'(Manuscript of Notes to accompany Map of Persia (published by R.G.S) and the introduction to Haji Baba written by G.N.C. for Macmillan in 1895)' [‎15v] (30/144)

4
strictly incorrect) as have been fixed by long cnstom, e. g. Bushire vice
Abu Shehr, Meshed vice Mashhad, &c.; while vowels should ordinarily
be pronounced as in Italian, and consonants as in English. Subject to
these two conditions, I have tried to represent the native sounds with
as much accuracy as the very imperfect symbols of the English alphabet
will admit of, preferring on the whole to incur the charge of looseness
to that of pedantry. Such a system must result in an orthography
that is at times arbitrary, and that will not uniformly commend itself
to every student. It is difficult indeed to secure uniformity in a
country or countries where there are constant slight differences of
pronunciation or inflexions of tone, according to the language or
dialect locally in vogue; and the difficulty is increased in the
case of Persia by the fact that the Indian pronunciation of Persian
names, with which Englishmen are more apt to be familiar, is r not
that encountered in Persia itself. I may instance as illustrating
the various pronunciations of the same vowel, the word panj, punj,
or penj, i. e. five, which in the different forms Kila Bar Panja,
Panjgur, Punjab, and Penjdeh, is familiar to English readers. The
system employed in Hunter’s Gazetteer of India, and in India generally,
I have not, for the above-mentioned reasons, been able unreservedly to
adopt. It frequently violates the primary canon of such an approxima
tion to the local sound as a native, if he heard the word in an English
man’s mouth, might be expected to understand.
It will be observed that in addition to Persia this map includes a
large portion of the Kussian dominions in Central Asia, the greater
part of Afghanistan, and the whole of Beluchistan. The geographical
configuration of Persia, considered in relation to a handy and portable
sheet, would of itself have suggested such an extension of plan; but
the reasons for which I have adopted it are political rather than
ornamental or convenient. Persia is so intimately bound up with its
neighbours on the north-east and east, and its future will so largely
be determined by considerations in which their geography and topo
graphy must play an important part, that the map would have been
shorn of much of its value had it omitted to include them. Russian
authorities have been used for the Russian dominions; Indian autho
rities for the Indian frontier-regions and the countries immediately
beyond.
I append a threefold list, (1) of the maps that have been directly
used in the compilation of this work; (2) of the maps that have not
required to be so used, inasmuch as their contents have already been
incorporated in the members of class 1, but that deserve to figure in
a bibliography of modern maps of Persia ; (3) of such itineraries or works
of travel, accompanied as a rule by charts or maps, as have furnished
useful information from their pages.