on its northern face, proceed down to the desert and the lake of Lop-nor. Of these which flow north, some originate not very far from the Indus, which flows from the eastward by Ladak, between the two ranges, in the earlier part of its course.» The Amu-daria, according to him, has its sources in the snows and springs of Pûshtikhar, and »pours down the western mountains of Belût-tagh».
Influenced by MACARTNEY and IRVINE he, however, admits that the elevated country of upper Kâshghar, »though plain when compared with the huge and broken hills which raise and inclose it on all sides — is crossed in various directions by numerous hills and valleys.» The Mûz-tâgh is less high than the other ranges, but is believed to rise from a more elevated base. Therefore, the whole country slopes from east to west and from north to south. The S. W. part of the table-land is called Chitrâl, the N. W. part, Pamir or the Plain, a name often attributed to the whole country, The Dards dwell in the S. E. , and the rest of the table-land is occupied by Little Tibet, which on the east stretches away into Great Tibet.
As to the ramifications from the Bolor he observes: »The Belût-tagh, in its progress from Pûshtikhar to Mûz-tâgh , probably throws out many branches to the west, as the whole of the country in that direction is described as mountainous in the extreme.» Another branch, situated south of Pûshtikhar, and entered on the map, is the Badakshân Mountains.
It is surprising and very interesting to read SULTAN BABER'S own description of these mountains, the passes and roads of which were perfectly familiar to him, and of which he had a much clearer conception than the geographers of Europe some 35o years after his time. He begins his description of the roads of Hinduhkush with these words:' »The country of Kâbul is very strong, and of difficult access, whether to foreigners or enemies. Between Balkh, Kundez, and Badakhshân on the one side, and Kâbul on the other, is interposed the mountain of Hindû-kûsh, the passes over which are seven in number.» Then he describes these passes, and the roads over them, and speaks with deep knowledge and understanding of the climate, the difficulties caused by snow and flood, and the season in which one has to cross the mountains. Regarding the pass of Shibertu he mentions the Kafir robbers who »also issue from the mountains and narrow paths, and infest this passage)). He is no stranger to the physical laws of snow accumulation in mountains, for once he speaks of a »high snowy mountain,» believed by Erskine to be the Kuh-i-Baba, »on which the snow of one year generally falls on the snow of another». And he adds: »The Hirmend, the Sind, the Doghabeh of Kundez, and the river of Balkh, all take their rise in this mountain; and it is said, that in the same day a person may drink from the streams of all these four rivers».
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