| INTRODUCTORY NOTICE. 537 had Benedict's diary, which he is stated to have kept in great detail, been spared, it would probably have been to this day by far the most valuable geographical record in any European language on the subject of the countries through which he travelled, still so imperfectly known. There are some perplexities about the chronology of the journey as given in Trigautius, which doubtless arise out of the manner in which the narrative was thus compiled. It is in some respects inconsistent with itself•as well as with the statements in Janie. Thus, according to Jarric, Goës left Agra 31st October, 1602, whilst Trigautius makes it 6th January, 1603. This is not of importance however, as they agree substantially regarding the time of his final start from Lahore. But again. The narrative in. Trigautius professes to give, sometimes in precise, sometimes in round numbers, the intervals occupied by the various portions of the journey and its tedious halts. But if these be added together, even without allowance for two or three omissions, we find that the sum carries us a whole year beyond the time deducible from Jarric, and in fact would throw Benedict's death a year later than the date which Trigautius himself (or rather Ricci) fixes.' This is shown in 1 The following absolute dates are given by Trigautius :—Goes left Agra 6th January, 1603 ; left Lahore in Lent (which in 1603 began on 18th February) ; reached Yarkand November 1603 ; left Yarkand November 1604 ; reached Sucheu in the latter part of 1605 ; his letters did not reach Peking till November 1606; John Ferdinand started 11th December, and reached Sucheu in the end of March 1607; eleven days later Benedict died. The following absolute dates are given by Jarric :—Goes left Agra 31st October, 1602; reached Lahore 8th December; left Lahore in middle of February 1603; wrote from Yarkand in February and August 1604; set out from Yarkand 14th November, 1604; left Chalis 17th October, 1605; died 11th April, 1607. The following are the details of time occupied in the journey, as given by Trigautius (and full of error) :—Left Lahore in Lent [say first day of Lent, or 18th February], 1603; took to Attok thirty days, halted there fifteen, and across the Indus five ; to Peshawur two months, halt there twenty days ; go on a time not specified, halt twenty days ; to • Ghideli twenty-five days ; to Kabul twenty days. [This would bring him to Kabul on the 2nd of September, 1603, at the earliest.] Halts at Kabul eight months [and therefore leaves it about 1st May, 1604]. To Charekar not | |
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