Transcriber's Note
Italic text is indicated by _underscores_, bold text by =equals signs=,
sidenotes by ~swung dashes~ and superscript by caret signs, e.g. ALEX^R
BURNES.
TRAVELS
INTO
BOKHARA,
_&c. &c._
VOL. III.
LONDON:
Printed by A. SPOTTISWOODE,
New-Street-Square.
[Illustration:
Drawn by W. Purser. Engraved by E. Finden.
_Hydrabad on the Indus_
_From a sketch taken on the spot by Capt. Grindlay, in 1808._
]
TRAVELS
INTO
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 KING OF GREAT BRITAIN;
PERFORMED UNDER THE ORDERS OF THE SUPREME GOVERNMENT
OF INDIA, IN THE YEARS 1831, 1832, AND 1833.
BY
LIEUT. ALEX^R BURNES, F.R.S.
OF THE EAST INDIA COMPANY’S SERVICE;
AS^T POLITICAL RESIDENT IN CUTCH, AND LATE ON A MISSION TO
THE COURT OF LAHORE.
----“Per syrtes iter æstuosas,
... _per inhospitalem
Caucasum, vel quæ loca fabulosus
Lambit Hydaspes_.” HOR.
IN THREE VOLUMES.
VOL. III.
LONDON:
JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET.
MDCCCXXXIV.
THIS
THIRD VOLUME
OF
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,
BY
THE AUTHOR.
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.
INTRODUCTION.
I was employed as an officer of the Quartermaster-general’s department,
for several years, in the province of Cutch. In the course of enquiries
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 Bombay army. That officer directed his
views, in a most enlightened manner, to the acquisition of every
information regarding a frontier so important to Britain as that of
north-western India. Encouraged by such approbation, for which I
am deeply grateful, I volunteered my services, 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 individual 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 might impede, if they did not arrest, the progress of my
enquiries.”
In the year 1830, I entered the desert, accompanied 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 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 opportunity 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. frontier 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
INTRODUCTION ix
CHAPTER I.
Arrival of presents from the King of England--Information 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
Alexander’s Campaigns--Ebb and flow of the Tides--Correctness
of Quintus Curtius--Visited by the Authorities--Forced out of
the Country--Correspondence--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 1
CHAP. II.
Tatta described--Hinglaj, a famous Pilgrimage--Return
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 30
CHAP. III.
Departure 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--Supposition 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--Enter
the Chenab or Acesines--Incident at Ooch--Arrival of Bhawul
Khan--Interview with him--Merchants of Bhawulpoor--History
of Ooch--Visited by Bhawul Khan--Mountains--Pass the
Sutlege--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 Seiks--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--Arrangements for
our Advance to Lahore--Alexander the Great--Enter the Ravee,
or Hydräotes--Tolumba--Visit the Hydaspes--Description of its
confluence with the Chenab--Probable identity of a Modern Tribe
with the Cathæi--Ruins of Shorkote--Valuable Bactrian Coin found
at it--Birds and Reptiles--Heat--Ruins of Harappa--A Tiger
Hunt--Seik Courage--Intelligence of the Mihmandar--Letter and
Deputation from Lahore--Seik Females 108
CHAP. VI.
Enter Lahore--Presentation to Runjeet Sing--Delivery of the
Presents--Copy of a Letter from the King of England--Stud--Hall
of Audience--Military Spectacle--Conversations of Runjeet
Sing--Amazons--French Officers--City of Lahore--Tomb
of Juhangeer--Shalimar of Shah Jehan--Horse Artillery
Review--Character of Runjeet Sing--Audience of Leave--Superb
Jewels--Dresses of Honour--Runjeet Sing’s Letter to the
King--Quit Lahore--Umritsir; its Temples--Reach the
Beas, or Hyphasis--Fête 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 Governor-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