the most southern city of the province of Balkh, possessed by the Usbeck Tartars. It is very rich and populous, but a place of no great strength. The neighbouring mountains yield excellent quarries of lapis lazuli, in which the Bukhars drive a great trade with Persia and India.—This city is situated at the foot of the mountains dividing northern India, and the Persian dominions, from Great Bukharia. As there is no other way of crossing these mountains but by the road through this city, all travellers with goods must pay 4 per cent. On this account the khan of Balkh maintains a good number of soldiers in the place.