weaknesses and to make the best use of both. Thus arose Burnes' whole-hearted belief in the simplicity of Afghan methods, whilst Masson, who was more or less behind the scenes, was in no position to act as prompter to him. It was just preceding and during the momentous period of the first Afghan war (1839-41) that European explorers in Afghanistan and Baluchistan were most active. Long before then both countries had been an open book to the Ancients, and both may be said geographically to be an open book to us now. There are, however, certain pages which have not yet been properly read, and something will be said later on as to where these pages occur. CONTENTS PAGE INTRODUCTION 1 CHAPTER I EARLY RELATIONS BETWEEN EAST AND WEST--GREECE AND PERSIA AND EARLY TRIBAL DISTRIBUTIONS ON THE INDIAN FRONTIER 11 CHAPTER II ASSYRIA AND AFGHANISTAN--ANCIENT LAND ROUTES--POSSIBLE SEA ROUTES 39 CHAPTER III GREEK EXPLORATION--ALEXANDER--MODERN BALKH--THE BALKH PLAIN AND BAKTRIA 58 CHAPTER IV GREEK EXPLORATION--ALEXANDER--THE KABUL VALLEY GATES 94 CHAPTER V GREEK EXPLORATION--THE WESTERN GATES 135 CHAPTER VI CHINESE EXPLORATIONS--THE GATES OF THE NORTH 169 CHAPTER VII MEDIÆVAL GEOGRAPHY--SEISTAN AND AFGHANISTAN 190 CHAPTER VIII ARAB EXPLORATION--THE GATES OF MAKRAN 284 CHAPTER IX EARLIEST ENGLISH EXPLORATION--CHRISTIE AND POTTINGER 325 CHAPTER X AMERICAN EXPLORATION--MASSON--THE NEARER GATES, BALUCHISTAN AND AFGHANISTAN 344 CHAPTER XI AMERICAN EXPLORATION--MASSON (_CONTINUED_)--THE NEARER GATES, BALUCHISTAN AND AFGHANISTAN 390 CHAPTER XII LORD AND WOOD--THE FARTHER GATES, BADAKSHAN AND THE OXUS 411 CHAPTER XIII ACROSS AFGHANISTAN TO BOKHARA--MOORCROFT 442 CHAPTER XIV ACROSS AFGHANISTAN TO BOKHARA--BURNES 451 CHAPTER XV THE GATES OF GHAZNI--VIGNE 462 CHAPTER XVI THE GATES OF GHAZNI--BROADFOOT 470 CHAPTER XVII FRENCH EXPLORATION--FERRIER 476 CHAPTER XVIII SUMMARY 500 INDEX 531 LIST OF MAPS