(Lumsden, Mission to Kandahar, p. 20.)
[The Kirghiz between the Yangi Hissar River and Sirikol are the only
people using the horse generally in the plough, oxen being employed in the
plains, and yaks in Sirikol. (Lieutenant-Colonel Gordon, p. 222,
Forsyth's Mission.) - H. C.]
What Polo heard of the Bucephalid strain was perhaps but another form of a
story told by the Chinese, many centuries earlier, when speaking of this
same region. A certain cave was frequented by a wonderful stallion of
supernatural origin. Hither the people yearly brought their mares, and a
famous breed was derived from the foals. (Rem. N. Mel. As. I. 245.)
NOTE 5. - The huskless barley of the text is thus mentioned by Burnes in
the vicinity of the Hindu-Kush: "They rear a barley in this elevated
country which has no husk, and grows like wheat; but it is barley." It is
not properly huskless, but when ripe it bursts the husk and remains so
loosely attached as to be dislodged from it by a slight shake. It is grown
abundantly in Ladak and the adjoining Hill States. Moorcroft details six
varieties of it cultivated there. The kind mentioned by Marco and Burnes
is probably that named by Royle Hordeum Aegiceras, and which has been
sent to England under the name of Tartarian Wheat, though it is a genuine
barley. Naked barley is mentioned by Galen as grown in Cappadocia; and
Matthioli speaks of it as grown in France in his day (middle of 16th
century). It is also known to the Arabs, for they have a name for it -
Sult. (Burnes, III. 205; Moorc. II. 148 seqq.; Galen, de Aliment.
Facult. Lat. ed. 13; Matthioli, Ven. 1585, p. 420; Eng. Cyc., art.
Hordeum.)
Sesame is mentioned by P. Manphul as one of the products of Badakhshan;
linseed is another, which is also used for oil. Walnut-trees abound, but
neither he nor Wood mention the oil. We know that walnut oil is largely
manufactured in Kashmir. (Moorcroft, II. 148.)
[See on Saker and Lanner Falcons (F. Sakar, Briss.; F. lanarius,
Schlegel) the valuable paper by Edouard Blanc, Sur l'utilisation des
Oiseaux de proie en Asie centrale in Rev. des Sciences natur.
appliquees, 20th June, 1895.
"Hawking is the favourite sport of Central Asian Lords," says G. Capus.
(A travers le royaume de Tamerlan, p. 132. See pp. 132-134.)
The Mirza says (l.c. p. 157) that the mountains of Wakhan "are only noted
for producing a breed of hawks or falcons which the hardy Wakhanis manage
to catch among the cliffs. These hawks are much esteemed by the chiefs of
Badakhshan, Bokhara, etc. They are celebrated for their swiftness, and
known by their white colour." - H. C.]
NOTE 6. - These wild sheep are probably the kind called Kachkar,
mentioned by Baber, and described by Mr. Blyth in his Monograph of Wild
Sheep, under the name of Ovis Vignei.
