Moorcroft details six
varieties of it cultivated there. The kind mentioned by Marco and Burnes
is probably that named by Royle Hordeum Aegiceras, and which has been
sent to England under the name of Tartarian Wheat, though it is a genuine
barley. Naked barley is mentioned by Galen as grown in Cappadocia; and
Matthioli speaks of it as grown in France in his day (middle of 16th
century). It is also known to the Arabs, for they have a name for it -
Sult. (Burnes, III. 205; Moorc. II. 148 seqq.; Galen, de Aliment.
Facult. Lat. ed. 13; Matthioli, Ven. 1585, p. 420; Eng. Cyc., art.
Hordeum.)
Sesame is mentioned by P. Manphul as one of the products of Badakhshan;
linseed is another, which is also used for oil. Walnut-trees abound, but
neither he nor Wood mention the oil. We know that walnut oil is largely
manufactured in Kashmir. (Moorcroft, II. 148.)
[See on Saker and Lanner Falcons (F. Sakar, Briss.; F. lanarius,
Schlegel) the valuable paper by Edouard Blanc, Sur l'utilisation des
Oiseaux de proie en Asie centrale in Rev. des Sciences natur.
appliquees, 20th June, 1895.
"Hawking is the favourite sport of Central Asian Lords," says G. Capus.
(A travers le royaume de Tamerlan, p. 132.