Travels in the Mogul Empire (Bernier) 10: THIRD LETTER · TO THE SAME · Written at Lahor, the King being then about to depart for Kachemire. · Description of Lahor, the Capital of the Penje-ab, or Kingdom of the Five Rivers.

10

MONSIEUR,
It is not without reason that the kingdom of which Lahor is the capital is named the Penje-ab, or the Region of the Five Waters ; because five rivers do really descend from the great mountains which enclose the kingdom of Kachemire, and, taking their course through this country, fall into the Indus, which empties itself into the ocean at Scimdi, near the mouth of the Persian Gulf. Whether Lahor be the ancient Bucefalos, I do not pretend to determine. Alexander is here well known by the name of Sekander Filifous, or Alexander the son of Philip : concerning his horse, however, they know nothing. The river on which the city was built, one of the five, is as considerable as our Loire, and is much in want of a similar embankment as that on which the road is carried on the banks of the French river ; for it is subject to inundations, which cause great injury and frequently change its bed: indeed within a few years the river has receded a full quarter of a league from Lahor, to the great inconvenience of the inhabitants. Unlike the buildings of Dehli and Agra, the houses here are very lofty; but, the court having resided during the last twenty years or more in one of those two cities, most of the houses in Lahor are in a ruinous state. Indeed, many have been totally destroyed and have buried many of the inhabitants under their ruins, in consequence of the heavy rains which have prevailed of late years. There are still five or six considerable streets, two or three of which exceed a league in length; but not a few of the houses in them are tumbling to the ground. The river having changed its bed, the King's palace is no longer seated on its banks. This is a high and noble edifice, though very inferior to the palaces of Dehli or Agra. It is more than two months since we arrived in this city: we have waited for the melting of the snow on the mountains of Kachemire in order to obtain an easier passage into that country; our departure is finally fixed, however, for to-morrow, as the King quitted Lahor two days ago. I have provided myself with a nice small Kachemire tent, which I purchased yesterday, as I was advised to do the same as others, and to proceed no further with my old tent, which is rather large and heavy. It will be difficult, they tell me, to find room for all our tents among the mountains of Kachemire, which besides are impassable to camels; so that requiring porters for our baggage, the carriage of my old tent would be too expensive. Farewell!