In Six Hours They Plundered The City, And Retired With Their
Booty.
For the better keeping these rebels in order, the king has
established twenty-three omrahs between Lahore and Cabul, yet all will
not do, as they often sally from their mountains, robbing caravans and
plundering towns.
The 18th of August, there arrived a great caravan from
Persia, by whom we had news of the French king's death, from an Armenian
who had been in the service of Mr Boys.
On the west side of the castle of Lahore is the ferry for crossing over
the Rauvee on the way to Cabul, which is 271 cosses, and thence to
Tartary and Cashgar. Cabul is a large and fair city, the first seat of
the present king's great-grandfather Babur. At forty cosses beyond is
Gorebond, or Gourhund, a great city bordering on Usbeck Tartary; and
150 coss from Cabul is Taul Caun, a city in Buddocsha, or Badakshan
of Bucharia. From Cabul to Cashgar, with the caravan, it is two or three
months journey, Cashgar being a great kingdom under the Tartars. A chief
city of trade in that country is Yarcan, whence comes much silk,
porcelain, musk, and rhubarb, with other commodities; all or most of
which come from China, the gate or entrance into which is some two or
three months farther. When the caravan comes to this entrance, it must
remain under tents, sending by licence some ten or fifteen merchants at
once to transact their business, on whose return as many more may be
sent; but on no account can the whole caravan be permitted to enter at
once.
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