contain the landward gates of India, I have thought it better to make some use of these notes now, and to put together the various theories that I may have formed from time to time bearing on the past history of that country, whilst the opportunity lasts. I have endeavoured to present my own impressions at first hand as far as possible, unbiased by the views already expressed by far more eminent writers than myself, believing that there is a certain value in originality. I have also endeavoured to keep the descriptive geography of such districts as form the theatre of historical incidents on a level with the story itself, so that the one may illustrate the other. Whilst investigating the methods of early explorers into the hinterland of India it has, of course, been necessary to appeal to the original narratives of the explorers themselves so far as possible. Consequently I am indebted to the assistance afforded by quite a host of authors for the basis of this compilation. And I may briefly recount the names of those to whom I am under special obligation. First and foremost are Mr. M'Crindle's admirable series of handy little volumes dealing with the Greek period of Indian history, the perusal of which first prompted an attempt to reconcile some of the apparent discrepancies between classical story and practical geography, with which may be included Sir A. Cunningham's _Coins of Alexander's Successors in Kabul_. For the Arab phase of commercial exploration I am indebted to Sir William Ouseley's translation, _Oriental Geography of Ibn Haukel_, and the _Géographie d'Edrisi; traduite par P. Aimedée Joubert_. For more modern records the official reports of Burnes, Lord, and Leech on Afghanistan; Burnes' _Travels into Bokhara, etc.; Cabul_, by the same author; _Ferrier's Caravan Journeys_; Wood's _Journey to the Sources of the Oxus_; Moorcroft's _Travels in the Himalayan Provinces_; Vigne's _Ghazni, Kabul, and Afghanistan_; Henry Pottinger's _Travels in Baloochistan and Sinde_; and last, but by no means least, Masson's _Travels in Afghanistan, Beluchistan, the Panjab, and Kalat_, all of which have been largely indented on. To this must be added Mr. Forrest's valuable compilation of Bombay records. It has been indeed one of the objects of this book to revive the records of past generations of explorers whose stories have a deep significance even in this day, but which are apt to be overlooked and forgotten as belonging to an ancient and superseded era of research. Because these investigators belong to a past generation it by no means follows that their work, their opinions, or their deductions from original observations are as dead as they are themselves. It is far too readily assumed that the work of the latest explorer must necessarily supersede that of his predecessors. In the difficult art of map compilation perhaps the most difficult problem with which the compiler has to deal is the relative value of evidence dating from different periods.