________________
SEPTEMBER, 1879.)
MISCELLANEA.
255
Siah Sung ("black rock')," and "at about 6 miles from the Helmund, a wall of black rock (giving its name to the glen and to the stream) stretches across the defile, leaving but a narrow passage for the brook; and half a mile beyond it, on a small plateau above the channel, there stands (or stood at that time) the small mud fort called Siah Kila ..."
"Six miles higher up the valley of the Siah Sung stands the fort of Kharzar.. and "The foot of the Irak Kotul (pass) is 57 miles north of Kharzar; the slopes of the mountains on either hand now unbroken by plateaux"...." The summit of the pass was estimated at 13,000 feet above the sea" ... "The small valley of Min-i. Irák is about 10 miles distant from the pass ... There were several small forts to be seen in the Valley, and some caves in the hill-sides, forming dwelling-places for some of the inbabitants." From Man-i-Iråk into the valley of Bamian is six miles. "At night, on the 5th October, our camp was formed on the left bank of the Kalu stream, and on the right of that flowing from Bamian, at the junction of the two waters. The gorge of the defile leading from the Kalu Pass was on our left as we looked to the west, and at its entrance on the summit of a lofty insulated rock, with perpendicular faces, frowned down the ruined fortress of the Emperor Zo håk, whence the place takes its name. At this extremity the valley is about a quarter of a mile in breadth, and well cultivated."
"The great image cut in the face of the cliff bounding the valley on the north is 9 miles from Zohák. The valley winds much, varyingin width, generally not more than a quarter of a mile broad, until Bamian is reached, where it opens out considerably." ..."Several narrow glens, the channels of streams flowing from the Koh, on the south, fall into the valley... the largest, which is indeed a valley itself, having numerous terraces of fields on either side of the rivulet, joins that of Bamiến nearly opposite the images : this is the Fouladi Vale."
"Higher up, near the idols (of which I have little to say except that they are very large and very ugly), there are, or more correctly, there stood at the time whereof I write, three forts, forming together a triangle: two of these, having four towers ..were assigned to the infantry, and the third, a double fort, with six towers and a dividing wall in the middle, to the artillery..."
"Near the foot of the great image, on some rising ground, there were the ruins of a fort, which must have been of considerable magnitude.
. Between the images and at their sides, peeping over their shoulders, and some even above their heads, were many caves in the cliff side, having intricate connecting approaches, and gal. leries cut within the rock. These formed dwellings for many Bamia nchis and also for some camp followers of the British.
"On the opposite side of the valley, about a mile to the west, a stony gully leads into the hills; & short way up this, there is a nearly insulated rock, on the flat summit of which there is in relief a recumbent figure bearing a rude resemblance to a huge lizard, and near the neck of the reptile there is a red splash as of blood. This is called the A z daha, or dragon, said to have been slain by
Alf or some Muhammadan saint of bygone days, and an indentation in the rock close by is held to be the gigantic foot-print of the slayer."
In December Dr. Lord; our political agent, "caused Saighan to be occupied ; and in the early summer, Bajgah (eagle's resting-place'), in the Kamard valley, became our most advanced post."
Col. H. Yule, C.B., referring to the preceding, writes as follows :
"Now let us go back 1200 years, and take up the narrative of the Chinese pilgrim Hiwen Thsang, who entered India by Bamian in A.D. 630.
"Twelve or thirteen li (say 2 or 3 miles) east of the city (of Bamiân) there is to be seen in a convent the recumbent figure of the Buddha in the act of entering nirvana (i. e. dying); the figure is about 1000 feet long."
"For years I have been looking out for the rediscovery of this figure. And when my friend W. Simpson, starting to join the force of Sir S. Browne as artist and archæologist, asked me for any suggestions as to points for inquiry in northern Afghanistan, among other things I begged him, if he had a chance, to look out at Bamian for the Nirivaņa Buddha of Hiwen Thsang.
"But now we learn for the first time that it was seen forty years ago by General Kaye and his comrades. Better late than never. It is true the General does not say anything of dimensions, and in any case I dare say Hiwen Thsang's are exaggerated. Nor can we identify position very accurately. But Hiwen Thoang describes the grent standing image as "on the flank of a mountain north-east of the city," and the recumbent image as "east of the city," therefore further south than the standing image. And this corresponds generally with General Kaye's indications.
"Before concluding, let me venture & doubt whether the name Bajgah (p. 252) has anything to do with eagles. It is a name which often
e
Proceedings of the Royal Geograph. Soc. vol. I. pp.
Stan. Julien, Mém. sur les Cont. Occid. tom. I. p. 38, and Vie de Hiouen Thsang, pp. 69, 70.
