["It is strange that Marco Polo speaks of Kubenan only on his return
journey from Kerman; on the down journey he must have been told that
Kubenan was in close proximity; it is even probable that he passed there,
as Persian travellers of those times, when going from Kerman to Yazd, and
_vice versa_, always called at Kubenan." (_Houtum-Schindler_, l.c. p.
490.) In all histories this name is written Kubenan, not Kuhbenan; the
pronunciation to-day is Kobenan and Kobenun.--H. C.]

I had thought my identification of _Cobinan_ original, but a communication
from Mr. Abbott, and the opportunity which this procured me of seeing his
MS. Report already referred to, showed that he had anticipated me many
years ago. The following is an extract: "_Districts of Kerman * * * Kooh
Benan_. This is a hilly district abounding in fruits, such as grapes,
peaches, pomegranates, _sinjid_ (sweet-willow), walnuts, melons. A great
deal of madder and some asafoetida is produced there. _This is no doubt
the country alluded to by Marco Polo, under the name of Cobinam_, as
producing iron, brass, and tutty, and which is still said to produce iron,
copper, and tootea." There appear to be lead mines also in the district,
as well as asbestos and sulphur. Mr. Abbott adds the names of nine
villages, which he was not able to verify by comparison. These are Puz,
Tarz, Gujard, Aspaj, Kuh-i-Gabr, Dahnah, Bughin, Bassab, Radk. The
position of Kuh Banan is stated to lie between Bahabad (a place also
mentioned by Yakut as producing _Tutia_) and Ravi, but this does not help
us, and for approximate position we can only fall back on the note in Mr.
Abbott's field-book, as published in the _J. R. G. S._, viz. that the
_District_ lay in the mountains E.S.E. from a caravanserai 10 miles S.E.
of Gudran. To get the seven marches of Polo's Itinerary we must carry the
_Town_ of Kuh Banan as far north as this indication can possibly admit,
for Abbott made only five and a half marches from the spot where this
observation was made to Kerman. Perhaps Polo's route deviated for the sake
of the fresh water. That a district, such as Mr. Abbott's Report speaks
of, should lie unnoticed, in a tract which our maps represent as part of
the Great Desert, shows again how very defective our geography of Persia
still is.

["During the next stage to Darband, we passed ruins that I believe to be
those of Marco Polo's 'Cobinan' as the modern Kuhbenan does not at all fit
in with the great tra