be seen indica...