THE - MCADD-PAHARpahar.in/mountains/Books and Articles/Afghanistan/1893...THE MILITARY GEOGRAPHY or...

THE

MILITARY GEOGRAPHY

or

4 .I M G H ANIgTAN.

PART 111.

HERAT. DY

M A J O ~ E G BARROW, INDIAN 8 T U P COBPI.

SIMLA: PRINTED A T THE OOVERNMENT CENTRAL PRINTINQ OFPIC& -

1893.

CUBTYD~ A ~ D DIIWAL. OI I I C . ~ ~ BOD.& 1.10111 & C . , I U ~ D m1 rnm Imr.~~~o.wem Bnrmom. Qurnrnm MAB~I. a n r n n ~ ~ ' 8 DDIPA~TYIII 81 11011.

~ h , .ltrntinn or llir E.cII*~~, #I1, Camm~od~r.in.Cbiel h w i n ~ h m collrd lo Ihr wnnl of mrnlcm in lbo ..-I ..a,. &.. H,. EX~II~.CJ dcsln. ....i. IU~U." tho hllo~ill msul.tiool

(0, o r 1.1.1" .ho,o" ..ol.,wrn n.,u".rri..ld,r.ll Ir held 1.nn.11 ,r.pn..,bl. for IL".,.b .orlr. 11 . I+ 11 I loL.p IIFIU III 1.1 C k ..linl nnd ~ a ~ d a r nnI~rrum. .I.~,~. 1 .." , . II .r 1~1.1y I 1 . ol.s,.nl b) pnlml. r l n .kc ,. I Isre no nrrc..

I. tb.m 110., ..I .1~1.~0~1.nn -1.: I 111.e 1.1 J.oru.#)l lo cbr I m ~ . I I ~ g ~ ~ . ~ U n r ~ b ~ n t r r m ,b.>",,mg ,ha. .,c. -,a, a", ,,.,,I, ,,, th. ,I*","",.OO

l r ) In the mar OI nn mffisial lcaringhi, dnlion under riroumslnncfsolbor Ihan -lor. mhld, i l i s ~1im.l for him to hand o m Lb.mmt r o d . i n bi. eh.~. Lo .not1t.r om*. r i l l Lb" .Inre pn.o.ihd Innn#slilic. ;but i f he dam not do so. ha ir .I msponsihle lor tllem during Li. abmm am he i. du.i.r hi. pnmO.1 bi..L.1io..

Id) Pmen.1 or ~~rnp l imen( .~~ iuuom of . r rnLmbm rill hc held h, Ihn mt ibnl until hi, dcpnvlnrn f m n indin, WI,F~ tllr . ~ L W will I= ro tumd lo tho ~ ~ k ~ ~ i g c ~ ~ hnn.h lor ul. DUIA,. 0, speci.1 prmiui.. ob,.,o.d lor it. mlo.,iou.

I o k l l i ~ o n ~ m o + Die?, No. 7001 1803-"Algh.ni.1.~"

NOTE.

" Tilcl[ilit;trr Cmgrspl!gof Algl~anirtan" bas been compiled in fiveparls, nnrnclp :-

l'nrt I. Bndnklrrhon, by lInjor E. G . Dnrroa, Indian Slam Corps

Pnrt 11. BfgBon Turbialao~, by Major E. G. Barrow. Indill" SInlI Corp .

Pnrt 111. Ecra l , bg SI;~jor E. G. Barrow. Inr!inn StaE Corps.

l'rrl I\'. KnBal, bp Captain A. H. Moson. D. S. 0.. Deputy Assistant Quarter-Jla4cr Grnrml, I ~ ~ t ~ ~ l l i g c n c a Branch.

Part 1'. f i r a i r onrl A~ndaAnr, by Colooel E. E. EUes. Assistnnt

Qtmrlct-JInhtcr Gmeml. Intelligence Dmneh.

T l ~ c allject of this mark ir to prrsenl in n concise and rendable form in.

Iormntian nbout tht: svvcral prorinccr ofAf:hnnistnn of interest Iromn military

paint of view. This intorm.ltion Itas bpen co~npiled Irom reports, gazetteers,

~ ~ l u t c books. and the rccords ot Lhc Intelligence party a i l h thc Alghan

Boundary Commission.

The work ma. enmmrnrrd in 1091 nnd finisl~ed inlS08, betore the Kabul

hlirsion took place. 11 is important to remember t l ir as rrcots are eonstnotly

I~nppcning, and Ircsh knmrlerlg~ is being ncquircd, nllich tend to modify rtalcu~cntr and npiniollr eootninrd in this nark. For instnocc, an page 2

ol. Part I, Yajor R,rro\r in writin; of tllr rmd from tbr Darogllil p a s lo

3Iostoj "id the Ynrkhun mllrp, dcscribrs it ns "an impassable route in snlnmer and very difie~ll t in winter." Prom reports lately rcceivcd from

Captlin l.'. E. Youngl~urh:~nd, C.I.E.. nod Lieufennnt G. K. Cockerill, r b o

crnmiocd lhis routc in Oetobcr nnd Xovembrr 1893, rcspcclirely, i t nppears

tlnnt tllo routc in question is easy for eight montlls in tlle yenr, nnmelg. from

Septcmbcr to >lag, and that \ ~ , l ~ e n it is clo<rd, f l~erc is nn nlterontive route ~;,j the I<anlillun pxsr ahieh is npcn during llle somnler.

I t sltould a lw be rcmcml~ered lbs t any opinions gireo or deduclionn made,

nre only tltc pcrr>nnl riolro oE the writers and l1n1.e no official authority.

G. II. I[OILE.3IOLYNBUX, Lierrl..Colonel,

dssialatnf Quarler-illasler Oencral. Inlelligence Branch.

PART' 111.

TIIE I'ltOVIi\:C1(: OF IIERAT.

The lllird great division wc Innre to deal s i t b is ~ r g l , ~ , , Ueri~l , provioer w11ir.b Ilac a t lilnrt I,r,c~l i~~,l~.pcnrlentt llut I I ; , ~ lntlcrly ksmed Part ell iil:.ll:nai.Inn. Tile islnnbit~nlr esecpt in ~ ~ l ~ ~ , \ - ~ ~ , LI,;,L i*, ~h~ soulllcrn porlion of llle prorinrr, :,re 'lor 'the mast part alien lo Lllo Alqljan, ond lllis I:lrt is one sl8icl~ slloulrl nlsayb LC burno in mind ,v~c , , rourldcring the mili1ul.y or political silunliun.

K c Ilave no,\-. l l ~ ~ l c k s to llle Alzllnn nn!mdnr\. Camn~ission. r vrrg comlrlete knwlcdge a1 the lnorl imlrort:lol ~lirlriets 01 ~ l ~ c ' ~ r o r i n e c , nc~d Itrlr ng:lin i t is the n.porls or Colonel r\lnitl:tnd nurl Ilnjol. I'eneuekc, ~ ~ l ~ i < . l l l ~ n r e llcen main- ly r e l i d on. Tine dedttctiom dmnu Irrm ~hatiulormntion are mr own personal auar, and ;l:rin 1 must vnru ILe rcadcr against prcsumiug tbnl ;hey rcprescnt ol1ici;ll nl~inious.

Tlla Hcrat ~ m c i n c e mnv 1% dv=cribcd as that part of Algltnoisbn which ia d r n i ~ ~ c d l ~ y Llnc JLorglnab, L I ~ Ilnri Itud, tllu Adrashand itnd Lhe ofluonls of tbe Farah Itud, nbol-e s1tel.e it rll1t.v~ the plait*. I1 is boundcdon the nortlll>y thc m s d y rlmrrt I;llo\tn ns the Chol, on tlna east bv the mounlnins of the H a e m country, on Ll~c west hy t l~edcscrts ol Kl~orssin. I 1 is thos. Lonrcrhinextent physicelly cut 01P an all sides but olnc by uatuml obstacles Irom the surround: in; ,.o~tntl.ic~ and provinccq. On l l ~ a soutl~crn side i t is opcn, and lhc "reat ~.ontls Cvom Kaurinltnrand Sislan lead to i t Lbruugh Ihe broad space betn.eci the 'hirnxoi llills and lltc l'ersian desrrt.

Tllc most populous. lerlilv land flollrisl~ing part of tllc prorioer is that eonil~riscd in the distrirtq of 1I~r: l t . Cltari;tn. Ubrlh. I<arnklb and Sl~nl~fi lsn, Illat i s to sn!., tllc valley and basin 01 Ilia lowrr Unri Ilud. '~(IICSP ,lislrietr are lm- re l r rd bv mood rcinds, and cam~nunic:~liar ni th Penir , Bnd6.his and Snbrwar is car!. nn'd Gno~,strurte,~ bv illty scrious OI I~I~CIES. The? are enpallle of sup- portinn troops and arc i c l l lillrd lor military op~mtiono, so ~ l ~ u e l t s o ~ h a t wllerlzl transport cren could be uscd \lill\ tltc npplicnlion o l n rerg slight nrnnunt of laboor. Norlh of lhir lettilu tract is lh* Si:~lt Unbnk, known to Europcnns nr tho Pnrrlanmisas. This mot.ntxin rinse is ~citlly n proloegnliaa of the n>i,ldle bmnch of l l ~ c liol~-i-llabn. North 01 l lewt, rind to the en-t~rnrd of LItnt ~? ln rc lllc llills of (Ilis mn,rc a1.c olson~cl~rigll t , Lhc ~lc:~hr rising lour or five t~tou-and rect nborr t ~ l e w ~ ~ e ; . Tine rorrls oser tIli.;p;~rt ot I I ~ C range are rou-11 and ralhcr difieult, bnt \vrstnanl or tlw mcridinu ol Urrnt the llills b<,corne lo& and tI\c passes easier, (ill in 1.1el tile ~.anpe bccomcs n series ol' lo1v dnroa. T1lvrc Inills curve round lnlm vest to norll>-wr.t and an* ~ ~ o t ~ t ~ m x e d in tlmt Birec- tion Ilg a m a g c on the l c ~ t llrnk ul the l lnri llod. Nor111 el ltlu Siah Uubll- is the dislriel 01 BadSllis Undr.l~is is for llw most part an ~sp:mnse of opcn

dojras of Iigl,t el.lv soil, eorcrcd nitlt 1.ie11 grtss du~is:. Iho m ~ l i e r llnlf "1 the ?ear, but wid I>nl.rlwd durin- Ll~e Inllcr Ilrlf. l'lbc e-tern par- tioll ,,[ ~;,d,.hi~, roml,ri>ioq &urllk ;~nrl ~ i ; ~ l ; P ~ a o , is mere ant1 x~~ore llillg as one ~ ~ ~ , . ~ l ~ c:,st, ,,,,lil i t u,i,y I,,: ~ l , ; ~ ~ . n c ~ c l l r c ~ l as allnost moualnit~our. like ouly perennisl ,.irprin tl,,! wl,O1c ,,f B i l l l g l ~ i ~ no1 con~nling tllr 11al.i llud (In i l l !rCSICrn ~ , ~ ~ l ~ ~ . , ,,or t l lu~ lu rn l , . , b it9 e ~ l t ~ r ~ ~ ' i ~ tlm lioslbli; so t ln t lrom July loUecrm. be,, tllc ca,,,,tl.y :m-nr'll.om 1 1 , ~ s ~ s t t . d n ~ iknlmost drstit!blc of ravl~~ing n.nler,

important point t,, rcme,ubcr., 11) spring and en1.l~ surnlurr, hotserer, er*V ,vplerco,,rre ri.ul,.t. II,C llills of Bad:lnis :rrdunll? sink illlo the m ~ i u g wntcrless chol, is hero LIIO 1~atura1Irouticr betwceu 1r.m and 'bran.

i lnpnrlnnt realltrer 01 lllc eoonlry ~ ! o r l h 01 1l;c Pnmpamisklr nrc llw M,,rzl,nl, a,,<l ua r i ~ ~ ( 1 , ,,I ,ow v : ~ l l o ~ s ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ l i l ~ ~ l c llno o ~ d y ~ ~ r n ~ l i ~ ! l ~ l c ~ I ~ I I C ? of nl,l ,ww~, nrlois lllc ~ 1 ~ 0 1 t ~ o m To~.l<o~>nnin. TIN! 3111r$I1:tl~ i9. g ~ ~ ~ ~ r n l l p s p ~ n k - ill" ,lccl, n l~d ~ t ~ t f ~ r , l : ~ b l ~ , and, allen in flood, is on ~I I I~ISF: I I I IC ~ I I J I ~ c ~ I c . Tim lIzii ]I,,,I, llle r o ~ ~ l r a r g , is ~.twct.nll!- ~b:tllnw :la11 lol.~l:tlllr, c r m p t ol course in flood, ~ l i r ~ t it bronnrs r r:l&l turlnulrnl river, nl,out 2110 gnl-d* nicle. l l l o flood se:lson is fronl I l ~ e nii,ldlo o l 3l:trcll lo tlw I,r:innin: o l .Illly. T I I ~ I I ~ I I t l lo Unri I:orl Imp grnerall? n flat msj- Irrtl, it. ~ n u r t Ilr < l i s l i~~c l ly ondcra l~ t~~i l 1llat it I~~~~ lllc ner:,t v:lllcy 11)- n ~ v r t y , i~~tp:trr:~l,le dvlilo.

Enst 01 thr IIrral rnllcy nnd Ilnd:lbi$, is n wild mn!tnlninn~la rnunll.y inlln. bitell IIJ Pirorliol~ic, Tnimnnis nncl U:>mrnr. I l ~ o ~ ~ g l ~ but, lcw o l t l ~ e Inltc.r nra in tltr H r n t l'lris is n ny ion of b:wrc.~~ rlls;ctl llills rising in pl:lrcs In 10,OOO n~lrl cvcu 12.000 lvct. Tlno a>:hin :LII$ 01 the n ~ c ~ u ~ l i l i n svslna cnnll>risc<l in Illis nrrn is llic Jjnntl-i.U:iIt:v, allivh is in itsrlf n con- tjnon(ion of tltc Hinrlo-l i~~sli . T l ~ c Llmd-i-U;~bn, just Letorr u111vri11; the Ucrnl prorincv. In.mks up in10 Ihrrc main ranpea, wlticil tri(orc:~tu IiLc tliu p r o n ~ r 01 n pitrlblork. Tllu norll>ern ono is lltc Hxnd-i-Turhislnn, Lhe rcntral one is Fc~~rrnlly rpolrcn of ns tllelioll-i-Unbn,nud t l ~ o wutl>crn nna is r:llled lllc Unnd.i.H:li~n or Snlrd linll. Rrtacent llbe two 1ir.t ir the rounlr,v of the Wrozkol~ir, nu impmelicnblr rcgiou lob. military o~ersliono. Uetnecn lllc t r o last is the rnllcy of llic Hnri Ilu.1, up lrnrt or a l t i r l ~ lies Hie ~ l m i ~ . ' a u c ~ v road cann~pclinl: Knbnl a i l b l l r r . ~ t ; it is ~ ~ o t , l ~ o u e s c r , a n ens). road and i~ oEo~inor military importance. louthoF the SnIc~l Kohis t l ~ c 'l'nimnni country, \rhiehalso it n country unsuilnblc lor llle lvorenlcut oC Lmops:

Soutln of 1110 Ilrrat vnllpr is the open counlry oC lllc Snbznnr district, drained l,g tlbc .Adl.n<k;tod, wllielt la\~~~rd03vII bseontrr kno\vn as the 1l;lrut l t t ~ d . One promincat fcnlurc in l l ~ i ~ soulhern pn1.t of 1111. proviltrc is the UII S1t:tlill mnle. xrbiol~, ru~ l~ t i~ tgobl iqae ly lrotn IItc l I w i l lnd uuar Zinrlnj.ln la tlno Peraian frontier, cansi~lernblp nnrrons I I I ~ lront nrnilable lor n)ilit:nrp operalions on t l ~ o rontls Icsding soaHt from Bcrst , t l~nb j l i ;tt the snnlo time i t mnst. bn rcrn~m11rrr.d that Lllc DuShnkh r.ln:e ia tmur~ . s i l l r a t rcrrr:ll poinls. 'l'lle U n ~ i Rud in this part 01' its course, tltst is, in the ~,l;!in eoontry of LIrmt, is oo obrtnclc except \ r l~en in Oood (middlc of Jlnrclh lo end of Juae). and so for 8 or 9 moollis of lbc year nccd se~ree ly be taken inlo coosideration.

n o u s n ~ n l a s .

The bousd:irics ot Lhc IIerst Province arc as folluws :- Abrlh.-Tlw new nnsso-.lf;Ln~~ lronlirr lirw lrnnl ZulGkar on the

l lnri Itud t o n point N. E. of Knln \Ir'ali. The Zulliknr pass ilscll is Algl~ao.

Ted.-'l'llo Pe~.so-AFghan Irontier line. This wl~crc i t parses I h r o ~ ~ g l ~ !lie eall d rwr t is ralltrr looscl!- dclined, lrut from a point a le\r tnilcs nLorr Tom:na ,l;lna, lllo H.lri 1ls11 itsell forlns Ihe hound.arg.

&#ttir.-F~.o~n llbc j8tu~.liou oC Ll:e Khnal~k nntl Il;tl.at llutls, it rwts up 1111. Hlla4!k l lud to Unrrlel~, Ll~c.!t l , n ss i~~gc l r~s r to Lllc nc>tc~n rljd nt ICoI! Ijc~l-lllb:~mn, it recnil~s l l ~ c 1lnl.ut Itud, or Adraskenrl, and, follnn i l ~ j il sontc\mr Innelds S . l~zanr , pnsics inlo lltc l:rimnni llillr nlld tlli.rp crosses tllc I.'nr.ll> ltnll, so nr to isrludc ~ac:b~lg lltc \vhule b : ~ i n of Ihat r ircr willtin lltc Llils.

Ens/.-lho r\.;~le~.sltr~l hcl\rrc~n I l ~ e l?trnl~ Rwl nncl IIelmn~ld bnrins. It tllrll crcnrrvs I I ~ Ha1.i l t sd nlloro D.bnlnt Ynr nllol rnns ~ l ~ ~ ~ o ~ ~ l ~ llle Firozkohi c a u n l ~ . ~ , lo Lllc nuasion Irnnllvr east uf I h l n 1Vali.

AoxlslsTnr,rrrs D ~ r ~ s ~ o r s . The proriltrc ot IIcritt is diridcd ;admini*lnlirely as lollnnr :-

(I) Tiic eily of l l r r t l :mrl the !) b a t a h 01. sub-rlislrirls in ils \iciuilg. 'l'lnis 18orlia11 of the pruviucu k ,lil.ectly n ~ l ~ u i u i s t r r ~ d Irp toe Governor of Irerat, Ibu#!-ever. Slt~ltRlnu has now a &hisr its nNI.81. lL~ugl!lg spcalciog, eaoll I#rln/; consist^ of the wstrrrd by :I ~hl.ticulnr rand or cannls.

64dub3fi.b err n u u - ~ s - o u LI Yrrnnr rod rvuud om moI,y mq., but , ,u~ iu ,,,ll,,r

(2) ~ h o r i n c lo tine n r s t of IIcrnt and adjoining tbc l'ersion fmnlisr. (8) I<nrokl~, nortl~.c;>st of Ucmt.

(L) Ollrb, c.1-t of I lrrnt up tho rnllry of tbo Hnri nud.

(6) Galu\rnr, snutlt or IIrmt.

'Yhcw Iosr dirl~.irts arc known as tho Clnhar n'ilnmt of n~.mt, ""$1 crch in odnnin~.trrrd by x I I o l ~ t n . To Llnrln m:bg'oos braddud :-

(0) SIIIIIBI.~, )ln,pcrlv on- at tho O l t r b b wl~iclb lies aoulh of the nnri 111~1 nrld 011~11, ind to lbe cast a t I l en t .

(7) Iladgl,i~. inrl~~dinc* Huslnk and Jialn Xnn (hat is thc country 1,etncvn the 1:ukial: frontier and tlno s i a i Uelnk inngc.

(8) >lur:lml,, Ihetrccn I l n d ~ h h nod Turkirtno.

(9) The Taitn:lni country, s9uth.ea.t of ilerat, in rvhich may be included Unalat Tnr.

(10) 'Yltc Piroztol~i c o a a t r ~ . mst of UaJgltis, 3 portion of which is morr or less indepc:ndcut.

OI thr ;rllove. (7) nn~d ( S ) :Ire dr*crillcd in Cbnplcr I 1 ; (1) (a) (3) in Ch:npter 1V ; (L) (F) (!I) (10) in Cl~npter V, nud (6) in Cl~aptcr VI.

Torxs .

Tho nnlg placrs t l~n t cnn be described ns tolvns in tho IIornt province are Iieral. Sabz,rar and Qlnorino.

Of Ll~rrc, the only rrsllg iu~portrnt place is Bcmt. Snberar ia n oaUed t o r n , in rnins, and now cotltains ol~l? nbirut 600 Inmilies. Ib position. ltowerer, on the L(an~i:tl~nr lord makes i': important. Glmrinn is o Ion- straggling place, wit11 about a tlxousnnd inmilies and can hlrdlg be enlled n tazn.

Tho total pop~llntion of the Ucrat district is cstimnted by Cnlooel Jlaitlnnd a t about 188,000 f:lmilies, or say 650,000 souls. Of course, this estimate is a mrrc approximalion, nod the pnpalation may be nnpll~in: between half a million nnd tllrcc qo;rrtcrs nf a million. 'Pl~e city of Herat eootnined in 1886 nbout 8,UO'J inhnbitnntr, uhile in tllc nei~hlmurhood. that is to say, in the 9 bulrrkr wl~iel, comprisc tho district of Llcmt, t h < w were said to bc 60.000 fnmilirs, of r r l ~ o n ~ more than two-tl~irds a.cw Ileralis, t l~o rcmaiotler being Afgllnna. IIprnli, it maqt be understoorl, is tlm torn1 usn:~lly employed for a11 Pcrsirn.spmkinn inl~nl,itnnls n.ho nrc not AI,~hnnr, sc~cla as Tajik.i. Ternoris, Arabs, ~amslnrch, ctr. Iu Obeh tllerc nrc nbout 4.600 families, of whom nearly ?,000 are , l t ~ l ~ n n n , mostlv ahilzniq. Gbarinn and Knrokll are distinctly Hernti ns I,-:nnls their po l>a~dioo nor1 include r r rp low Af~lbaus. TLep each eonlrin %bout 4,OIIII Lntilies. Sabzwnr is thc most Af-l~nn dislrict of tbe l~mr i l l c r . anrl c~clticling L l ~ e ~ ~ t I y i ~ v districts of dnnl.dnr:~ null I<ala l inb an tllc Pcr inn bovrlcr, tlw .\ighaus nroDto t11c rest, ns at le.~st 3 to 1. They are ebielly Ilurnnis, so lh:tt u t l~no~~~nphi rn l lv Snl,rwar Iwlo~l-~ lo Afghannstan. abiltt l lerat dovs 110t. Tile totd populnli&~ of the district i: p~wbebly between 60 000 ,und i0.1100. Tlaa popolattou of U;td$k, tL~r Pirorkohi eounlry, and t l ~ e a i l n n n i cotuttry 1s very ~tnec.rt~in; but Culot~cl Unitlond puts tbemrcspeotirely a t 10,000, 7,000. and 14,000 families.

nrondly sllrakill- tile population of tllo prorinrr may be said to consist of tllree dist i l le~ elnrsc*7'llle (1) lIrl.ntir, ello n1.e mostly \vhst wc cnll l'njiks and purri,r,;lns, (I) ~ f ~ l ~ a h ~ , r n o ~ ~ l y Glliltris and Dumnis, d ~ r u l l i a ~ in Obcb and Snbl.~r;lr nail (3) the Clti~Itar Airn:tk$. As regrrtls thc Iattcr, there b.1~ bcen ooosidcr:,l,lo misaoocclltion iu ~ n d i a , 2nd I barc lhemforr! tbought it ndvhable t o Iwrc givc n short accouut of them.

~h~ manning of tho word dirnaP is simply nnmnd, and a t the present lime the following lour tribes are thosc usually on~lcrstood by the tcrm :--

I. Jam.bcclma ... p, Svoi llnrnns 01 Kale xoo

3. FCeckohin ... 1. Taimrois ...

TIlr Janlxhedis occupy the Iiusbli dislriet in the uenlrc of nnrlghir, but a larSe ol this tri l~c Inns lalelv llcen drl~nrl,,,l to tha !Iari Rud. Bast

tllcr~l ronlc l l ~ o Suni IIsmrns, nncl c ~ r t ot lltrnl ngaln, I ~ r l s ~ ~ ~ e n the Bnnd.i.Turkistan and lhc Dnntl-i.linba lirr lllc liirozknlti country. Tho 'h i . nlaais orcully t l ~ c Inill ronultr). sont l~-ca~t or lIc1.:1t. Some nul l~or i l i~r ~IICIUIIC tllc Tcmuris anlong Lllc CIi:tI~:tr Ainlali.;, llut this is a n~istnke, as lhc Temuris abandoned Alghml territoly nt the beginnin; of lhe century.

Thc Jnmshedis and Pirorkohis are of Pcrsinu dcsccnt. the IInznras are of course Tur:tninn. Thcy wrrc l~ruugltt Irom thc Hai..arnjnt to tllcir pruscul localit). by Nnrlir Shnh. Thc T:~imnnis are in tlbc main k'crsina, but fhry hare n strong s tn iu 01 hnkar l'nthnll blood.

Among (hc Cl~al~ar bin,nlis Iho authority o l tltr tribal Kharc i s considcrahle, but 01 lnle the Algltan polirr lna l~eeu lo clintinisl\ their poncr and inllnencr. Thc Jnrnshedis and Un8ar:w hnvc nlvnys becn n>nl.c or Icrs nnitcd Il.ibes, but the l.'irozkohis are divided into lllr 3lnlnnodi or l\'cstcrn Pirorkol~is, and 1110 Darnzi or Eastero Blraekol~is. l\'hile tlnesr, spnin, arc divided into ri\-a1 clans. Tho 'l'aimnnis arc dirirl~d into nnrthcrn nnd southern, tltc lorrner brinp under scrcral el~iets and tho vholo without n ~ u c l ~ coheaiou. All tho tribos are semi- nomadic, that is lo snv people who dwell in teuts, dvpmd nininly on tl~eir flocks and llerds and dd not pny rcrcnuc on l a d . Tllc rautltcrn Tnimnnis use the black blanket tent of thc Abllans; all the al.lmrs us? the lelttcnts known as khargoha or PnLi1ka.a~. All the tribes speak I'crsisn. but IhadialectsdiIfer. The Jamshedis and llnzarus are all horscmcn, m ~ d so arc most of the 'himnuis and western l.'irozkoliis. Tho Itorscs gcner:\lly arc inrlillrrent,. Tllry fight o n horse- bwk. b ~ ~ t nit11 firearms. and rarely n ith sword or Innrc. The Flrozkallis are ndmilted to be the bravest, nod ULC IInznrar t l ~ c leas1 so, and nlro Lhe least intelligeut. All are badly armed. The following eslimole Itas been made of their numbem :-

Jnmshodis ... ... ... 4,000 Ismilies. Kal. Nno H;&uns ... ... 4,000 .. 3labmadi Pirazkobis ... ... 3,tOO .. Danri Do. ... ... 7.400 .. In~ludlng Tojib. Northern Taimnoi~ ... ... 6.000 .. Soulbero DO. ... 14200 ..

All the tribes are mom or less digalfeetcd to~rards Afghan rule 2nd would readily wclcomc no Englisll or llussian oeeupnlic~n. l iot 3.1 regards tlbis, I fenr I must sdd that t l ~ e =me may be s ~ i d ot all the iallnbitnnts of thc province, cxceptiog the Atghnns of Sabz~rar and possibly thosc of Obch.

The elimsle of the IIeml prorincc ha3 lour scnson-balrar sprino foirnua mummcr, firinno autumn sud s n n ~ i o t n ~ ~ wiulcr Sprin*. is supposedDio con. meoec a11ou~ 1110 ~,oor.oz ( ~ 1 s t >larch) and cneil seusanOto lnst about 3 mouths. Winter is cold in the Herst ra1h:y. \rilhsno,r, but it does not a s a rule lie lone March and April are rainy montbs. and the rainfall appears to be 11caviZt

6

ol l r rn aovorc aintrr . Up hInp the weather in elenr and Illon tonnnls tlbo end of tllc Inoatlt tlnc famous 8~~d . i . a~~d .o -b ia l -m- , or \rind of 12U dnys, rela in. Durinq 11)s sulnrnev montlns tbc \~.ilnd is VCPV slron- Iwin'. 81wnps I ~ i - l ~ ~ s t after sunret, 2nd if tlnerc ,Inauld ho rain lo t l ~ e n&th i t ~;eresr~r o l m o ~ t < a krrri- mnr. 'Pill N o v c s ~ b u ~ . Ilwrc is nln-nvs morr or less wiod in the IIcrnt r:tlley. This winrl is Iclt. tar to tllo 6011th nAd l>lowi \ritlt unnbntcd furp ill Sirlaa. I n B:ldglli* 1llrl.c i* no s.irnrl, nor ia it f ~ l t anrl 01 Tuninn, in 1110 Uer;lt mlleg. There is no slamnlvr wind nt O l ~ c l ~ . nad Illin plnrc 11m 3 ~nltr l i l>lrn~nnter climrtto 1ln:ln I lclr l , slnieh is disnnrceable and not vcrr Ilcnltlly cxrrpt in winter. \\.l>rn tlw r i n d is not bloGn- LIW sarnmel. llcni in the Hcrat valley iq :rest, t l ~ f t u ~ l ~ of course not eompnm& lo tltnt or India. The lrnrlcy l~arrest o l Urrnt nnrl Gltorion is duo allout tltc 20111 J~nnr, that of Korokh and Obrlt on tho 1st July, tll:~t or Rndghin ahout the 10tl1. Tho whcnt harvest is nbuut 1 U days Inter rl~:!n lht: Ilnrluy I~arrest .

Du~.ing the summrranrl nutlttnn tllc rrratllrr i. p rc t t j ssltlo~~l, u*enllp Anc nodrlcnr I lr Septcml,cr it Iw-in. to se t ~ ~ ~ ~ o l :witin, and tlnitt nlonlll and Oclr>bvr i r r &rg cnjoxal,lc. 11; Sovrmlrer, clouc~s;~l~>csr >\ill) er~lcl wia<l..rein nnd slcvt, blcL llwrs P ~ J . be tul~~ril l~lg tine we:tll>er neo~.ly ulb Lo Cllrirtuina allen the lral tvilll4.r sels In.

Itr;.tr~lin?ll~is impnrllbnt rnllilrrp -,d+v.t me I,,-,, now fnirlg reliahle i ~ : I t lbna lwen mlvulalc~l t l ~ n t 1Irritr anal Gltori,n, lltnl ic to 61,.

lllc Uc.nl snllcy. co~tld sulqbl) o lorre Imm l w ~ l rrrouwes si l l , nlso~tt :- IYi.OUO mrunds of vlnc~t. 911,UOU ,, rice. 80,UUO .. Lnrlcy.

So that an Anglo-Indian Armv Corps of the usual strength could be supplicd with about G mnntlns' fokl for men oud 2 montlns' br n~nimnls. AInjor Rind was ol opinion tln:lt with some assirlanee from Parall tho I l , r ; ~ t llravince could sul~llorl n forec of 15.000 mco all tbe sear round, thaugll of course with oecupnlio~~, ehllivntion woohl iocrcasc, and a much lnrgcr f0rc.e might bo sub. misted.

Forane i s on the wllole plentiful, and prohnl,ly nbout 200,000 nlnunds of blrusn n.oEld bc ovailnble. Lnccrn islargely crown in the valley, nod excellent grass is abundant in thellills to the north, and in Uadgtis all llwrl>ring nud part of tlm summer; ealnel-:rrzin~ is good dmclst cvcrv\rhere, pnrlicularlg l o ~ m r d s Obeh. l l ~ e e p nre numerous and quite sullicient io meet tho rrnnts of a large army. Vegehblcs nud truit nrc abuodanl in thc I I e n t <alley.

Trans1,ol.t is not very plenlirul. Camels are not numerous, nor indecd are ponies, lrut there ape great numben of donkcvs. Iiosever, in the Herat valley tberc is natbing to prcvcnt the uliliantiou df wbceled trunsport.

Anlrr. Stntisties undcr Ibis lwnd can never, of courso bc relial,le, as gnrrisnos arn

constantly sltiftisg, and tlm troops llcing inerensdd or rcdueed secanlio: to politicnl In 1886.SG, tho p r r i roo of the pmuinec tvns :-

U*,,.

8 brllmlionr iohnlr). . . . j,400 12 egundroms . . . . . . . . . . . . I,¶W

. . . . . . 7 Imlkries af 6 puns 700

10 boirab 01 HoroLrr (rnililol? pallee) . 1.000 - Told 8,300 -

Wutiu 1687 the arl i l lerj ~vaorcportcd to hove been increasrd to12 bntteries. Dosides thn regul.~rs, t,llara arc nbout 4,000 irl.epulnr horsemen who are

the local militin ond are mostlp a t the outposts. xcarly the w~,olo of the rogulnr troops are a t the cnpitll, but the=

are small detncbmorts at Gborian, Obch. Bala Uurgbab nod

qq,e mgulnrs Knhuli or Knndal~nri troops. Tho irrcglllnrs nre rcry

badly nrmed tatnlly undrilled. They are mostly Heratis, nod lh~rcIore unrelinblc.

Tbe only fortified places in the pmvinco ore Liemt nnd Dala IhI~~rgl~nb. TIIC ,vnlls of Sabztmr arc i n ruins nnd JInrncl~nk is n~crsly 8 past.

n o ~ n s .

1. a nlilitnrg sense LI,C important ronllr nre thocr n.bicll 10 rind fmm uernt, aoli of tl~cse the principill ones nre tllc Tollowing :-

(I) Prom Knndahar ~ i d SabZ\%.nr. (p) ,, slstno ri,; Lssll ,lus.~iol mnl Anordars, or ui.' Fn'nll. (a) ,, K.bal I.;,; DatI.1 Ynr and lba Illzlx8jat. (9 . llrln lurrbsl, oid Kalt~ Neo and Zsrrna~t pass.

n.1. al,.,h.l, ~ , i a u d a mud the Uabs pass. 1;; :: Pslljdab niJ Knm Tul,n. Ssmkba rid Zullihr nod tbe Sang Kotal. 1;; Sn~~~kbs slid tlw Nillnlshsoi pnsr sod thc Hari Rud valley.

(9) ,, bl ;~~bb~d old 7irpal. (lo) ,, bluabbad t:~6Turbul.i-llsidal-i.

As regards (1) nod (2), rclerence isinvitvd toChaptcr VI. Tlic Knnrlahnr road is rusllv rcry good, and nrnmiw :~cromp.~niccl Ily a~hcclecl arlillrry hnve flrqnenlly m;rch~d 135 i t : Ihnt in x\-ioler ~ I I P onnt of cn~ncl grnriug smuld render ils uw n ~lificult matter fur :t large fnmv. while in spring 11)s rivers in flood would offur nl~sl:~clrr lo rapid mnvelaenl. TIIP total 11iatnor:c is 406 milc., which nn nrln? mrruld t;tke al~out ii nceks 10 cover. Tllc S i ~ t a n mnlcs would only nlTt,cl rnilit:n.~ olwlalions if a Ilrili*h lorco b:,sc.d on Sistnn wrre tlnrmtvning tho lina Ilent-Knntlal~nr. 'Yl~c? w e r:try mtltcs and that hy Adl:~r,l:~~.n BRF used hg the r\Igltnn Bo~lndary Con~misriun. 'Ulne tolnl di.;tance from Ifish-Jownin to Herat is 1S nlnrcltes or 2L> milcr. (Rrfcrences, lloutes \'l awl 111-C, H,.lm:lnd w-rim, A, I3 C. Router).

Thc IIcml.Knl~ul rond c M IJnolnt Yar is n mnde road lor most 01 Ole mr. T l ~ c total dislnncc is 479 miles, nnd of course it is much sllorter thnn t l d rnnte n i i ICnndnhnr; on IIle othcr hanrl, it is only open for Ilnlf lltc year nnd is rcnlly only fit for nlule or ponr c:~rrinqr in ils p~.erunt utntc. I t s bearing no military operalions is discosn.d in Dl~nplcr V. (ne/ere,~cea, Route XLVI. Hemt series, nnrl XIX, Klbul rcricr, A. 1% C. Routcs).

Thc routes to Bnla Jlurshnl~ a i d the Zsrlnurt nncl Daba pnsscs are the ahorlest Il.om nrra t , but hy no means Ihc hest, nnd ars only fit for bagpge onimnls. The altitude o l both I.l~ese p s a s iu over 7,000', nt~d they nro conse- qcently elarcd I,? mow lor ol,rnut tbrce months. Thc best route. arc the circuitous ancs by tlm Dnttln and Ardcwsn pnrrcs, bot the formernre particularly irupol.taot ns turning or flanking mote* and m e tlierclorc noted here. Tho distance from ITernt to lh la &lurqIt:ll, r i d Ihe Hnl~n paw and Kushk ip 157 miles, hg tllc Znr~nust Kotll and Knln Knn 11.2 milcs, i c.,nbaut n lartni-111,'s rna~.chin?. (Ilfle.~o.~nces, Roulc XX. XX-U, and SXLII, LIerrt s:ries. A. B. C. Roulcsj.

As reg:trda Lhe road from Pnnjdvh ns lnr a5 Knrn Tnpn. 64 milcs, the rond followr tho Kushk Hud. r m m 1Cnl.a 'hpa to IIcrnt there are rrrer:xl routes, and Ihe hills may he evosr~d hp eilhrr tltc Anlewnn, tho l7r~hrt-i-Ihl~rzn or thc Ilalon pass, all uf wllielt rn i~ l t t be made nno,l mun. roads They all m e t again nt Rtrasnn, 11 milrs from Ucrat. Vid ;be pass it is 79 milcs lruni Knra Tnpr to Uerrt , by the others ahout 70 miles m that Bernt map be r,onsidt,rcd ns al,o!lt 14 d:hp dirtaut fmm an^^^^^: (Refcrencee, Routes XVIII, XIX, and XLX-A. Hcrnt series, A. U. C. nouler,.

The road Irom Sarnkbr lo Zulliknr is now n mood cart land and presents no difficullies. Onsvnlds the ro:d hy ~ul r rsqqnd the Sanq Kotsl is n gooll camel mad 2nd migllt cnsilg he mndc prnetienble for ;uns. '1311e total d i ~ l ; , , , ~ ~ is 190 miles, and thnucl it is r ~ ~ k n n e d only 12 marellcs pral,:,hly take trnops nearly t11n.e rrcks. (Rrfcre,rce, Route X I I I , aerier). yyle Niblslleni route is 217 milrs, but is prll~spo on the is I , . ~ ~ likely to be clascd I ~ ~ . f n o w in ~rinter. ( ~ e f . ~ . t ~ c ~ , I L O U ~ C NO. IX, u ~ , . ~ L ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ )

l,lnce is rmtn n corrp dc I ,JO~,J. >lorrorer, if l l ~ c y dislll:~yrd any ma]

le,,n,,ity in ,ll.fClll.o, it is I n r ~ b : ~ I ~ I ~ IIt~rnl (.1)11111 hoIc1 nut for sumo N C C ~ I : I ~ , I

nr,lll,l , , , , I ~ bC c.aptU'.cd by R ronsid,.r:tblc si~.~.i l icn 01 lil.gb.

,~Ss l , l , , i l ,S t ha t i t wotnld lalic llle I:u.i\ialls a t tlln mnst ~ I I ~ I ' c WPCLS from out.rt I,, rent,ll I lm,~t nnll al. lllc rrvy mnst, lour or RYI' seeks In mptnl-e it

,r? rl[r~v r,,nc,lllde t l~n t ~ r i ~ l l i n l e o 111011111': or n d~clnrnlion or tmr Itera; ,r,,ul,l I,,. ill ~l;,~.i.,n l,:l~~ll;, :atuI, E( I I ICI , IPI .~~: [llc pinliti(.itl I I ~ I U I T of 1111, A l ~ . l t n ~ pusili,,,, in ~ 1 ~ ~ ~ 1 , sl,,l ~ I I P : ~ l l n n ~ t c c v t : ~ i ~ ~ t r l l ~ n t tlnr non.Al.,,l~nn ~ l o ~ ~ u l ~ l i ~ ~ rvaul,l nrlcolrlu tlla I ~ ! N ~ . I I I E , il is 111111,;. ~.;.n*llll:lblc In alloU' d i P lllntllll 101, tlln

<,,, :,,,,I C:lllrIII.(I 01 tllc! ~.i ty. Llnd,.r t l~e~e(. ivc~t~nstnnccs, i t ia ibnl>ossil,le to :,lll,. I.~lI,.ct t l~a t U P cotzld I , l r~* t . t l l tlwnl. n'i ~ V C I I ~ P O I I I Iinnclnl~nr it ,v\-ollld take an ~ \ n ~ l o - , \ l ~ l ~ : l n nvm. nl lrrrrl li ~ e r k s to wncll IIcrnt. I f nnr. t,llino ,Inen i, ~rq.lnin in anr, a.i. m.ty nereltt n% invrit:~lllc, tllc f;dl 01 I I r r r t a i d the ;ria c ~ f n b l i * l t ~ ~ ~ e n t . $,I tho lL~~ssi:~ns i l l tll:tt vnllcy. 0 1 collrar, if a.e llnd Ilrcri,,u,lr rsl :~l~lir l l ,~d O U I ' < ~ T P F in Sistnn, tllr a.llolv sil.ullion woolrl Ilc modi. tied; nnll'it is not iml~ml>:thlr that tllr .\lsh:lns m i ~ l t t I~olcl out a t 11cmt lonn eno l l a~ l to c~val~le us lo sttctnpt il< ~ .e l~vf . Imt \rc at.,. not t~rtnbl~ahcd in Sirtan': rind 1111 n-<. arc, i t seen,$ l l . ;vll~~s to contcnlplale conditions hosed on l !~a t suppo. s i t i o ~ ~ . Tlteonls re:tlly usrfol sl ,~,lv is 1111. use that cnuld bc mnrlc by the ~tu.;rinns of thkir positiou in the 11Crnt rnllcy and the lincs by n.l~icll we could allnek it.

A s rcznrds the first point, i t is unq~~rs l ionab lc tlnal n nusiinn ndvnnce in force lrom I i r ra t crnonly I ~ c n m d r IIJ the line Snbmnr-ram11 -Knnd:thnr, and all icnvs oI nn nl tack I,y a.ny ol tlm Ilne.!rnj:ttor t l ~ r o u q l ~ llto Tnimnni couutry ~ n n y bo disalissetl. The Russisas hnrfin: lirmly r*trl,lial~ed thcrnsr4ves a t IIcnlt will either cot~tcnt t l~rrn\clvrs n i rh :mdnnlly nllsorltio? the country soutb and enst a l it, or will pvcparr lo rn gcnrml movr~mc~nt on Kondnl~nr. A s t~ l , l r ol Chnptrr V will hc. u\clul, as it dcn~onslr.ltrr tlte unlikelihood of the ~ a o i n t Ysr road lleing oserl by eilber t l ~ e Rutsians or oursrlres, except lor obtain. inq iulormation or far the purpose ol creating nlnrm. Tllr llill c o ~ ~ n t ~ . y east of R e n t m:tg become thoscene ol guerilla wnrfnrr ; it can Imrdly l~ccornc the tlleatre a1 w n r lor orzanizecl armirs. Cll;~ptcr V 1 will ,.ive sotnc idm 01 t l ~ o countrr imnlcrli:tlcly cnuth of H P L . ~ ~ and of its suit:ibilily7~or military opcvations. ~ l i o gronad prrcticnblc for tho morements of artnit* betaern Herat and Knodahar is ~.c.strirtcd to a co~nparatircly onrroe sp:tcc 1n.tseen tho Tairnaui hills on the onc I~nnd 2nd n broad cspnnsc O F dewrt on the o t l~cr ; tllerc is consequcntlg no Irrmdth of coqntry for n ~ n o m u r r i n ~ rtrntei . ir i~ll~, nll thc\vny lroru Herat to the llelmnnd, so that s enrnpni;n foucltt out nnyxhore along this line \vould proh. ably clrpcnd on thc taclical or numerienl superinrily of onc of the combntcnts ; 311d, comsidcring the diGeultirsol supply nnrl tmncport, tlicro is no reason why tbnt superiority sltould beloa: to tlnc lLuc~inn i n r a d ~ r . Illomover, from the Ilclmna,l to (hc Solmmr dislrict the papulntioa is Alshnn nnd mipllt under eerlnin conditions Ilo erpertcd to strenuously oppose a n inmdcr. Of course, if the llussinns were adraaein: on Ksndnlnr, it would scarecl? be politic lor us lo ~niuimize l l~eir dificullivs lly alvancing across tltc Itellnand to mcct then,, unless indeed w e l ~ o d previously takon up a secure flanking position i a Sistnn; bu t the case mi:l~t arise ~ v l ~ e r e wr trrre in a position to assume the oRe!~sirc towards Ilcrot, and in lhat case tlw l t~ss inns mi:ht find it rlerirabln to take up a defcnsire position somowllere on Illis linc of coootrr, thou,.ll tho probnbiliticsaro thnt io sucl! n case thev ~vould cnnlcnt ~ l ~ & r c l v e s ' s i i l ~ E O P C I . ~ ~ T Ucr :~ t by means 01 :t field nrmg'in a prepared position immedialoly south of the 1 b r i Rud, say, ill the vicinity of Itozobaglt.

CHAPTER 11.

B.\Dl~111S. TllE J.\ISIII<DIS, ASD SUYI IIAZhliAS OF LihLh N.411, kc.

Rsdplhia may l a defined n.i the rnunlr? Iping be t s r rn nus-ian terrilnlv on tlw north 3011 tlm Si:th Uttllak <,r Pa1 iarni~us 011 1111. s11ut11. '1.11~ IIumsi,tn Irontier is llnr o o r t l ~ ~ r n I>ound;trg Irom %n,rllik:hr t, K:>la T\'nli on lllr Tnlrl<isBn road. W c a ant1 ('as1 i t i* bout#d,.,l 13s ~ I I P Il:tri ILuII 1 1 1 Tainnd n~ ld Pirozknbi Enllntrr rcapc~ctirclg. Blllloaxll llle \r'l>nlc oi tltis trael inc,l;ding J lu rg l~n l~ nnd llle bnsin a1 t l ~ r linsl~nn river is r>osv ~,nliti<,:tlly isrluded iu U:tdzl#i,: the rpnl Und~ll is Ir prolwrlr speakin- only llta cuuutry l ~ e t r r r c ~ ~ the llori 111111 and tLc Kuslbk rtvvr. l.lnir tmct I t \-rry 6nr, consisting rnortlp uf o l ~ c ~ l rolling grosqy downs. TI). soil 01 a11 the T:IIICYS i \ r s c ~ ~ u d ~ n e l v ferlilr nnrl \ ~ ~ l ~ ~ ~ l r ~ r ~ n ~ l t i w r t - d - " ~

henrs exrrllr~nt crops ol a.hent nAd bnrlr.7 n.ill~out irrinntion. This prrt of tile country ir k w e n 3s Golrau I t ,139 ic-rm(.t.Iy occnI, i~l 11g thel'vnburi~, lmt lor tbc last IhalI c<,ulul.y i t ha8 been cu~oplclclv ~le,crlt.,l o s i ~ l g to IIII! r ~ t d i of ihe Tarkoru:tns. I t is lbeli~rrd llnerc are uorv (18921 sr,mv l e s I!amndl.ed Afghan eolooi*ts in Gulran, and t l~ r re arc certainly am;nll mililnry posts nt ZalOknr rind Gullno itscll. Tltc s l ~ o l c u l Gulran may he mid to drxiu nct~~ll~-enrt t<> the Kushk ri!er or its nUluvnl, 1111. Unbn~~-lsl im. Tlw velluyr r r l~ ic l~ cvnrrp off Lbe drainage are usually shallow, flnt.bedded bollars. TI>,. downs, thoozli ror(.red wit11 lururi:nnt psslurspc in aprins nnd c:nrly, ,summer, arc .?#.id t.rlmnses ~r~":lled :rsrr in the lnller lhall of the vaar. Llle soil is rlnr I t i - l~ l~ itnpreTnat. ed will, salts, ao 1lr.t tlnr vnlcr oi,lnin<,d by ~li:~iu; ill il i\'rnaw or 11.~5 bmchish, cspccinlly in tllc rcd el:bj-s. wlle~u i t is saldon~ drinknblr. Ilaring i b ~ spring rains, the soil of Ihr-c downs becutno vcrv Ilc;~vy lor I n 8 e of any sort and quite itapasq:~blc for ~TIICCIS ; but it soon drics up, and Illen t r lolls o i nll aram eoulcl lrarrrco tllvse dorna in alnmrt nnv ~ l i ~ ~ . e l i o t ~ . TIIPI* is little lucl. Tannurisk 2nd Inndnr!~ Innsl~rs are loand'iu sowe of the I:#l.ger water. ~:narsrs and nlon: snme of Ill? l o ~ r r r rloprs, llul nr n rule Gtllrnn 13 lrc,.lms. As regards x a t ~ r , cast of the JIn:hor Red, most of ~ h c Inrgrr wateraoar~rs contain rrokr all Hte peitr nluurl, Itot westward, except a t (;ulrnn, Lbe roentr? s prnctienlly waterless cxerpt io tile r o t season.

i iortb of the Islim rallcp licr Lhc ckol. I t ranrists ol rollin- treelcsa nnd sandy dow~bs, but nil11 n toh1 nb3mce 0'. any distin<.l d~n ioa ro zourscs of :my size. .%k nobat is floe onl!, spot rvbere thcre is ;~ny lavge *upply nf water. There sanm t~renl)' Inrxe wells bn\e bec.e sunk Ior tltv use of tllc flneks of llte Yati~jdol~ Snr~kr, :und il srrlns probnl,le tlnal w;tter rauld be round 1)s cli:zinn rrells in any s~milnr nnhr:nl basin; llot nL present in the rvl,ale or t l~echol 11o2 tbo Hari Rud to the 3lurgh.nb n ~ l d ICusl~k ri~.crs, owing to the nl ,rc~~rcof water. (hcre are no prnclicoblc roads lor Iruopr, except s~unll bodies of c;lmlr?, in any dircclion cxc~pL the old Gulvea-Ak nnlrat-i\#lant Ul;tn-Santkhr mad. This applies to 9 monllls o l tin? year ; lbut it, winter, al ter a mos ia l l or nlrer the ~ p r i n g rains, l a v e bodies oI cnvnlry nlirht pcrhapr cross this tmrt. Tine l lori Rud and JIurSb:tb vn l l e~s tlttgs IOIU~ l l ~ c only tsvo ~ r a c t i ~ n b l r n ~ e n ~ ~ s o f ilpproncll lor troops Irom thk north into Bndghis prolsr. At l'ul-i.Kltrluaon tlm one l incmd a t A k Tnpaon the other, prscticnlrlu ro:hds Grrt brgin to brunrll oll. and the posscqsion of tltesc t n o plrees bnrs orln!s opru, ns tIw cnrc mny bc, all furtlter admncc into Undnllis. '1'0 ad4 lo their i~nl~ort:>ace there in an ancient route bctrrccn the t v o I,l:ccs, wllielt, i l all lllo old wells weru rc-opened. ~ o a l d live Interal rommuoie:ltio~t across tltc d.1. At present boll) Iheseplneernre in Russian hands and tlie ndrantn~*e lips ~villt tllem. I~~rc*pcctivo of this ,lirurcd lnloral line, columns ndr: toei~~~;ootbrordr up tllc two valley; lirst arriro on a oonnectcd and eoml,nmtirely h r l y watered front ahco tbcy m o b the line Zu16kar.Ak Ro1r:rt-Chaman~-i-Ucd. As Illis line is within Lhc Russian Irontier, i t m y be said that the great dii3eullico of thedesert lract hnvc llccn overcome. and that any furtllrr ndvnnco Losards Uerat will d a r t on o well connected fmnt The best ro~cls p~~b: tb lv arc Pu1.i-Khatun to Gulran, by Zulfikor and

Elins, and up tho vallejof thc Kushkto Karn'l,npaand tho Batun p m . As regards the Iarmer, tho Russians bnse mado a good clsrt road from

h k b s to z,,lfikor (he d i s taoc~ beion 76 miles. Zulliknr as Lhn lrnnlier

pDsh af the ~ l ~ l l n n b , on the Tnjnnd o: l I a r i R u d ia of some locnl i m p o r t ante. I t ir simply n clolt in the clins rvhicl~ lrntlutl thc rnllcy of the ~ ~ j a ~ d an its ri-l>t hnok nod is of mililntp importnure bcc nllsc i t is one 01 tho fcW 0-r pmsnen by wllich tho 11iq.h el,ol urn, bo 3,niavd from tllc banks of tllo river. There ntc two linrs of cli l~.%nc llel~ind the%tbor, with sonm low brokell Iletwscw them, and there are two dclilea, one lIlroa<l~ c t rh line

eliua, and bg them n portion of lhc droinnnc ol llle downs escalrs to the -;,.. Pmm Zttlliknr lo GoIran IIV linres %lins it i~ -1.7 tuilr.i, allrl horn ...... - .-- . - Gulrno to Herat b r 1110 Sau.7 601:b1 it is GS: m~lrs . tho^ llbr t01:~l diatxnce front Snrnthr l o ' ~ c r . t t 11% Illis roeto is 1904 lnilcs or 12 merclws ( c i d ~ Roule HI11 IIrr.1 serics. A. 11. C. llootes). ,\are-ards tlleroutr lrmn 1':1njdeh to Ucrat n~ldre ntcntionerl. the total <Iistancr is 13: milps or 11 man:ltes (o idr Router XIX nnd XIXA ol Uuvnl srrles, A. U. c,' Woulcs). Su llmt fttilinq

it is ohviou~ the llusriaus could be bero1.c Ur.r;bt s.irhin n tort. ni-l~t of lllr rleclnr;~lion of war on r\,l>irhcver line tlteg advnnccrl, ns,umiy oGvious conccu~raLion a t 1':~njdeb annd Snrnkla.

Enst of Gulrnn corner thc ICuslll; ~li.;trirt, lhc land 01 r l ~ c .Jnrn.l~rtlis one of tIII. Cltnl~nr Aim:tk triher. The following account of tllc J :~msl~ed is may t l l e ~ l o r c be uselnlly introduced I~,.re. I t ~uua t , I i o w ~ ~ v e ~ ~ . he u~~derrloorl tha t this nccaunt applics to the Jnmshcdis as thc r wcrr: a t 111r timc 01 t l ~ c Algbnn Boundary Co~nntission (1885.66) ; sincr thc.;~ n number of ~ \ lg l~n t>sf rom Znrnin- d a s a r Lnvr brrn sulllcd iu the d~s l r i e t , esprrially nt Kara "Inpa, rvllile Ihr Jamshedis thon~srlves have, i t is believed, been mostly deported to llistricts in the Horat vallr.).

T86 JAIIsIIEDIS.

Thc .lnm.bcdi country till quite rrrentlp !ma tllc rrntrnl portion of Bndglnir; lL:11 is to say, the countrr abnul Kus l~k , but since 1869 the greoter ynrt o f 1111. Irilx has brcn dcportr,l to lllc valley of lllc 11:1ti l lud nnd forcibly settled in lhr Obeb. Knrokll and Sl~nl~6lnndisrricls. Their I3:~dgl~is scltlcmcnts eorrrrd about 1.00U square miles of cuunlrp I ~ e t ~ r r e ~ ~ thc IColi-i.Uabn and 1 . l ~ Russino boondnry. TI:c elerntian 01 this ttnct \.nrics from nbout 6,000' to 2.600'. Kushk irscll being nbout 3,800' sbol-n l l ~ c sea. l'lne greater pnri of the country enn*ist.;of rollingda~vnsnnd lnngridg~~r,separoted by I~ollcrrvs,nll tllickly coverrd "ith grass. The l~c iqh l of thrse 1.1dgrs nbnvc t h r Ilolloss is olten 100' or 500'. and their slopcs are sleep thou-b smooth. Thc country is mlire- ly deslilute of tteesor boahrs exccpt n littlp0tikmnrist along the \vnlPrrourees. I t is a s e l l s e l r r d lmct, and Lhe soil in light and rich and rrc.tyalten. rulti- rnble. Former17 cultirntinn ~ n s crrensive, and tbccountrv lllicklv populnled Tho sealt l l ot the Jnmsl~edir, I~nrcvcr. lay chiefly in thei<flocks.'nnd in 1886 they werccnlcul;~ted to osrcssabout a8.000 shrep. Hast of Kushk the counlry hecomes more hilly. aa!rocks begin C, make their appcsrancr. whilc ~nis~:tcltio trcer become lrequent.

Kushk eonqisls of a numhcr of villn;rs or krsl~lnko in thc ralleg of the Ak Rohntor Iiesltk sln.;tn~. 'I llc prineip;tl setllrmt,nt eonlnins n fort nllicll is l iushk proper and mns llte rrsi~!!aecof Ihc dnrnshcdi cltirl. I t is said to bc unl~cnltl~,v. The rondr through tllr J : ~ n ~ s l ~ n l i e a u n t v arr In~portant. The old main road lrom Hernl lo Nerv lends th rnap l~ tllc K u s l ~ Robat pass to Kilm Tnpn, ns also one of tllc preacnt roads to Pnnjdrll and Nrrr Ihmu-In Kuahh. Agnin, tllvrn i. the road to Al:lbnn l.urki.;lntt, arid tlnc old toad lromD 3lnsltl>;>d lo D;tlkln n r i Uulmn and K I I ~ x ~ , 80 lhat the J a t u ~ I ~ c d i district is stra1~gie;~lly ~ o l n ~ ~ ~ h ~ t imnorlnnt.

'I'he slnmztln a l the Jnmshcdis may be taken in round nutnllers a t about 16.00U souls, be1 it is I~elievcd tllnt not morc tllln a qunrler ol llrrsc are now left in lh r .l:lrn-lnedi mllnrry. Tlnry ore ~eaera l ly n t w ~ ~ l ~ selirc rncc ~ l t o u ~ h not bie. Tlwr nrc badlrarnlcrl rod poutlr moua!?d, tl!ouglt Lhcv nw rs*e~ltially I~orscmnn. r i b a rule, h e p arc a peaceiblc, arll.disposcd I>ebsontry, bu t are not dcfiricnl in courage. ' I l ~ r r lire in PlnnrrJolr or P~bilkns and are semi- nomndic, l l ~ a t i, lo say in s i r ing (hey move o l to ~ h c hills (heir tlocks nnd return lor t lehnrsest ia July.

Gp to leSG Lhc *JamsllePi cl~inla collected mrenue from tile lriha for their o m bcnelt ; butslncs lhea thrrc lms bcpn no chief nnd HI. rrrannme hn. been takcn I)? tho AI4mn*. The Jamsbedia om erdeclcd also to Bnd a mounted lavy of about ~ O O men.

Besides tho Jnmsh~dis of Kushk, l l~a rc are those of Knrokh, numboriog about 6,000 snuls. These livc in regular mud built villag- nnd Ianve tbcir own Khan.

Bast s p i n of Kudlk i Knln Nno, tlleeounlry 01 the Suni Uomns.

Tne S1:h.t U ~ z k n ~ s OP KALI NAO. This (rille is located in 1l:td:bis bet\vr-ccn tlra J:lmshedir nn tbo rrcsl and

Lbc Pirozkol~i di.triat of Karlis oo tlbe avost. Thry are k t ~ o s v ~ ~ ;LS ~ l l e suni Haz?rns,nr t h e of the IIaznr.~jnt arc all Slbias. TIII: area of the Sun~i Uaznm counlry is al!pn,aimntely 2,YIJO aglnre milus.

I t s 1cngLh from soulll to north is nbaat 50 milcs, and it is the io n'idtll on the ltusqian boundary. wllcro it IF broadclt. ClellltioO from i,OOO' lo 2,000' a t Uabulni, Kolr Xao hcin; nl~otat 3 . u ~ ~ .

I t is more Inill: than tlt? Jarn5ll~dt eoastry,nrtd l>et,vecn tile 1,illq ,,I,,. teaux nre great ravines, nltosc beds ore sornrlimcs i:,r bela,,. lllc gcncral lorel. Their upper part8 are rock?, and n:lrmw. but lo\rrr down tltey ,,.ideo ant nnd I~ocomc broad s l ~ a l l o ~ valleys, all m e e t i q to form the Kashrn llud. Tho low bill*, o f a-lbicll G P Y P I I - P ~ : . ~ I ~ ~ I S 01 tho C(IUOIPY is co rn l )o~d , l.isB fro,,, 100' to 400' nborr the general lovcl ; t l~cirsl~pcs:i l~e "uncnlly sleep nod smllotll bare of venehlion except arnrs. There is n good aeol of cullivution bolh od the hill sides nnd in Lllc vullers Ka1:t Nno is ritunlud in a ntll*.y about 11:,][ a mile a i d e I t is n large rudclg built lart, ~v i th a s~oa l l l a rur oll~side numerous klrorgal~r scnttercdarnuorl. I t could, hon-evcr, nlEt,r no rcris~nnee to c i r i l i~ed troops. Thc on l j olllcr csisting tort is Knln Jlngl~or. Nnrntu ia a placu of ~ r c l t natural 6lrcn::~h. hciug anancient fortress crossing a flal.topped hill, with a scnrp 311 round like tho JIdnrath forts of l l ~ c Yeec;to. The pistnel~io trcc is vcry commnn i n the Ksla Xno Unzaro country, and 8 good lrade is dona in tbc nut. Thc numbrr ot sllccp and noztr io t b ~ eoonlry is enormous eom. p n n d \r.llh tltc populnlion, the tots1 b e i 4 put nt 1GO.UO0. Supplies, cspcci. ally meat, nre fairly pl~nti lul . :bnrl in spria- and cnrlr summcr them is plcnly of fon;o. l.he country is not a difirolt Go to Lrovil orrr, though tlie f1.u. quen tups nnd dolrlls are Lrriog lor lrdcn animals. All llto roules from lierat LO Afghan Turkirlsn lie Lltrough it. Tile bo.t route l rom Knln Nno to Bala hIurghal, is that oid Ilabulai and J1nn:llon. This I.oltle ltnr been used I,? artillcry. The next best mute is by Kala JI~:llor to Darn Dam (vide Routes XX, XXI1, and X X I I I , Hernt series. A. U. U. Routcs).

~h~ Kala Kno Uazaras are D colony from the Ililzanjnt planlcd by Nndir Shah. Tlnrir actual sll.cnoth utry Ile takcn a t nbout 4,000 nmilies. la dress,

Inngunme LII& rcscmble thc Jnrnsl~edis, but n1.e .;ornewhat bigger, and witll tllcir ~ata<co.lobf counteonuet! look morc like Tuvkumono. They nre

iodiRercntly armed and badly mollnted; tllcg arc su[qmserl to Curoish a ma;nted levy of 600 men, but ns soldiers tbeg nre quile incffieivnt. Their count,. is now diucetlg ad~u in i t e red by an Algban offieinl.

Unnouan .

xa r lh the Knln Nao district lies that of 1 I u r ~ l ~ a b . whicl~ exlends along both banks of tho Llurgl~nl, rivrr Cram Yorbond.i-Kil Rellttn Lo 111s I l u ~ q i ~ n frmntier Marucbnk. I n 1884, this tr.aet bad n mircd populntion o I about 2 0 0 ~ fanlilies ,,f ~ ~ ~ ~ h c d i s , Knln Kaa Uazaras and Pimzkol~ia. but elliclly J;mshcdis. but moat of these Chalur Aimak tribesmen lvare sine0 cilher lelt ,,f

.dn nceo,d or heen cleared out by the Afghnns. At resent probnblg population is ~ ~ ~ s i d e r n b l y reduced, 2nd eouri~to chiel[; of Ollrh Gllil.

rais ,lernti ~ f ~ b a o settled in the nrighbourhaod ot Baln Murgbob and at ,Tali. ~h~~~ i s 3 ~ ~ 0 3 ~ t r o n ~ post (200 Lhoaodnrl), ~nostly Logaris, in the Hnruchnk r o r ~ . ~~l~ N U ~ ~ I Z I ~ Jlnrucbak, thuugh mbernble places, hnre some ,,,ilimry importance; the former lies nstride the main rood from Cerot to

T ~ ~ E ~ ~ ~ ~ allile the latter wnlehw the road from Pnnj~leh. Dala JIur gl,nb is l~,raeaqunne mud fort. with round towers or bnsLionsnt the nnzlrs, s tn~~d.

ing mound. I t is itpclf commnnded by llle low hills to tlle cast, otlber wise it would bc n plaro of sumo strcugtll as the river encircles it on three sides is nl~out 60 ynrtls side, deep nnd stmng. Tho trool~s arc qunrl<,rud ouLrido the fort i n n numhsr of domed huts i r~rg~l lnr ly disposed. l ' l~e urunl gnrriso~~ is n lrnttnlion ot inlnnlrv, a battery of nrlillely nnd homeeavulrr. r'io bridges exist, ll~ough thcre nre 1;nrcs of severnl old ones, sud fords arc &a tho

mrala of commanicnlion. 1)uring the flwd saason, JIarch, April, >lay, transit is nltogrthcr stripped. The valley of tho BIurgl~ab is l ~ r r e :)bout 2 milea ridc, tlnt nnd tolerably wcll eullirated. confined by low hills on either rid". Thrre aro nlaalatclg no trees, nnd i t nrould be very diRicult to get wood for bridging ; cren f i r e a a d is mnting. Grass is nbunrlnnt in spring and summer, but thc amount ol supplics locally procurable is inconsidernblc. Prom Baln Ilurgh:>b to Maimann o i i Knla Wnli i t is 91 miles, bat the road from Kororral Khnna, 11 o~ilos down the JIurghnb vallry, where tlnc K a h Wnli stream joins the IIurghnb, is perhnpss bclhr one to fallow. The triangle Baln h1ughab- Knln \lrali-Msruchnk is n very important one, ns whoever holds it nbsolutely barn cammunicnlian bctwcen Herot and Turkislnn, orcovcrs it, as the case mny be. Noreorer, nay foroe hostile to the Russinos in that position would immediate. ly threaten their Herr-l'nnjdch-Bernt line of communicntioos. IIInruchnk isone mnreh helow Knrnml Kl~aua, or altogether 25 miles below Baln Yurghab. Mzruchnk has bean a small wallal town, dominated by n I~ igb citadel nod sur- munded by n wet dilch. The present fort occupies tho site of the ancient citarlel. The dclects of tho position nrc that i t is commanded by the hills of the cbol 2.600 yards distont ; that the outer enoeionle is too extensive, requir- ing nt least 3,000 men to defend i t ; and finally, that i t only closes the right bank of tho Yurghnb. Nevertheless i t IS a position of some value, espo. cinlly for purposcs of observation.

Knla n'nli not, oulv closes tha routes from Bala Murghah nnd Karnral Khann to Mnimana, b i t also the Lrncka leudin; from the chol into the Kniwr valley, as shann in thc sketch mnp below. This suhject is fully discussed in Vol. I11 01 the A. B. C. Rewrda, pages 279-2813, lo nhich reierencc for details is invited.

rllolc, hill?,h~t l lctseen the ICurlnt 2nd I I u r e l l n l ~ r i r r r s mnv an* 11l.irfly bc dl.icrllll,d. J'llis tract llrnr ts.o mnill axes or r.lterallcds, II,I?O,,C r;nni,,g nor l l l Il.om tile Ball2 rnnnc l o &In~~,.l>nn 11~11 tile ,,IIIC~ I I .U~ l lCnl I\.:IWIU ,,O~~I,.

w0.t K ~ t - l l k m l l l ~ l ~ e ~ l ~ t ~ ~ ~ ~ l i ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ r ~ ~ ~ ; ; ~ \ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ I';,,,~~I~I, : tllpsr tlr0 a:,ter.l,,.,ls llein: acspal..lcd t111: r * l l ~ v 01 ~ lnc IC:,SI,~~ I~LI~I. A S rnr ,,o~II, ny IIU: 1i.0 1I:ll-r .\~llr:ball-C11:b1na11-i-kud the ul~olc. col~rt~t!ttc,r n r<,rg I l i l l y tmot. I~ ! f nn l r y , mvn l r? and camel.; mu s . r > ~ . l \ s,.n,r. most ot i t n illsoat qrrnt ~ l i t f i uu l~y , b u t elf tho ~I.SI- ln:xia nlaclr i t !loltlcl 111. I lnwlv ~ , r re l i r n l~ l r . Icnr s l ~ c ~ r l e < l Ir:8nrl,orl 01. q~cn*. T l lc P:I~!P~II of IIII.," l w n 11111 s!:lrms is nlln?osl n>oasl:~ioous i n c l~nrseter 'l'o.nnd. llna D:II:L-~-~$,UBB on l l ~ e P X . ~ 1111. rnll i.; v,.rr ~ l i t l i ~ ~ t l t n n ~ l

~ .. - prct'ipitous. w l ~ i l c \re*lv:%rrlr. l o rnn l s l i:>ln N:na i l~nd I ln l ) t~ ln i . l l ~ e hill-sides am dts l inct ly stc.c.1, illld !IIP L~~U.*IIIS to ~.III: main vnllevr CO~~,~~~PI':IIIIE. lironl \\Itcre 1l11, l):tm-i.lI.tln join- t lw .II~I.xI~:B~ I n tlto tn:~l.rc;n. rovli.l,n\~n>d conge of line l ~ : ~ r l ~ : ~ n ~ l ~ i ~ ~ l ~ ~ o h l ~ ~ ~ r , rlmo llur:l~al> f l o ~ s i n a narrotv clc l i l~ . 'rlmq. 1lnr)d.i- Jnnhlnor is a l :~ t t , r ,~ l r i ~ l ~ e run~n iu r r rh8m tlnc l f~nrx l#nlb I,, t l>c lGn.ltan l l u d and m:!!. Ile ~lrsu~.il,rvlns the nar l l lcrn n:ttrl.\lnrd o f l l lc l i o l n Knn Imriu. I t is :\ v ? r ~ ~~:!rrO!r r i ~ l z v aud l ~ r c w n l ~ l o tltc n<m~,tlb n I i ~ w <)I prccip i l tn !~ clilT8, aillb n gl.asrg glnri. decpl,v lu~.l.o\\vrl Iry r:lrines ~l l .n i~ninq l o tlbe i\lnn:lmn ~ t r r : t n \ . Zortln o l t l l i r :,:.;tin a r*re lc l l r t l IWV ~ t n d ~ a l i t t t ~ ~ Ihill~, di~ers i l icd by a n o l n ~ b c ~ 01 a,ni<.:tl knolls or p ~ n k r , none of e l l i r h lhmv~rer ri-r l o nnny .reat Ile.i:ht, i.i s r r ~ , vxlcnding l o ~llr _\IIIT;I~:IID I~CII;~ l l : l r ~ ~ c l ~ a k . TIIPII~ It i l ls i i l lu t o n t l lc .\lur:.l~:tb 2nd Kttslnan i n sleep eruml,l ict~ u l :~y I,luPr.

'l'l~a !rc.rlcln s . ~ s t r ~ n of Inills n5 far wrs l ns l i l lwn jn 1Cnl;t:~dnr Inns m el?v:ltion nt 7.0WI Ivat lo 6,000 Id; i t tl!cn rnbsidcs i~b tu n tmvt 01 imregu1.11 b m h r n clay Inillc, lltt. rn:tin :xrls of w l t i r l ~ runr ~uc,rtlx, s r p l r n l i n , ~ tlna drainageof t,lte ICns l~ :~n 1:ad Iron, tlmnt of the lC~!rl>lr r i >e r . Tltc prinvil,:ll dl.;uinnga el~:\>,nt.l', .;ttrll as t Iw Knlnr i , art, bm:ld, Ilnt, pnry vnll~.~s, ln i t qttite uilterla,38 clol.in* l l l c d1.g rmson. :\bout Clnio:;hruln :\ I l i g l ~ irri.yolnr 1:~tcr;tl ridqrr uboot :3,01!0?retltiglt, i* I l ~ ~ . o w n ou t ra.1 nn.1 wrst., wlnirlt nlmts on the l<rnal& i l u d n t Tc~r*hc.ikll rind n i l h ti le lI:t~~d.S..l;~okl~or : ~ ~ O T B ~ntvnlioned lor1119 11111 nol.tlm~rn l i m i t of tlnr I<nh Xao In,in. The c o ~ l n l r p vtortlt o i t l lc Ua,~<l-i.Cl~iagnr\lh is very similar t o t ha t nortlt o l tho Iinnd.i.Jaokl>or r i gh tm>ny to L'nnjdeh, h u t tho fvntares an: on n I:trcvr rmlv, and except r t o w or two ~llaces lhe country is clr<tit!!te o l .atel. e r rop t j u r t al1l.r rl le r l l r i ng rains. >\t tll;lt sesmh, tbnt is, a.la.n 1.iti81 \~.it!er pools :\PC 10 IIC d c p ~ n d ~ r l nu. tlt,.se It i l ls can be t l r r c r s rd i s most d i t r r t icms b>- troops e rc~p l i n : o f coov.e \PIICPII.~ nrtil11.1.y. Abnut t l ~ c lntiturle of K n l a l l n r l r the l ~ i l l s slnli intr, n hard tiudol:ilin. plutcna, s l l iell ir cl.o%srd I>! t l w m a d [rant I<aln l l a n r to I l ; ~ n ~ a l ~ n k . l'llrre i + a s1n.p asccut on to tl,is ,,I:,tmu from the ~( I I~I IL I w t otbc~.~! i w t l ~ i s rand is p~ss.~l> l t ! by glzlls; hu t tllpre is a;ltr.l. on i t tor Lti miles on l i l the 1C;mrltan i s r~ i lc l>t ,d snnd erexi

lrnm J ~ I ? ( o l),.cenlll~r, i t ~. :~nnot Itr dcq~rndrrl on. K o l t l l n l t l l ic rlnu

tllp doalls r i s ~ l - l i n conqidr~.nl~ly 10 t lw flat t:tl,lu-topprd CIII~IIPIIPC, ~.aIIcil TakItt. psnjdrl,,o\;i,ilh t o r u ~ s n pl.omineat 1:tndmark It.oal n l l r i d e .

Tllc K u S b t r.llop cocm.i*ls l i k r I h r \lot~.a.l~ilb ill la:^, 01 n S P P ~ C S OI stnilll l,lnius scl,nl.nled b v ,lehler nltl.n. 111e hi l ls ;ore ill os tine ~ . i r r r . ~t li:tr.t T:,~,~, tllc bigllert iroint t l ~ c rirrr ui l ln in thc l l s r s i ;~n Cnlalirr, t l lc riser ill ~,..~~,l,,.~ is 2' lo :,' dcsl, nud :ll~ou~. 12 gnn1.i n idc. X o r t l ~ o l C l ~ a ~ ~ x a r ~ - i - B e d tllu I{~.I,~, rsepl,t i n ~ p r i n g , runs undergrnsnll l o r sevel.:d m i l~ f l .

'I'ltr I t i l l y tract just dercribud is rrosscd Iry scrcr;hl ro. ld ; LIB* most inlport- p o t appear l o be :-

(I) Tllnt Il.om Sar:,tu t o K n l n Xno, and Ihencc ta Llle 1)nrs.i-Ham erll~er by l i i s l ! l ~ k l i l b % v ~ j a or by Yaplbur.

(2) F~~~ liurl,k by ]~:,l~ Nno, B:nbulni 2nd ;\Ianzlbnu l o Unla lIurxlb:tll. Th i s is the main Ill.rnt.Turki.tuc r o : d I 1 is easy rind requires but l i t t l e illlllrorrmel,t l o r ~ I W , b t t t is wi l l to i l t n.:ttcr i n tltc dl).

l o r 1l;e greater p r r t o l l l le a a S .

(4) plom h.asl,k clown llbe li!lsltli Rllll a "oocl casy rond lor gnns rrerl,t l o r n sltort dialonce nbnso '~;ln;k, wlbrro llm river ~ l u u ~ tl,roupl, ronllml.n~ircly nnrrotr ,.orCv., nnd rsllcrr, i l tllc ri\-cr is t o o ~ l i g ~ l lo oat, ~ l l r lavl. I I I C ~.ond i.: l";crd lo cl.o.;r n mcky prnrnon. tol.,., ,rllis ir ~ l lu I~ . s l , n-nl lo P:tnjrlrll.

(q ~ 1 , ~ rmm l inla >[nnr to Jlsrtbclmnk above rclcrrud to.

kortl, o f ~ , l h e llill rrsic,n nlmrc dc~scril,,.d and bclo\v Xnrncl>nk an the a ~ , , ~ ~ l , ~ b romor lllc Ili,tri,.t a l I':tnjdrl~, a l~ ic l i i t nil1 I>e useful tu rlcscribc berc, a~ll,ougll it is no part of Had:.hi\..

P.%x~osn. consis& ol hllc rnllry of the ~ l t ~ ~ . ~ l l : t I > from 3larucllak dorm In al ,nl~t

HnElnt Imam, also of so muell ot the aUluent vnlle?s O F 111. l iu ' l~k and Knsllnn ns lie l lorl l~ of tlne frontier line. T l ~ e dislrict is inl~nbiled I,y %wik ~ ~ ~ k ~ ~ ~ n n r , wino rcsi,lcinnad cultiratt. Ihc va11~.r.i, hu t ernzc thrir flocks i n llte chol. 'I 'l\~re are no rillnaec, as 1lleS:t~ilir rl\rrll in t,brll;nr nnrl t l~~~i re :~ml , s : t re conrt:tnllr sltiflerl. N I . ~ P ~ n j d ~ l l nml 'Old l'anjdel~ ' arc n ~ r n , l y llnc sites of tnslls en;rnl nith ~IEIP. Tile v;tllep of lllr BIIII.~II~III is l~nundrd I?v tho slrep but low I~ills of tlw chule on eitlbc*r ri,le. Tlre river isdccp, sn i f t nnrl gcoel.nlly i n l l , : ~ s ~ ~ I ~ l ~ . I ts lords :,re letr and di l l i c~~l t . I t is I~I~I .* I I? sort of ri\.er, t ~ . i t l ~ Isrgc reed l>c.ds. IIIP land nvnilnblc lor cultirulion \s;lr in 1685 insufficient lor the wants of Llle S.riLs a l ~ o inl>:>bil the ilislrict, I ) I I ~ t l ~ r y possess large flocks n n ~ o u n l i ~ g lo 300,000 head of slwep bcskles cno\els; and on tlteso aud the e a r p t industry I I I P ~ make tlleir living.

The a l ~ o l e (Jn~.ik populalinn is prnclicnlly ronwntrated a t I'anjdc.11 nnd nt Tolxlnn. 'l'h,-ru 31.0 raid lo lw nlmut i .000 fnuti l~rs in ~ l l o ior11~t.r 1111~:~ and 4,000 in IboIntler. I'nsjrlul~ rr:lll.v brginral,crut 4 nlilesnnrtll oI Alnruel~nk, here the deGlc cxpnnds into n r.nllt,r allout 2:) miluslonprn~d froln 1 lo 4 tniles rvidr. S n ~ . t l ~ 01 rlbe jttnclion ol tile ICusltk nnd the Jlurgllnl, i t closes in ngnin. Tltc Panjdrh mllcy ia ~1.11 irri"atecl I I V c ~ ~ B ~ I s , lllr principal nuc of rvlbirh is led across the Kuslbk river byolhe o l b brick nqucduct knonn as the P1t1-i-Khisli or Tn.lt l i~q , ruk , s l ~ i e l i ~dn?erl so nol:tldc n 1,:lrt in the fight nt Pnujdcln. I.'vom 1a.l-o lhc cnn;d is continued :,long llle Icfl ar v e s t bank oE t l ~ e Xorghnb no far :tr Yolalnn, but it w:ts uut ol ~.cl,;nir anti rlisusrd in 1686, nnd m;lg still bc so. The llussinns Inarc rsmblished llwir civil slnticm a t htkbt-i- l(nr.sr, bal llle troops n3.r cantoned n mnmlt Iu.ln\v Ak Tapn. The Jlurglnab ar:!r P:nnjdc.l> is :I r;~l,id virer nboet SO la rds Iln,:ld. l o lotc scnmtur :tnd autumu i t nlng bc folded, the brst 1ol.d~ I~einn at Ilarnrgi Ilorar nud nl. n point about 21) gnvds south of the soutl~-c:~st corner OF NPW P:~njdcI~, wlnil~ just brlow r\k Tapn is a ilecp and ilillicult lord, tile In,t buloro Yolalnn ir reaclned.

Tltr elvvalion of Lllr Snrit rot~nlrv mr i r s Iron) nllout 1,000' lo I<.ss tl>nn 1,000'. The :tvel.:lge elrration~ O F 1':~nj;lrll may be tnliru a t 1,100', tlle ICnwbel plnlcsu a t ,k,000' aud the s e ~ t r r n elrol a t .?,>On'.

Tho climate oI P n n j ~ l r l ~ is not. r o d . T l ~ e rvi~ltrr is raw ca~l l diSn. grcml>le, LIlau$b baon- does no1 l ielonn- the surnmcr iilrlnv l~;t and un l lPn l l~ ly , nud Illere is tltcn n sand dr:d 01 lev$' Tne n lnr.al l l a r rPZis in ,junC,

Tlbc Sariks nrr rallter n lillr mre, tnll, stron- 2nd I,O~IJ. fll,(.Y sitid to he Iwt1t.r linl~tin: mcn nntl I,r;~rcrIll.n o ~ l ~ . . ~ ' ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ , ~l,,.,, ind,lstl.ions itnd 11-l-d-norlcin:. and llro penreal~ly :ttnnng t ~ , , ~ , , ~ ~ ~ l , ~ ~ . ~ l , ~ , . Sllni J[ahamrnndon~. Ijut Ily no me:lns Iligotcd or ill tllc l,raelicc tlleir fnillt.

An re:ard5 Lmnylort, llle rnmfls of lhe Snriks arc a vrry fine Ilrcrd, n 1 . ~ 8 s betwccn tlnc one.l~amped Dnetrinn nnd l l ~ c Afgltnn. Tlley :arc said to poncss about 16.000, and that from 2,UOO to 8,900 \vould be nrailoble lor I~ire.

As ~ ' c ~ ~ r d * lllcebol a shovt lc~cril,lion will nclt IIP ont I>[. Illnee h ~ r e . me morll ehol r i s n i f i ~ , ~ in ACallic :L run,ly , ICW.~I . ~ , , , t lllr CI,,,I iq .:,,,,I ,lrlelt in III* a=llnl Lrllre ol Ille Irrm. If is rnllwr n s i l~~dq unllalnliny 1,rokc.u ~ll;nin, 0 l wllil.ll lllc soil n?al.l!. evrv?nllrrc poeseis(.s n ~,rr:nlnt cnssi\trnrv, itclttal IOOSC sntld bl:inR olllr [.r.l~nd in a 1r:w pls,:rs, rrllrr.i;tll? nc,rr LIB,. orus :i'nr~ P J , , ~ . dch. TI,: vllc;~,' of IIII~ rlrol is cnrt.rerl .ill) gr:"~ in spvit~n Tin, linllter llle soil l l ~ o lew lltc ?r:kss, but llw marc sand 11~. more 1,,,,1,,9' of t;~m:,l.i-k ancl aorrrsl. T I I I I ~ 1l1~~1.e i\ slwavr nliu~~d:tnt 1uc.l nlnd cnmel rrwing in 1111. clrnl. Thcr<. is n II~DIIC~I. ch01 and ioa.cr ehnl, tlnc [.al.rncr \win,. rel>r<.~e,>tc~d I)! 1 1 ~ Karnbrl plnleru and il* ooalioualion wert of 111e ) ~ ~ ~ . ~ l ~ l ~ . Yrcm lllc norlh and a.ert wlgrs of the Itnrebc~l ~ ~ l s l r a u d~secnrl a ma\s nl rnvillea c,onl:!inin~ litlle st~.unms nf salt tmlcr callrd RAIII.I. 2nd this is all ~ I I I : sorlacr aolcr the elrol produces, so that pl.aclicaliy the chol is iml~assalle'lor tn,ops.

The lnil i tnn silunlion as r~*,hvds Ba,lnllir be TIBE nature of the h o l rr.trict\ tlbc.%clraneo $2 tlna ltuosinns to two l i~ws onlr that from 51mLha toss-ards ZulKLar I,? tlw vnllvp o l theTnjnnd, and tltnt f r o ~ i l e r v to Par,jdeli 11y tho v.dlep ot the >lur:l~nL. i\s tltc I<ussinns now Itold tlwse t s o lines tl~rougllout ilieir lengtlt, IIrrlgltir is opcll to iurasion a t any moment, and prnclieallp no rcsirtn!~co can bc! olcn!d under preaent conditions. Tho country about Gulr.~n is Inil.lg ersr , \vl>ilo caslwartl.. luwnrds Kurhk and Knls Kao, i t bccomcs morc hilly n n ~ i dificult ; i t tvould thrreIoro reem prob:~blc that tho main line of odronro \vonlrl bc from Snr:thhs bv Ll~e T:tjaud vitllcr ; hut this again is dependant on railway enssideratians, a i d the 1Lvssiaus &y Cud t l ~ c Nurghab line the bcttcr one lor railway extsnsian.

The nature o l the eounlry and climate causes thc sprin: or cnrlp summer to he the mast fnvaural~lo scssou f ~ r a Russian admnce. During the ruins a t the end of winter tllc ground is too heavy fur large morcmcnb. I n tho mid- dle oE sornmer tlw hcn: is ronridersblcnnd animals suffer greatly from flies

in tllc autumn not only would Iorage be scrree, but water ~ o o l d br L~nrdlg obtainnblc.

~ l t c r c is one olllcr important military feature in this region. I t is the strategicnl v d u e of the trilatrral Narueltak-gala Wsli-llsls Blurphab. Il'ho- ever llolds that in commensumte force is master of thc situnlion; for forcein

$hat posi~ian colnlllnnd~ the eon~munientians belaceu Uprat and bu t forbids or covers, as the case may be, any ndvnncc from Panidell

towards Hernt.

Hg"rmrri.

V0l. IV. Vol. V, przcs 109.112- A~~l,oo LlounJar~ co~mi,,io" nou1m FIeca1 .a"-

TI,= n c r a t T ~ I I P ~ is ~ , , , ~ , , , d ~ d on lhc n o r ~ l ~ , n t nn nvcrnrre disklncc 01 2% or 30 miles fI.om 11,~ n n r i ~ , , f i I,? I.n,,~.e nl Itills n.llirll i:t, lac1 a prolonpn. tion of line mnia or tnidc!lp I.hcSP 111 tee liolb-i.llnlb:~. Tl>r.;r hills anh Lhrnl- 8rlvt.s rpollicn 3.i llw liol~-i-ll:~l,n,.ll~ot~~l~ i l ~ w c ~ ~ t e r l l lwrlioll is I~nolrn ns 1110 Si:A Il~~l~ill i .

~l~~ lan,.,, is Srncmllg sl,e.,hi,le I I , W nnrl Inky nnc. Sorll~.cnsl o l nernt llills ,,( ro,nr jIPi..l,t. ,,c.,~\s ~.i.iinp I.IIUI. 01. f i ~ e IIIOIIC:I~II lt'ct nllcrve

tlmC vall,~!- l,ilc !I,<, r ~ a , l s a,.,o,, t ~ , i s l ~ ~ w l i m nl the r m y . arc ~ O I I C I I ~nndsonne. ,vl,nt rlillirull ; bllt rvou, ~ , i , , l n l l ~ ~ o ~ t cllle I > ~ I . I I I nl llg.rnt, tlm llills drop <,on- sidrl.;,l,lx, :,,,,I t ) , ~ nPI.,ISI I I , , . ~ , , n~.tt.:td (11 111.inl: OVPI i 0:O' nl~ovc' tlw RPD.

ore from lonl~.~o live ~ I B O I I ~ ~ B ~ . ~ IVPI; 111:lt 1. IOE:IY, IPS. ~l~nn%,out~'nbovr the pl:~in; ahill , t~l<, pl,rlim,n k~nos-n 0.; tin,, Sinlt Unl,:bli Inn? be des~.nlreil ns :I series nt brotell dosms, thr pnssusorpr \~.hicl~, w o t of t l ~ e I i l~un~b:~n, nrr :all uldcr 3,000'. orlesh tltnn 3Uu' sl,oro the mllry tul lllc 1l:il.i Bucl. \\'ert 01 tlnr 1il111mboo Lbe r:blrye i.i slnlit into trro ln tlw C1til:nai stream, and t l ~ c two spurs t1~u.i I'orn~ed cnd nl~rntlt~ly in t l ~ e 1(1~1 n l~e t . that rirrr 1l.h~ tnhen 11s glvnl l,*~ld lo the norll,. '1'11erc is no nmte ol nnp rortdmvn Ilw 8:1llvy 01 llle Il :~ri LLud .l~icll in t l~ is par1 of its courro is 3" ~nl~m9.:hl,lc ~lrlilc, nlld consl~qselllly :dl colllmltl~icn- tion betnern tlw nr ra t r;tlle?:~nl llarl$l~is is ro,tticted 11, Ills pnr*t,s :nrross Ihc Rinln Bt~b:kli. Tim llillson lllc Pcrri:~n slrle 01 I I I P Hilri llud :arc dccidvclly mow dilfirall fll:~n Lllosp "11 the ;\ l~ll:w sidv, and 1l~t.relol.t. 111(. ~ n * i ~ - t ibs llell 3s llte nlost direct roulo lrnnl Snr;tlil~s lo llle Ilrl.:tt ~-:lllr!- is Ic? Ile I ' u t l ~ ~ l :~croas IIIC Sish Uul,:nh-. Tltr passes orel tlw.;c Itills 11arurnll.v divide tlnrmrelves into pe.;~.ral g~.oupc. The most. sealerly of tltesc rroulbs is tll;\l, n>naec,ting lllc K ~ ~ l ~ s n n l~orlio~l 01 Ihe Glborian dislriet nit11 Snrakl~s II~wugh Zul!itnr. Tllis group consists of :-

( I ) TI,? X!l~al.lt~ni, I (3) Tllu I<ar:tn:n. (¶I ,, S:a#tg sa~~i61,1. (A) ,, Cbnrlnnn Selk3k.

O l l l>ev. t!ne livst t b n c lratl tbmm~rb Krrez Elins, wllila the Inst nors t l>ronql~ liiril Ualnk, (I) and (6) are pr;~eticnblr lor laden c,:b~nelq in 1lteiTl,n:sent clilion, wltilv ( I ) , (3) nncl (4) could all bo made lit lor wl~ecletl nrtlllerr.' (2) is of no mililnv?. vnlur, All lour are ~>lae~ienble tl~rou:.l~aut LIla yea;, tbongl~ li:!ble to nton. slorms. Thc sanne qcncl.ol descri1,lion applies la all ~ILCPE p~sbes. Tlte soil is clay inixr~l aill l snadstnnr mld i n wet rvv;~lltvr or nltcr snow lllo gl-o~~~irl is rrrr stick! rind Ilenv!,. The n001,1'31 clbamcler of the "round en. cnu~rtrrpd in ;.ras.iug Irv nny of'thnse p.>r:es lram soutlt tn nor t l~ first an outvr and almost dcli~cl;ed r ~ l g c , like t l ~ : S~l ra l i t s , llben an srccnt t l ~ r o u ~ h n series of pnr:~llel clay or s:~nrlitn~~e rid:cr, 1in:tlly ending in a slevp nscc,st "11 ravine us brol-c~i scarp lo an oprn upland plain whirl> ~s saeceedc~l by n gentlr desrenl elndin; ill on nhrupt cln,p of two or three Ilund~.ed l e ~ t to the Cl~ilnnei H I I ~ . C~.ocsing this anenlle asrunt up n sl!ollo!~, olrpn ravine !ends to llBe~,rst 01 tllc sccond or nor;lw% ridge, slticlt is:, nsrro~rar~.raterl line of jnpprd santl- 6tc~nr crsgr; t l ~ r n comes a sllnlp de'rent nf n lc!v Iluudred )-nrds, f ~ l l ~ s ~ ~ ~ ~ l hr an car! fall ta the loot al the pcrpeudioulnr scarps of tlle chol on thc side of llnr 6 e l . e ~ Llinr.

'The next :rnmlp of pnssps is tlnnt coonecling Kultsnn nud (iborian =itl, Gulnn. This cl-our incluclps :-

. . .. All tbesr passes except (6) cross Llle Inills about 3,500' allore the sea; that is to sng, the llills L~rcabouts are ~~c , lb inr morc than low downs risin- 000' or ro allore Lhc ~ l l i ~ i n ; nl llle Cltnsllrnn Sabr pass. Iloncver, the rise inGearcs la l.iO0'. Nonc of Ibr Ilasces arc rl*,svd in tlbr winter, tlnounl~ suo!r licr far a nlootll or trio, ord sllnr sbrms m n y block a ro.~d torn few da.&. I n r rass in~ the AO

. - ---%

1. f r ~ ~ ~ r h'h.llrnt u 9 m* %st dry wen!l.r: ndr. A. D. c.. nccord. YUI. 111. - 13:.

Tlle third group consists of lha passes l c d i n j into Ilnlzl,ip from and il~uludes llto hest route lo I 'naj~lcl~; llle p.~ssus iu gurslion sl.e :-

(I) The D3~.nLl>t-i.Tut. (31 ' ~ I I O

(4 ,. SS.IIR K o ~ o ~ . 1 (11 ,. U J ~ U L

(51 The Kurll RoLt-SanC.i-llul,a~ 3.d , i n l ~ r ; ~ o .

Of these (1) is uscless trom n military point of vier . (2) would be usrd for a moremcnt an Gulrnn lrom Hernt, and i t can be easilv rn.~de lit for guns. (3) i s an .~lternatirc road to (2), but i t is onlg a pack roa& (k) and ( 5 ) arc the hest ~ O U ~ P S to Knrsrrnl>s and Pnnjdcll, lhc Eormrr rotite bcin; n little longer. bu t ~>roclicoble lor nrtillcry ovcn in its pwscut condition. Tllcse roads, map 1~ regarded ss tbe most i~nporlaat lines of comn~unieation llrtseen Sc ln t and Turkistnn. I n this group the passes vary from 4,GOU' loB.100'so hat the hills may be said to be nl~out 1.600'above the plain.

T1.e most er-lerlg ;loup of passer is tbnt I ca< l in~ lrom Herot to Bsla l lurghnb, tbrougli Ku>hl\ and Xaln Kno. I t consists of .-

(I) The nnba. H) The nnaurh Dara. (?I ,, Golrb. ( 5 ) ,, Shutar Alnrda. (3) ,, DaI%nla.

(7) bh.i.K3L,,li.

These p.asaes arc all orer 7,000'and are closcd by snow ror two or three montlta in theyoar. (7) is only a. foot path. while (2) (3) (4) and ( 5 ) arereally onlv lit for mule and l~or ie traffic. (1) is eonridercd t l ~ c shortest road to ~ r i h a a Tobkirlan, but is I)? no lueans so mood os the Batun and Ardewnn passes, and in fact is rlillieult even fo:cnmds. (ti) is considered the main route to h:lln Pino, and '.uns can bc got orer bv means of dm: ropes. It is in fact tl:o only mutc o l r z l military importanee'in the ;ruap.

Tltc general eonrln~ion to he d r n r n Irom a study of the pxrses across the hoh.i.Babn From Iicr;lt, is that Illc n n z e is no real obstacle to au enern! from the nrrrtlt, nnd that i t docs not lend ilsrll to drfcnce, as apart from the tactical ansttitability of the passes lor r l~leaet , tllcre is the rtratrgical ob. jcclion pass is liable to bc turucd Ihv a t l~ rc t in its n~~ichbourhood. ~lorrar,,,., crrr, the ~ ~ n g c lorlned in itscll &I ad~uitable hnrl.icr, ~t is slill ex- posed 10 lllc disnrlrnntage t l ~ : ~ t it cart rarilh- IBC ~ u r s c ~ l nltopofher Ilp no ad-

in r<lrrc flom tlre Mnsltlnnd dirretion, in rllicl> cosc all cBorts dirccted tn tlbc dr[rllCpr O{ tltO l , a b s ~ ~ sou ld I\aw b e ~ n t l~rown srvrg. On the \ b o l e tllo oo,,ri,,tion torue itrclr on tho mi ld that fur n nunlcriczllr inlrrior fol.re, t l lc delPnco of the u e c l t \.allr). is n task 'presrutillg the lllost serious difficulties.

For of rclrrenrc, n rlrort rbslraet of thc intormnlion ob t~ toed hy Ute Doundnry Comutiasiun regarding thc ~ I I S C S i s g i ~ c n bulon.

T/ra A'ii~,.lrrrls~rwi pnaa.-Tllis is tho mast. xertrrly of lllc posses Ic.111ins lrom ~ ~ l , ~ ~ ~ tn 13%dnhis Inmkbs, and is tbc hest alrd w s t direct mad from ]{nmnn.i.nihisht So ICnrez Elias. I t cnters tlm bills about ti vilc3

the former plnrc and nLc,ut 1: ~ri :cs c.nstni tllc Rnri ltud. The die- bnce from this ~ o i ~ l to ba re r Elias is about :3; miles; then- lo the Eari

it is ,,bout 8 milcs I,Y n good rond. The British Comrnissioo marched

by F.ss in Novcmbrr 1885. Thedfghnns hnd tllen mod0 n good rood

praoticable for guns tllrougllaut. ,is airsod. ptntrd. the Si;~lb Duhnk nt its postern end is broken up into

two rid.us I l r ihc l:~L~nll ootlr<e oI the Cllil~nrl, so that the road first crosses tllo rl~,,~llt.i:~llt~rrl liot;tl (2,000'). tlten drops 1,060' to the Cllilgezi Rud, as. ocnd9 to t l ~ c Nihnl.l~eai linlnl (B,'i!IG'), nnd lindly descends to ICnrer Blias (1 55~'). TI^^ Cllilnn~i Ihtd is usunlly dry, but wnter is obtainable on this robe nt allout the l i l h n~ile.

~1 Knrrz Elins l h ~ r o is a fair cnmpin:. ground Thence to Zalfilmr. i t i s 12t lnilrJ by 3 good easy rand pmclic~blc lor 011 nrma. Froln Zulfikar them arc two roads lo S:trolihs, one I)!. the lefl Ilnnk nf tlle Eari n ~ l d t l~rongh perliao territory ( i G miles), tho otl~vr n cart rand along 111~ r i ~ l l t h:nnk, reccnt-

cOnstruo~rd IIV 1130 llussinos (75 n~iles). TIBIBS from Ruhssn to Sarxkhs by this route, Ihe t;tnl dishnee mny be 1:alren as about 150 miles.

Rflc/'nnn..

SO,?^ NaroWl "ad Kornngo pnasea.-These two passes, xrhich ore bmnches one and lho same pass, lesrl from Kuhson Ihrouyl~ ICamnn.i.Hil~irht to

Kares Elins nod Lhenec to Zul6kor; the westurn braneb is liuown ns tllc Bane-i-Nawisltt; thc enslern ns the Karnnno. T l ~ e lormer is alrnost useleqs lor mil&q ~ U I P O S ~ I , wltilc the latter could be reudered practicable lor field guns, and is errn now pwsable rr-it11 enso by lnden camcls except nt one place. Liko the Sihnlrheni boll1 Ihesc routes cross tli-adistinct rrn,w as well ns the deep ravine of l l ~ e OLilgnzi. The Knrnngo Hotal is :,D?S' above the sen, so some~rbnt higher tllau the Nibnlsheni pass.

Rrj.rmra

(I) Cmpl;/;ml,zba'~ aport ~t 01, Vol. 111. b~econl. or the I.lelli;ooco Parly, Alghvo Douodnrr

(2) b u t . N o S. Alzhnn Lb~~ndorg Commiuion Roulos. llvnl srrics.

The Chnahnn Surknk pons.-This pass lyiog between the Knrnngo and Kbumbna passes, lends from Kuhsan to Bizil Uulak in l)ad,obir. I t is, except s t one point, an excellent camel road; nnd thnugl~ the direct rond is in its present stale improctieable lor "uos, still by n slight detour ficld guns could easily be taken Bcrors tho hillo i r o m the hmd of lllc Chilgazi Rud to Chnh Yullii. Liko tllc ptISSEE to HIC west\~nrd, tlle Ct~ns l~m:~ Su1.knk crosses two ridces and the iolerrenin: rnlley ol the Chil~nri, bol as i t cmssrr the latter nenr its Ilcarl. tbere is not tlnc sauw nl,ropt drop wlticl~ cbnmctcris~s the westurn pnsecs. T l ~ c fi~.sL kolol i. 2,i60' nborc sen, while thc Cltilgnzi Rud is crossed nt 2.130'. T l ~ e rud is 11r1.c opcn and its surface compar:ttirrly smooth ; down its course n goor1 Irack, pmrticn1,le far field guns, I.UIBS to the Nihalshpni rond. The ns- cent in,m lhc C1tilg:tzi to the second kolsl is nbout :GOO'. 'l'lle asrent and d ~ s r ~ n t 01 lbe s,.eond or norl11e1.o ridgc is l l ~ c onlg real difficullp on tlnis road, and 3 or 4 day,' wcrk by a company of suppers suuld render it Lit lor guns.

R,/c,?"c,..

11, rml*-im r.a..ck,'. Ilp.ri .1 1,-1d311, \',,I. 111. A C . . I , ~ nnul~dorl cummi..ion tpconl.. I?) IL,ul<. No. X I . Algbzn I l ~ ~ u n d d r f Cvmvlbrsivu Iloulr.. I lurn l #ens..

Thlln Xl,nr,tbrro pna*..-This is one or the ~nns l important and ensicst passes O\.PI 111~ rnnge sep:t~.nlin*. Illr ( i l ~ o r i ~ n dislriet fronl Jl;lrl~,l~is. Tils old main roncl from &trakI~s I0 l?Llhrnn oib CuIr00 Oppsnrs to l ~ n r ~ l e r l o r r r i f , At present tllr route ir an crr~rllcnt rnnlcl m:d, 2nd collld, witlnoet difioully bc nlade R L I U ~ roatl, a* lllc soil is cab7 to a.ork. Tlw route crosses llle hilla Lqt of tllo I~ i lur r~ l ic~a r a u ~ r d by Llle ~ t a i i ~ n z i , and con~equcutlg there ia only olle t o crrt*r, nud 111is in eslimnled a t 3.4i0' nbore tile sea. TI,= lennll, of tile l l s l i., llw [>ortlon rrhorc Iraops would Ilr rrrtrictrd to the is la nli1c.s. Tllc paw does not lend i l d f lo rlcfencc e r w p t s t the kOlrr l , ylle soil I'~luUglluut is bolt cla!. inlcmired willt saudstoue I . o c ~ ~ . ~t be heavy

10

,,.lIole lair mad, bul. is not to be compared r~it11 the Ao Bated.

snd it be nsorl; o l same tronblc to mnko it fit lor fillns. R.,e,t"'r.

r.,,lrin hlni,land.. rrporl .I P"gt IO 01 "01. Ill. Alphon Uoundar, Cnmmirmion R e r ~ ~ d . .

~h~ Domkhl.i.T,,l pn,s,-A rcrv diffict~lt pass and but liltle used exerpt by t l ~ e nornndr. I t ir usrlrsv tor mililnry purposes crcupt, for mmscnger8. rneonnoitrin: pnrlirs, IOr. T l ~ c nllitudo ot the kolal is 4,080'. I t is sitoatcd lmiles wust ol thc S ~ n g Kotal.

R I J ~ ~ E I F I . ku., mpor~.t 16.1, YUI. 111, Arglbm Boundary Cnmmi*-i"n nrmrde.

~h~ f i ~ ~ i pns..-l'ltis is l l ~ e most direct road from Herat to (3ulnn. TI," i. bnl.clg 3 n~ilcr Ion:, and tl~csnnlmit is only 4.Gi0'. I t is

orcclleot ..un road erucpt Iar tho lirst. ltalf milc o l the descent on tllo nor111 side wllpre iris very ~ t e r p nnd atony. Tline are no rrster difficulties. From HeAt to Gulrnn Iw this route it is about 60 lniles or 5 lollgisll marches. sll i le to snrnkhs it is 10i) miles tl~rough Zallitnr.

R,f<mrc, ( I ) C.plrio PnmleC repod. p.0 I G 5 , Vol. Ill. Alzhnn O n u n d ~ ~ Commiuioo Rrmrdl.

R.,,I. NO. rrll. .ir,a.m ROUIC.. 1Iero1 aeri~m

Tine Afzal pnsa.-This map be regarded as an nlternalive to tlle Sang Kotal route, and as on that route, 111. descent on the north side is very stpep and bad, tbougb a madernle amount of labour mould make it a h i r pnck rood. The crest is 4,750' above the sea.

R<rmnr.. . (1) Cnl.lain U.illnnd'.wn. pya;. Vol. 111. Alglbrn Dol!nlln., Commia.ioo Rmord8. (2) noul. NO. 1~11, ll l lhnn ~ ~ o . n d a r ~ cemmlaion nanln. Iirr.lmioa.

The Bnlttn or Bolart pass.-This is one ot tllc ensiest passes leading from Horat to Bndjhis, nod its pasition rcndcrs itonc of great importance. I t is quite I t for tibeeled LmlTic, though dnubtlcss i t could bc much improvrd in plnces. The anlp srriousobjeclion Lo lllis rand is its liabilit,y to bcconic impassable in wet weather, but tllio applies lo all tllcse prsres. Tllc kohl is 4,810' or nenrlp, 1.600' above 1Ient. from nhicl~ it is di-tnnt about 39 n~ilcs. Brnm Hcrnt to Earn Tapn, the ncnrest post on the Russian Iroulier, i t is 79 miles or 7 ~uardles.

n<rrrrnrr..

( I ) ~ ~ i t ~ . ~ d ' . ~ ~ i t , "t p.:c~ia~. \',.I. 111. t.rglnn n ~ . ~ d ~ . , commialion R.CO,~. . (2) lloulc lo. S\'III, Algbon Uo,amdmr, C'ornmi.sil>#t I:,m~nc#. Ilrml .rr#e..

Tlzc Sn~agi-Robnl and Ardrtonn posnco.-'L'Ite<a passes lic 5 rnilc~ enst of theBatun, and tl~ougll ~,rrllaps not qnitr so easy are more rrcncrally used as bc. ing t l ~ e ahortcst routes lrom Ilcml to Badghis. Ilolh mn; be considered gun m d s , but guas mould II:ITC lo IIC drazq.,d Ily hand in scvc~.nl places. An Afghan I,nttPtg crosrell 1111. iilrlt'enll Kohl ill llle blning 01 1884, tllon~gl~ no. thin: hml brcn don? to iml,ravr lllu roaal By llw S:nnn..i.llobat rout,. ](ara Tapaisnbout il o~iltstnrm Licrst,nnd P:\nj<leln :~llout, 136 ililvs or 1 1 rnartlnrs.

K w h llol>nt (.b,liO') is a!, r ~ r ~ ~ l l r o t ctmpit,: ~roctnd. 25 rni1c.s Iron, Ecmt ; not only is Iltc~~f~nmlllc? Epner. I , I IL a:lt,,r, luel, nwl camel ~rnziu-arc :,Iluo. dnot. TITO mllcs I,e~ond lllis line lnr i I,iIun,aics ; lltc lelt br:?nrll G c r direct lo KarnTnlln o;d Sang-i-Roll:tt, wl~ilr LIIC ~ . i r l \ t le;~ds bv L I , ~ i\rrlWnu gotn l to K U . l'ltc farmer cn l*~re lllc rv:ttrr,l~~l i. alil& from 1 ~ ~ ~ 1 , ](,,~,~t 4.860'. The latter rlses to 5.1>0'. 'l'l~rsr ts-o p : ~ r s c z : ~ ~ , . ~ f l ~ ~ collrclirclv hpokm 01 as the Uush llol~nt, Ll~c name ui Lltcir en~~l;~,on stnl.,inn poiut. 11 ,,.o,,l~ ticnlly be irulto.riblc to detcnd Lbesc passes, aurl ercl.G ,vet men~]lur tucg form no abrtar.le.

R.$rnrr,.

(11 C.plrin U~ill.nd'. npod-nl w e .liL. \'.I. 111. ~ l ~ l , o ~ fioundrr, cnmmia,ioo R.~, , ,J . 121 Roll lu hl I and SlXA. Al:lm>ln I h l a ~ ~ d ~ r j l h ~ l ~ , ~ . . i ~ ~ n.,,l<a. I1vnt

The Unbnp~~r~.-This leads trow Hrmt l o liusllli, and tlnencc tllrougll Kala Nno to Baln Xlurgllsb. I t is the sllol.le-t rand Ilultrr~n IIerat and AIgh:tn Tur- kislan, but it is by no mcans llne beat, lhc Yusll nobat and Ih tun passes being

far b ~ t t c r in evi'rr r c~pp t , . The D:lhn pnsr lhns tso rnlrnneeq on lllc mutl,8ide of ~~ l l i cb . t l l e cnr1;rn one, Ibg tile 11 . . *a 1-Klm.njn Jlr i- Inr rite hest mdistheoal; on0 rVer u ~ r l l c.:tv:l\,:kn*. TIlc rlr,$ is difiCUlt for Pi,,,,els, iCinn in stcep, r0 l .k~ n n i m!1:.1~. T l ~ r c ,~ .~ \ t of llle pnas is nearly : a~nar r ' c~ .~w,~ hs ,,,,,,, bPtsc,en C ~ ~ r i ~ i ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ I , ~ , ~ ~ r , " : " i n I ~ ~ ~ sl ' r i t~g then,\.at~r in' tllc ~ r l t :~ l : ravine solnetimcr rr,,,lels tllo m,,te imporable. This pass ia susecptil~b:ol it! enl,juneti,,n .ill, Ci,,lal,,

The Goluh Pnra.-'~llis Inra leads f rom &rat lo K ~ l a Nso hy the Khnnjs J i r wr io r . I t cro.sl.s 1180 n~:min ma:rc a t 7,!liO' tllnt i t is full 300' higher t l ~ o o 1110 Wlm Kotnl l lnn \~lliell it is e<>naidcral to bc mom diilicult. 0" the other hand i t is r0nlelvll:tt slborlcr, nllrl lllrrcf<,re prelerred hy the Kuahk people. The descent on the nurtll sido is certniuly better than tlaot Imm the Bsbs Kotnl. Tile Firs is ]nerL.cll$ pr:~clic:tllle for eavalr~nnd even maunbia guns but snow nud wet \vould ren~lcr i t useless for cn~tlels iill Alanh. I t is 92 milcs irom Hcrat to l inla Xno I,? tllis route.

nu^,.^,^,. Ill Cnplnin \Inillnnl. r ~ p o r l . p w 1:0 T,I Ill. llwnlaof Lbo *fl;h.n Oonndar, Cornrniu~o~. 121 nuau. SXI rlld S S I I . ~ ~ : ~ , . ~ cnmmluion oou,... H.", .,i.,.

TIIP D ~ ~ l a ~ t I u p n ~ s , /he ~ ~ l l l l ~ i nnrn pnsa, and the Slrnlar Xurdo para.- All 1hr1.c pns\es nro nlore or less dillicult. They lead from 1110 Hnrokl~ valley nurth.enst 01 Urrat to tIlc Uara Zmr..ul and tlleoce over the Uand-i-nabs range to I(usl~k or KaI;, li:m Lllrou:l~ 1Clm.ajn Iinlondnr. The most rrfsterly of the t l~ rce ~ U U ~ P S , wbirrl~ arc IIOLIVVC~ only n Vetr milesapart, is the Yolnntu,said ta be acentcl rand. l ' l t r ! I3nnasl> Uara is more dimcult, but is practicnble b c hden mules. The Sbotitr 3It11.<ln is used by horsemen. but never forcamels, but pmcti- cnlly speaking tllesa three routes are mere sheep tracks.

RG,rnC<>.

ti) Cnpl,,,, l 0 d 1 a ~ d . r wporl. p r p 495. In1 Ill. Alphn. bund.77 Comoiuiom Rm& nouc. SO. S Y I V . A ~ . ~ . ~ huudr, comolkino I~o~L... nenturk.

The Znr,r,aat pns~.-Lcndr trom tho upper end of the Komkh valley to Norntuaod tltcnce to Iinln Naonnrl the Firozkol~i country, or thmugh Knla Nao to Ualr J I u r ~ I ~ n b . I 1 is nluoli trsvcllcd nod is of eonrideraYe importance as i t is considered line m:tiu roure l o Iinln Nno nud Xaimnno. There nre two kolaln to IN: rrasaod 1 , tllis mule, u.amclg, line Zarml~st and the K n s h h ; Lhe Erst (7,7dOZ) over the main r:!nqr, the second (6,010') over a spur running unr t l l -~~~ . s t , j,llich is ~t,~>:lr:!tr.d from the mnin range I,y tba Togao llobst vnlley do,vn ,yl,inl, iq a to lilnllk. Snow lien on the prrrco for about 6 montbs. nlld tile is gvoel.nll? elo.cd durinn January, P c ~ ~ I I I ~ ? nnd Blareh. The ~ . ~ , , , , , ~ t r,,,lte is rcrg stecp in plneer, bu t i t is practicable tor all lrnggnge nnirnals,

,vitll ,lran rollrs 7,,,10 b c y ~ t avcr. Hrn\,ilg laden camels would find

tile dils~,,lt. pro", sent t c ~ a l a Nno i t is 61 miles nod to Bals MY- gl~al, 141 milcs, or 12 stn:.es.

R g n l r r , .

,,, Cnnlri,, jl,,ill3,,d.. rrQort prEa 497, Pol 11:. I1;h.n Boumd.77 CQmmi~h Reds. , . , (21 CI"'~," P,"<abr'" rcpnrl .I rsm. (3) l iomo~o. X);III, *khnl ~ o u ~ ~ ~ l C~mrniuios Rook.. Hrnl a a i a

Tire noh.i.Kabs/i prrrr.--This leads fmm theeaslern end of the Esmkh to ~~1~ h.ilO. h t ~ I I C I ) ~ i t k ~ I I C P C it crosses the main ran,oe,it in notlling

bc~l;r tltnll ~ , I G O U I ~ dilngerous footpalh. I t b= not been explored.

CHAPTBU 1V.

T H E l l L n h T VALLEY A N D CITY.

T , , ~ nrrll , a ~ ~ p ~ mar be @,,id to consist o l n r r r t city, the ndj:~rrnt district ,, callP,~, nlld tllp ~ r : i l n ~ & 01 Ghorinn on tllc mest and K:~rokl~ an the norlh. east ~l,,,,,.b tllc I:lttrr is no1 pnrt of tltr nlnin mllrr;. Tile Ncl.nt vallc?' is by for lllr mnyl ~~ol~uIo!~s, iL,rlilc :~nd im)~orl.:tat part, ol'lhe allolc plovincr, and is ,lmtepic:,llg .Ilmking one of he "lost rt.rn:wknblc posilionr in Aria. I t is nnt,,mtl I,? llle lInri Llud \~.l~i~:ll. lr;hrer.in~ il Irom rnsl lo n ~ s t , , 111rl>snorth and hpCom~s ttlc ~~\-rrtel.tB bo~~od.~l.r ol ;ii~lnnnirtm~ in tbisdircrtion. Tli~. Ilnri Rud in tllia ,rnl.t of its corl.se llas dolg one considrrnl>lo :~flloent, thr s t r ron~ shich drains ]iarokII nad 11.llir.11 rism in lltr U:d- i -Bal~n, solnc 20 miles cnst of tho earnlurt P:IEI ( ~ . i d c C I I ~ P I C I Ill). At this point 3 ver! I~flysl~urcnllcrl Dnwandar is ( ~ ~ n l s l l out F O I I I . I I - ~ . P ~ ~ t~ \ r \ .n~ .d~ the Il:wi Rd, nud this foro1s lhe s,,,,tl,rrn rr:~tcrsllrd or K : ~ r ~ ~ l i h which lies in thc fork or angle tl>us Formed hrt,v,,e~l llbr U:lurl-i-ll:ibn end the Unwnodnr spur. It will bu ronreoicnt to dcscribr I<:lrukh here belore ~nocceding to dcscribe the mail1 mllcy.

Iidnoss.

This rlisrrict is on? of the Chnlrar lOilnyntof Hemt, lhat is, onc of its lour autlginp districlr. I t e r t r ~ ~ l l s ns ktr vest doan sfrean> as the liorha Sanni dclilt.. Tlnc tala1 lenglh of tlw 1nl1e.v is tllus nboul. 63 milrs. The rirer rulfs lor llw nlost pnrt nloog the soull~ sidr of the vallry in a deep narrow t r o u ~ h eloqc uudrr the Darmndar lidge as h r as Knn~.ornl~nd ; shcre on the north side it opclls out, lhe -ruont,l risin- in n serirs of steps and upland slolxs lo t l ~ c foot of Ille asp!ars lmnl ;he U:~nd-i-llabs. The soil is fertile, but onlr thc lorrrr terraces ond Ihe ne i~hb~~urhood 01 the rirer arc eul- tivntcd.' The v t ~ d ilrrll is quarter to ltalf mile side, s i l l ) a slrang slrcarn Baaing down a broad ernvelly bed bordered bj- an alluvi:~l rnarniu of eultivn- tiau, and ~ o n d grazing mcndurr land. The valley ia vvry thinly ;opulntcd, and the f c ~ villages that exist lie "long tbc river. 'The hills borderin. the rallcy are qnitc bnrr, nod trccs are onlr sren a t the rillnges. ~ o c h t a n d o k and Iiamkh arc: (he t s o centres of po&latian.

T l ~ c former is a large village, about half a mile nor t l~ of the river; here there arc seleral Small iarls and a fair amount of eullivation. Knrokh is 1ar:er 2nd consists of n group of 8 o1.1C vill:!pes m ~ d hnmlctr, v i th n 1ar.o far1 slticb is the residence of Lbe Gareruor. The villnps are surmunaed by! arebards and ~s-allcd fields. The fort is of Ll~e usual Alghan type nntl is n i t n lormidable stluclure (altitude 3.840'). Tho populaliou of thcKarah-b district \vas estinmlvrl ill 1685 a t 4,000 fnmilisr. of ~ r b o ~ u half r e r e Jamrhrdis, tho rernaindrr T:ljih-r. Haznmr, 6c.. and n con~idcmble nutbbrr of Af-ban nomads, mostlg Obch Gl~ilztis. Shccp oro plenlilul in Xaroh-h and a eekin limited number of c3mcls arc proeural~le (ray 250, ; aljaut 1,000 Rlrrrsnvs of rhe.nt and bnrlry might also be oblnined Ivom the district.

16 milcs abovc Knrokh nre Waorozabd end Khsnja Chahnr S11:trnb~ whicltnrr? Ll~e hizl~ert ~illngor in the valley. Beyond thorn the valley is narron' and onculti~ntcd.

The rln rl, i~ldred Llle onls irnpol.tnnrp of the Knroh-11 ,li<tr:rt lies in the fort that t l t ~ . u r l t it lies t l ~ r mod Imm Ilrml hg the Znrtuusl Rot21 to 6nla 330. nLicb ir C U I . . ~ Il.rccl tbc no st direct roulc lo J l ~ l r n ~ n n - ~

Tl,c diatnnre from Harrl to Knla Kno bv this rond ia 80 milrs (vide Ko111e XXIII. IIcrnt .~,rhrs). Uesidcs thr ~mnart;tlbere are two or thn,e olhcr lrnss~s Imdin: from li.lrukl1 ovcr tllc Uaod-i-Bobr, but lbep are all very bad (*ide Cb:,pter 111).

Them are Inlr roads Icadin: from lbc IIcral valley iuto Karokb, v i ~ . : - (1) Bp 1111. D~rliau.i-S3ln.lrnri, a diEcult road lor laden camels. (3) By Jlsliu~ob, used bp laden enmcls, but difficult. (3) US Gnrm.~h-. carp for baggage animnls, hut impractiea! !e fol

curia.

,hggling, covering InrSc nrcns ~ n ~ ~ c d gnrilrns and orchardq. w i t h them ,. .Lingled ll,e ,,ld lnrls :,nd villnges. Tllc \lllnlo of the crutre P a r t

tl,l! is closely culli\-atcd nod trcll irrigalrd. One ~ p r " ~ ~ ~ ~ of

the villaFs is tllnt in turn? places tho roads are tnl'l'c'ls "ndrr the

houses, coougll lo ride tllrougll 0 9 rule m'd Iorm ercollont ,lrg go ,u~pmof to tho troops llc.icc.ills llle city. T h e

the ,.illn.es ,,,,d nmllnrtls nro generally 8 to 1 2 11.1'; 1;1"11. so tha t neigbbourllao~ oBBcrat notlnin; to (he cyo but b:lrc G o d w:lll3 with

the tops twes showir,r over them. Tile houses are fur tllc most Part low dome,l hovels eDnllccted by a puzzling labyriuth 01 n n m l a lanes. * lew of tile villagcs orc, however, sqaare mull fortlrts.

~h~ nort~l side tho ,,lain, a3 nlroady rtatetl, is closoll h g n lojvrnngeof l,illr, T~ the soll l~l the plain is bour.drd 11y tllr opun P r l ' l l v dun'"n lrbicl, skirts thol , i~lsoo tllnt ai<le, namely, the Doshakll, llle l j n n d - i - ~ i d i n and the 9aow sir\,, n.~ti~e lo tile cart the valley is closed iu Lllc lofty Koh-i- ~~~~~d~~ and its spurs. 811 these bills are bare nud rocky. llestitute oftrces and verdure.

~h~ e i ~ r lies nbout t a n miles north of llle Hnri Rud, ~ ~ \ - h i ~ : I ~ I~e rc , eaccpt rv),e,~ in 1lood, is a shalioa. nrsrclly slrrnm in l l lne cllnullels, rnd l a few yards r ide .lnll nboet, 2 Icct Ilecp.J It a.es lurmrrly rrc~sst~d I,J llte Pal-i- l l : t l :~n, llut lltis brid;e ip row Ihokelt and us~~1c.i.;. TI,; pl:lin is a.ell irl.iplctl by kur.ezes rind Inere e : t l l~~~l jnni~, souno 01 wllicl~ a1.0 I ~ ~ I I I S ~ C ~ P I ~ ~ I I I C O I I R ~ X C ~ ~ S . T l ~ e 1iurnb;lr Anla, for inslnnco, wltcn in flooal, i s3~ 'widennd ti' rleep nit11 r1ct.p clng 1~snb.r. r l s t l lcci tr ir:~lll,~o.~clted, tlzcvilla:.esI~oro~t~e Inrgernnrl D I ~ I . C nulnerous, nn,i Bnnlly rorolbn nl~nclst c u n t i n ~ ~ ~ u ~ belt 01 nnlls :md g:~rdens 011 tlic norlh, .rest, and sooth side of Lllc city, but on lhe east rille tllr guounrl is nbllell nmre open :and tho villa-cs I u n l ~ e r apart. Thore is a Inirly clr;lr zone nil round the ci ly ahout 103 )-;tds wide, P ~ ~ o i a t of cou~iderable i~nporl;tuee as rl,,oords the clclr,nee.

,\s regards eomolonication on the n n r t l ~ side of l l ~ e 1Ierat \,ollry, the tnrin road runs nlon- t l ~ e open erarcl da,rgnu skirtin: llm eallir;nlion. I t is good in al l acalhe:<, and l,vait, t r o o p or 611"s could m o ~ c on n I>rond front. All the olbers run through 11,; cullivnletl Il.m.1, n-llich is e i o ~ t * l j inlc~rseeled by water cl~nnncls 2nd where the nnnrjw Inncs tvould oltcn res l r~ r t movement to single Blc, llcsides rrhicll i n wct aeatllcr tlwv would he v c ~ y dittcult. Them is one nv~d , ho\rever, alliell pnascs lor t h e most part overtlto open grnss clrurnora nlong tho riqlit b?ol; a l llw river, and this in dry s.enther s.ould pro- I,nblr be0 ie nest bcrt rand for "ntns nlter lhnl 11). the dankon. Thcsc cbnnnons, whe; dry. form splendid cucnm;inp grounds 2nd in spring give gout1 grazing.

Tllc possibility oE d u f r n d i n ~ or covc,ring Hernt by mcnns of a ficld a rmy is, ol course, &point of considrrable i~npnrtaucr. but tltou;11 thcre aro positinns xvhieh Irnd t l~emsc i r?~ l o r ~IcIeusira artion, thbv are tlot sucli ns could bo held IT an Alglnnn u n l v neoinst regular lrool~s, nod nrc pevllops more likely to be mad? uac of IIV n ~ i u s i n n army eovrrinplIernl, th:lr by an Algllon or even Dritisl~ forcc dclcndinp it. I t is ar \r.cll, harvevrr, to glance a t tllc sul>jcet.

On the s o o l h ~ m side ol the Ilcrnt valley l l ~ e ]inp bet,rrcn and Ilorren counlrp is very sharply drfined, and tlm lront rneillg EOUII, is .rontinoous line of wall, tho oulor cd.70 of the orvhanls riocvnrdr n,lll w h i d ~ extend Irom Sial~e.nsl~ao on ~h,"e,ast to ziamtZnlt: 6 0; 7 m i l c r :est ,,I. Iioznbagh. 30 that the totzl front thus corrrcd nlnr bc tnliell a t 10 milcs. forrc moml1iny from Sabz~v.nr by I~.Iuz.~.M~P D ~ U ~ ;.,,,,id baYO to tl,i3 line a perlcctl? open p h i s , obout 4milrs ~r-icle, nbsol,~tely duvoill of cover $vlhila the front t~nmrds 1'nr.h is almost equally forlnidable to stntc:icnllv Inore dangcrouc to tlclend. Inr if theattack rrero surecssru] j,, tl,i* ditection, tioops a t I:nzaIw*ln and rnst\;.nrd m i e ~ l t fill,, thrir line of mtrear Herat in te~ap tcd . lvithi; the nutcr lineof I V ~ I I ~ II,C mclmurcs so dense r"d ''-itl' mannSpnlcnt Ire0 wrnmtinicntionq crerys.hcre ,,long ole n'i:l't be nrrnngell for the orchnnls nnd cndarllres are only mile deep m l begood lhrre' in tolrrablr "pun el l~tirntcd ground to the ,.irerat l,ul.i: 3181nn nllirb air: a I m mbrp vilianpa, 1t mar nolod a canal rung all >Ion: 'he ollter rdge of tltu enrlosnl;es, STI,~OII idds preatlg to the dilncllltiea

On lllc ~ s t Jnll-llnt srcma to n r w tl,,: ~ , ~ ~ t ~,,,~iti,,~ for rorcrinn fro," :,,I < ~ ~ K , l n , , ~ , IK ,B>~, , " citIter lro,,,

sm:,ll far la nl,,j r.ill :,zoq, ' lnl ' ina or lillll*:ln. sn~!g i~ :~* t~oor ia la Illc Il l le :blmul Y110 ynlds Il.nnl ri,.l.r, tile 011lcr :lllolll 701) \nrilr III)I.III. .~ . l l ( . '.lOl~lld i l l rrollf II,,,~,.I, culli\.i,trd is

n11.l n18Pn. I1llt irrig:tlion ebnnnt.l\ rm,l,,r it'r,.v r171fiv,,ll to rn,:E, and it opr'c"'* wit l : l~a*;lrle lq, vnlrcnl.lt s ~>o>iliort llcre ,vl,icl, s,,,,ld rrirly

cover l lu ra t ogainrl an elncrng ndr:tneinK rrom ll lo ,rr\t,

On tlrl' llorlll s l l l ~ O l 11~1.af OIC hest ~o.ilion roc a fi1.1~1 nr,,,y ,,.,,,,lrl be Pnl.nnn:l, nortll ol' the IC:~nl:tr li:~l:l;ln :npil~ron~-l~ , l l c r;l,,ge ,,f l,ills

tllnt nnnnc. 'l'lbil [lorilio~l lics nlnnn a Ioe. r ~ t l ~ . ~ ,i,:,c.c,l llr tl,,. p;,mnnn l!el, $I~~.i l i l l Sal2.i. ;lnal ns nn nrlillzl.$. pn*ilion ;I i! lil.,~ el;lss. ylle llnnks at.,.slro,,8

an11 wt,ll r l c l i~~n l . 'Pho oceilio;i ronlil be lrclal lly n division :rind llle $<,il $ ruital,ll I'or liclci wot,k.; (cirlc p;!;es IGh-I;;, Tol. 111, A. I j c. I I ~ ~ ~ . ~ , ) , yl,is po.itic,ll c l o ~ ~ ~ ~ lllc .\lclcenn ~ : L W iouta: ntlrl ndjoil!ilb- roads, llut it is of course 1i;tblc to Ilc turned Iby (lie Baba pnsr roule uu lime co,;.

Tlliq di>lric,t was lormrrlv one of llle nine b r l u k ~ rvl~ic:b constitllted tho n ~ r n t rlislrict~ but i s n o s ~ ~ n d c ; : ~ oepnr:mte nnl,im. I t lics eotircly sou~l) of tho LInri I lad. Ihctol'cn tllst river and lllc mnmc boolndina 11)s \alley oo its mnllx:r~l sidu. T I I ~ clirlricl cxtmds Imnt tltr D:RIB.;~-i.l)onl,. as the moutli of tllc 'I'azan I.l~l:tn ir c:lllctl, Ior nllrlut 2 l mile* down l l ~ e Hari Rucl mllev. I t canlnios nbnut, 10 rillngvs mnrl cnnld douLllr.ss give a eonsidernhle q u a n ~ j ~ y of uupl>lie.. 'l'ltc pnl~ul:tlion it1 IS83 IvnY rsl.inlelell a t 6,500 Inmilien, of n.l~ich neirlv t$ro.tl~inls ..PI.? Hdralis. Ill? rest IBein: AI;.bsnr. S h r l ~ l i l ~ n mag bc coosi;lered as dibtiuetlg lnrc of lhc Uwat vslls)..

Guonraa.

We nn\r come to llla mast oestcrly district of Uerat. On the saolh hank of the IIsri Ilurl tltc district eotnmuuuus a t thc ICaItar Kban ridge which dividrs i t from wltnt nlnp properly hc called Ihc Hernt ?lley. On the north hank Jlarnirnk and Sbel<lti!vl.nn :!re includeJ in Gho~.ion. The north boundary is the Sinb Hul~nk, but the didriot extends d o ~ m the right bnhk a t tile Hari ~ u d as far ns Zullikar.

The principll places in the district >Ire Ghorian. Zindnjan, Shckhitvnn, 1Iamirok. Hrrnabnd, Bltuhdch, Rozanak nnd Kohsan. There are olto~etlf ier aome 19 villnser, or p u p s of villa:es, containing in all nbout 5,000 h i i l i a s , ocnl.lx :dl bcing 'hjilis.

Tlnc ebnrae r~~r of the IIerst vnllryrl~an:es rrcst 01 tltc Knltnr Kbnn ridne; inste:ld of a Inand lurlile plitin, l l ~ c cnl~iv:tlcd portiotl is limited to a breadth of 1 or 2 nil,,^ on each b:tnk. 9l1i.i c ~ ~ l l i v a t c ~ l lmrtion is nl~iclt cut up b j 13-atcr. eourrcs snd is , ~ m r r a l l y difficult for l l ~ c moremrnt of troops. Xorlh nod l o u l ~ l of l\te nr?u:tl l r d o l l l ~ c valley :~nd nndpr the l~il ls an rither side lie ape,, sloi,iog Jeslrls of vrrial,lr sridth coverrd wilh zmsr ond rsmcl-thorn, and

(ltrsr run gooll rands. Tllnt. on tlm rizht bank IrsBs ori Uuhsnu to Alnsh. t l lnt tllo lei t bank ciS Gliari;w to IChaf. Tlto villages, as llae valley is

descended, Ilecoms fewcr and lurlber I~etnecn. 'They are mostlp open and slmnnlio8 lvitll l a y e nnllcd enclosures. The Unri Ilud, iu t l ~ v dry season, is

3- nsreble nlmnqt s l l r w l ~ e r ~ , bcinz a suect.ssion of stony shallows a Coot or F , dePI,nnd llom 30 'to SO >nrds wide. The Imohs a1.e low and easy. I n l l ~ e Unad seaso,, (jlnrrIl till of June) i t is impassable by troops. 11 few miles ~ , ~ l ~ , , , llornn k lo,l.lr,lls lliul~ran instead of easy slap~.s, tlnc wllcy is hemmeti in I,,, broke,, "r:ond Ad preeipito:ts hills, rshile tlbo actual bed of tbc river is

,vitl,Ta,nnrisk jun"le. This part of tile ralleg oUC~S seven1 g a d posi- sperinlly allout ~Zabnsb, but m y position l~e re ir liable Lo he turned

U,,lpss sg!eured I,? stroug d c ~ a c h ~ d force about Clmsbrnn Snbz. Tbc river io erolred by brier bridso a t Tirpul, nbont .I miles enat of KuLsln, and from Tirpul tho road doon tho left bank is excellent.

Rl,orian jtsel[ is large nnrmw slrn6:linn place, nl~out 24 miles lonn into follr qonr~.n or l , r o ~ , , ~ ~ n s . ~t eon~hiucd in ~ S S G ahout 1,100 ram::

liesin "11 nlap~,lp ynrsiwnns aud Tsjiks. Iu Inct, Illam \\ere. not more t11:ln 130

r~olil irs in tile pinee. Tl~ero is a xlnall fbrt a t G11ori:tu and usually a

Carriso,l Of 600 the soul11 rido ul lho villngc strctellur s n oprn ym.

vellg oorercd lvitll sll:krse ~;rutcl ~;<:rul,. 20 lo 23 miles wide, rslendinl fmm tllo Dosllnkll rnogc to the Si~!v-i.Y~J\Ilt:lr and nnhnt-i-'l'orli llills on the

~~~~r this pl:ain, about 9 m h s south or Gl~urinn, n low undulntinn ridgB forms llle soulhorn n.nlcrrllrd of Hte 1lnl.i ILud. h good campin; Fmund lurp be Pollnd snprrherc along thc snulll ~ d g c o l Ql~oriao on this prom ~ l , ~ ~ . i : ~ ~ ~ goutl loads lead c i i lClbnf and Sll&l~r.i-Nno to i\Iashbnd. Thcro is also 3 road lo Yijnnd "hi Chnbraks.

y,indnjsn i. nno(ber Inrqc rillngc in t \m parts, cortaining 800 to 1,000 familica llnlf rbom nrr Afsl~nns. I t is 1; 111ilc:s long nntl ~,crltal~s a- n,uell in wi,lll;. I t lirs betn-ern tho rirrr nnd the ollcn dnal~l bore nlentioncd. T l ~ e aet,,nl bed of tho rnllep is clnrclr cultivated nntl n1ac11 inlenrctctl with water- c o u r ~ c ~ , most of which are di~lidult to cross ~ r i l l ~ o u t 111.id"in:. T l ~ e ~ ~ a r r ~ w lnnes bel,l.ecn Ihe I~igll wallcd orchards add to l l ~ e dill>culli~s ool rnorcment.

gu l~san is tbc mast n-eslcrly village in lllc IIcrat vnllcr and thc first that is passed ou t l~a road from Yasblmd. It. only conlains a l & t 380 fnu~ilies, but it looks ~noelt larger, as i t covers tuure t l~nn 2 rnilvs or ground from east lo ~ e s t and is aboat 14 miles broad. The ln l l~s t!lrough it nru nnrrow a ~ d ltardly wide ~OOLI"I I for mow tlmn n sin:lo I~orscmnn. T l ~ c town propcr is a t thc nor~h-wesrrnd of the enclosed ground am1 is 6utroundt.d hv :I crcnclntccl e.nll. much dilapialntrd, within which n ~ i n is n Ixga square loviin tolerable repair. Just below Kullsan tho Hari Bud l in~l ly turns north nnd becomcs the \rcstern boundary of Algl~anislan.

I t may be usrPul i f in this place I :ire a few nolcs renqrdinn the Rari nud. Tltc rirer, except in the Ucrod season (i\Ia!.ch toJunr! in:iusiv"j cnt~sists of a sucrcssiou of gr.avellp shallat\.s, rapid bat seldom more than a Poat deep. I n the flood scnson it is %turbulent river, 200 or 300 yards a ide and qnitc im. passable.

It falls over 1.300 lcet I~etjvcen I<a!nan-i-ljillisht and Sarakl~r, and conse- quently is very rapid iu that part of its coutse. i i inc miles below tlio former place the rirer enters thc hills. IL runs a t first thraugl~ a Bat garnu j to $ of o mile wide, lilled 3,-itb tall v n r s 311d tamarisk. Aller 13 milrr n?thlJ gorCe t l ~ c rirer brcnmrs lined with ;cty hrokeu h i l l qround. Atl'engi Dtlrya or Taogi Alalu furlller pro:ress down thc rivpr hank is barred. Tile 'yat~gi Xalu -orme is :\bout 100 vnr~lr aidr, the aides being prccipilous ssudslouo cliffs, Znslor 11 mile8 is dr so impraelicablc a nnlurc as to Iorllicl nng idcn of military rond nlskiup. ThegorFis uot one cnotinuouo deli!c, but n surccssion 01 short nsrmti ones, with interrcoillq !,ottiuns or eomp:lntiv~.ly open grouurl w h c r ~ Intcral rallrys join the rive!.. llle final "or%c t l l ~ o a ~ ~ h whivh the isalrs on the norllt aillc a1 the hills exorells in i i~ro l l ! . nl?tl)c otl~crs. Eerc the llccl i$ onlr 40 !-an13 nrro-s and ehclkerl 11ntll "i-n~!tie I U < . ~ S nlld boulders, n-hilr the rlil'is on c ~ l t side are a ~ r r r . ~ l I~~~ndrc.ol i% hizll. Nol.ijI Of tlliS the hills re<,rclc and the nllurinl trougl~ o l tllc zirc I- Ileeutncs nbollt n ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ , % z and -rt<lunll,r rrsnmr.; an c3.r clul.n<,lc,r; I,ut it must lne c l r s ~ . l ~ n,,rlclstood thnl:nring lo tlw clillirnltie~ nl~orc drscribcd, tllc ~.iver brd d&s not omcr :t pncticnble rautc into rllr &rat ~:tIIvr.

U~n.xr.

; Tllc city o[ Rent is not olllv llle rallilal o l a province, llut 1~:~s a slmtrgi. en1 value 31x1 a I ~ ~ J ~ o I . I L . ~ ~ reI>utnii,),a t1llic11 b:ls ~ ~ ~ T P I I 10 i l l ~ , U S I C P J ~ ~ ~ n ~ O I . ~ I I iofl\tence out or all ~ruportio>n to its ncr!t;nl imlro:tnnro ;bs :I citg or cvcn as',,

I rartress( some ~lcrnilcd nrcounl of this P:t~ouus city is tl~crcfare ncccosnrg ; b u t in dcsrrillin? it I rl~all ~,urposrly refrain Irom descril,in: except ill vcuerol terms Lhud~tailsof its CortiGcations nnd armau)eot; n k o o ~ ~ l c d ~ c ~ f suell details

is not necc5cnrY lo rn rolnprellrnsion of tllc gen:rnpl~i~~l llrnlrCiral .ilua. tinn, nlld inlleccl ruell dut~tils w o ~ l d onlv I,,, intPrrsting or v;ll,,ll,le tn I1,oae

~ b o llnrl n~.tu:111~ to dirvet (\lo tIel~.ara Ar tllr n ~ t r c k ,,I (tic rorlrcrp, tholefore 5ritI1 ndra~rtn:.e Ilc atnittcd Iroln sturly of ll,ir n:,lurr.

Ilcr;ll. is 2 snllcrl eilv nenrlv rqllnrc iu plan lltlring of ,,bollt 400 acrr.;. It, llnr 8 j i ~ r s , t~;a l iu l t t~ , Chrk ,,,,,I blrlik b'.tes ,,,, tllc ,,orlh fnrr. tllc Kosllk -?I*, on thc enrt lace lb,: l innd:,~,a~ cntr or, tllo s~,u,l l r;,,.,., nnrl tllo I n k on the nwst. TI)& are lour b ~ : ~ , . ~ nnrrtinn :,t l l lc cllnbar Bu or em,q ro:& in Ihc rrnlrc of lllc town. linch baror is n;,tnecl ;tllc r tile gate to slbiul~ it 1radq.l 'L'l~c lonn i. dil.i,lctl irlto b u r qearters, rir.:-

Tile li I I ~ I I I > Cllnk lying nnrtb-cast. In tl~ii, are included the Challar. ba:h and tltc olrl citadol.

The C l ~ a r k l ~ b l ~ n n Iyln:. nortl~.wrst, whicll iocludcs the old ciktdel and Lhc Arc-i.Nao or uew citadel.

Thc Khwaja AWulln-i-Jlisri, on Llle south.east side.

Tho Uuj-~.Khnkistar, nl thc soutl~.a.cst corncr.

Tbc popularion in 1885 was e.timntcd at nrnrly 0,000, of ::-I icl~ 3,000 se1.e Afgbnns and 5,000 I'arsirrsns or lleritlis. llterc were then 1,LUU sl~ops in the ba:nvs and ncarly hnlf the populalion was en~nwed iu trado. Tllc Ilouscs nilb- in Lhc city arc moslly in ruins, but thcy we s9Btnolin1 two-slorird buildings, with very thick mad nud brick walls 2nd clomcd roofs. tllrv nrc quite incom- bustiljle ond tronld be very lilllc the worse for bomlktl.dmcnt. Ererv court- yard has geuerally x \wll i r small reser\.oir for rroler ; there nre also n;mcroua public wscrroirs d cousidernblo size, so that tllare is no Tear of the ,rant m t c r lreing lclt during a s i q e . T l ~ c four principal streets are tolerably stmight, and lrom 12' to 16' wide, but the rcet aresimply onrron croaked lanes, mnnv of v,hich arc welled aver and form law dark tuonels.: .iltogclhor the oitv'olfcrs ercrp larility Tarn house to haasc delonce alter n successful ussoult on'the lrolls. Tberc nro many spacious reroia nhich might be conrertcd into barracks.

Each lncc of the [ortress is 1,500 or 1,600 yards in lengtl~. The main dcCcnccs c o ~ ~ s i r t of n nloaotl or rampart 60' to 70' hi,~lt, surmounted b p a anllm nearly 80'high; on the autcr slopeof t l~erampnrt nrelwo pnmllel tmnchcseollrl alri,,osin, 20' wide nnd covered bg pnrnpets 7'higll. At the loolof tl~ernml,art is tllemsinditoh whichrarieslram45' to GO'in widlhnod Irom 15' to20'in depth. I t is 12'10 16"tridc a t bottom, ant1 its sides are aorerrttcd, sloping for the mast part o t 1 in 1. On the rho lc this dileh is a formidrbla obstacle, especially if wet, but the mnins:reogthaf thcplaccliesinitr haqernrll~ rampart which with itsshir,,ria girus n triple line of Brc. This rnmpart ruiyht be pounded till doomsllny without much elTeet, allile an assault rvould be rendered tho more diEcull1,y the naluro of tho ground outside l l ~ e ditch. Tlae ground on the east south and west Taccs lor about 100 ~ a r d s lrom tllc conntcncnrp is 4 to G he ; l ~ c l o n ~ the ordinerv Icvcl. 'L.his lor,, -round is cultirsled and is irriqnt- cd so lhnt tllerc would 'be no difficullg mnllaodin: it and forming n bclt of deep lnutl and slush round II~vcr sides of tllc oily, tllus rc~l~leriug mining operations very dimcult and limiting assault to the uorll~eru side.

Tlte nortllcrn side has a commnlld over the city. At o b o ~ ~ t 4.000pnrds tbe

ruoncd 01 itlP O:lzn~.p:th ridge,risc to n hrisltt 01 scrcrnl hundrcd. k e t tllc plain. uPlow this ridcc IS an open grarrl *Iscis-like space, which

slopes dorr,, lor n~,o,,t 1 . ~ 0 0 yards to llle Ju i Pi:~a. 'Phi; line of canal offers an esccllent posilioll for tlla hnttrries of nu enemy, and Itam it rbc e:lst and mest faces can be enfilntled, rrllile wilh modern arlillery C\WD t l l ~ 1 0 ~ 1 4 face ,roul,j bc to n.rmc fire. bout ~ U O to 1,800 yards from tlnc Jut Nno.

73r bclo,r i t , Il-jndr tllc .Jai.Anjir. nntln cnnnls nle 1'2 lo 15 [net ,vide anrl D, rlccp, Elroil banks I' high on csol~ side. T h e ~ arc crossed L?v frequent brick brillScs eapallle of bearing liuld guns. Dolh if'draincd would -

28

lor,,, rrl,ilnl moll,. Ilnnlllrls. E ; r ~ m t l ~ ~ ~ l e s s t l ~ c n ~ l ~ n n l n g c s of ar t i l lerr r,r,,n tl,is, llle ,,orlll s r u aaril>l~\ly disrot~ntrd I,J Llle uninr i t iuci

nnt,,rr ,,I tllc tnrgct nl l ic l i Ilc~.;nl and i ls ratnpnrts llrusrnt.

81'JIP Fcrint~r EOIII.CC 01 dnngel. I n tltc c i ty is p r r l~nps l l t r Knrobnr Xnln on tllr r o u l l l - r r ~ ~ ~ l siclr. II i, h ~ n * :bllout .I0 rn1.d.; rvidr 61111 20' ~ P F ~ I , n i t l l II

smlln~ll ~ r . ~ r t ~ l l y Ir~.rl 1orrnin< n mr~.rerl co,n~;~t t~~iral ion l o s i l l ~ i n GOO yan l r 01 ll,r soall, r:,re. 11, i t ,llll.ill: 11,s ,11:1f SC:I.OII :tI:tqe ~ ~ u ~ n l t e r o l IV#BO~B. ~.011111 I1c collr.,.l,.,l roe. n<.null, or lrc~lt! il :llllllO:lcll(. could b? 1)!181~1.d n?:i!llst l l l e snollt hvr, I,, ~ l ~ ~ , l llle li:lml,:lr is n IICI.~ s\$ i l I ?IIIP:I!II qlti l" i n l l ) : t ~ ~ n l l l ~ . S o u t l ~ 01 (lie Knlol~nr tlbr rous11.y is a tnnss ui vill;~gur, orclbnnl* n ~ ~ c l vineyards l o tltc rirol. brd.

I[rl.:lL nlnr i t ) 1:)-t Ilc <lp.rril,rd :js a sod of ri;al,lio hid ralc>n~llt v c l ~ i n w nn i ls l l ~ w r liera a l rill,: 1i1.o nncl it9 l < m n i d : ~ I > I ~ wet d i l r l ~ . SII~;IOI~;I~ 2 dcte~lllrcl I,! Incw WIIU mv;tnr r:.ialnncr, i t i.;,nftvr t lw i ! n p r o r ~ ~ ~ n e n l l ~ m:lrlt.in lh66. snfc Ir 01 :B roqrde j r r n i r . Ervn *appo~ ing a sLo~.~nins pal-ly g:tincd l l tc top 01 t l l r n~:nin anl!.l l lr rlc.sev~~t t1~01~1!11~0t81 in ln LIII! c i ty slno~lld stop it, 1~ the crwmy would lind i l s ~ l t c o n l r o n l ~ d I)? n v ~ ~ . t i r n l dn,l, v n r ~ i n g l rum 70 l o 100 Icet. Alon:: l lta Lop or the wall Ironlbs can nuly I ~ O V C i n s i n g h lile, nod rzccp t n t Llte cntcwnys l l t r only 1I,E:I!IS 01. dewcut arc n lew nnl.ras. Ili:ltts o t r ~ n i r q ; n storm. iacparl!. l l ~unr i l eo led rvoald be espc,rr,l to I ~ c n v j liro fro", line housss 01 t l ~ c city.

O l rollrcr. n pl.elin~in.>r,v r r l i l l e r r ntlnck n ~ i , ~ l ~ t l l n rc brrncl>rd l l ~ c \rails and eoscd ~It~.n:nr~.i<n~n. IIUL lill nss:nttlt )YOIII~I I~c 3 11nn:erous oprmtiuu. IYh i l c ;I IF~III:~~. sic" CII.IIUI<I 1)rt>b:11>1? 1111 n slow ollvratioa, lor orring l o the y r rn t eommon,l of Lllc ,r:llls, :111 sap$ l ro l l l< l 11:lVc. 111 IIP UIIIISLI:IIIJ d c c ~ ; l l l d i f t lm ~ar r i snn were 12.00:l to l>,(OO strnng, i t eou l< l ~.rrloil-e n l ic ld ;trm). o f ~ l c : t r l ~ 80.000 lo ic~rpst it. K O 111cmIion Inns been mnde a1 t l ~ e ei1:del o r Arg-i-Nno. 11111 i t reall? is 01 110 importnnre i n t l ~ c clrIvnce o t t l w ltlnrc, i n fact i t is a wcak point i n t lw north lnce. 'l'ltis, bowc.ver, is immnleri:tl so 10"" as l l t e outwork a t tltc Ih1.i-liln:tngi:rn lhol~lr out. 'l.l~e T;tI.i-Uh;tngiatl mouzd licv about 000 yrrJs from tho counterscarp opparitc the Arg-i-Kao.

Re/?re#>ce".

Vol. I, Afgbnn Bul~n~tlary Cvmmiesion Iteeurds, p n p s 127-335 ond 391-424,

,, 11. ,, .. pzgea 501-589.

,, r113 , , , pnges 51-65. 144-160, 193-$31

CHAPTER V.

TllB 1lILL COUNTRY EAST 3F HRRAT.

In this cliaptrr nrr decrril~rd the moantninoas clislriets lying. betaeen Hernt nnd l<:tI~ul nn ei1ltc.r *i<lc of 1111, xtllcy (~l the upper n n r i nlld. Tllnt is to any, tlla CIIUIIII.!. 01 ~ I I C Yil.~/liol~i.i and 'Painl:b~lis. POI ~ . ~ n ~ ~ ~ i ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ also tl,e cli\lriat ol I)III.II i.; nalded, :I- it lirs on ~ l t c road tbcrcto, 3011 is only o l imp.,rl:nl8c.c in ro~!rtvc:tilm nit11 1ni1ikml.y movct~~rnts eastof Hcl.:lt. '~ ' I Ic ~u:!ill I<~:tl~l~.v in lI8is ~ l . y inn is 1111: lIill.i I:ud iu tllc I o n s I ~ ; ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ mllry l ~ o r ~ ~ i ~ l r ~ l ltrlrlll li! th.. B111111-i.ili~l~:~ :11111 sotltll It? tlw sarptl I C ~ I B or Bnad-i-Hni:tu. Krwtlb 01 tllr R:ntld-i-lliil~:~ and I I I . I B L . ~ . I I ~ l ~ : t f ~ . i tn~ 'c ancl llie Unnd- i-'r~trki.tnn 1ic.s tltc I . C D I I I ~ I ~ ~ 01 llbr I~il .~~z:.t~l~i*. Stlt~ll~ of Llm U~nd.i-Jlain~t lies tllc voctnlr)- al llbc T:~ii18.tlli.i. lvlnilc, Ill,. 1I:ibi Ilud vnllvp I,rtseen is occupied by I>nllt Y ~ r ~ ~ n l i r ~ l ~ i ~ nlt,l 'I':til~tani~. .\t I I I P m.tcl.n vad of the rnllr,v 11:tanras are 11wt willl, sllnilc . ,I till. ucslc1.1t c ~ l d in8 01n.11 nurl Sl~nl~lilnu, Gllilzais nud Hcl.:tlis lnrm tlrr hol!; of 1111. pc)llol.>lio~~. I::!\t of 1111. rc.:ion drscribcd in this cl~:!pto,r lie. tl~c, ~.u:.;<,cl U:~z.nl.i~jitt, \ I I I I I I , r r e ~ t of it is w11:tt m:ny perhaps be c:lllcd Ille ~ j l : , i~> uoutttry ol Ilc.r:bt :b!111 Xitbzmr. Tim valleys in Lllis r e ~ i o n genel..tlly rpe:nking. ;arc Trncu 1.,0011' to H,OOu' nbovu Ibe sen, the n~ouo- Wins It.c,rn !>.I 00' to 12.000'. Il~rsc I:ttIcl.:~rc: ,not so ~.~~yrc,cl nor so I,nrn,n as mi-ht he ~ u ~ ~ ~ o s L . ~ I fntm our :tvclu:!lttl:~ncc lvitlt c:tslert! hf:l~anialao, bnt marercs&- blo tltc 111g11I.t11ds or S P O I I . ~ ~ , ~ . 1Y::Icr is 1111111t1lul and supplies in some quanlities :II.C ~~l.oet~ral~lv. .\ zr.,nt militnrp fi.nt!trc of this region is the newly const~~octctl ~.a:lrl l r o ~ n I<nbul to 1Icr;lI; hut this wit11 ils bearing on militnry opcrntioar ~vill be duscribcrl 111rtllel. "11.

T l ~ e C i , r a ~ t Uhnr 1 1 ~ ~ . Tllo Uari Rut1 rise5 east oE Daolnt Ynr anrl is formed by the junction of

the Lnl and Snr.i..l:~ng:ll SLIP:IIIIS a s l ~ ~ r t any below that plncc. T l ~ e upper parts of boll, thvre v.t~lr!s I~rlc>nq lo B:tnli:tn and are inl~nl~itrd by Hnnzarns. Tlla loa.vr part of t l ~ r L:ll v;lllcy is a n irnl,rnrticnble d~Rle , but Ihe upl,cr part is inlportrnt, :IS 1 1 . 0 ~ it divvl.;e tllc ro:lils to ICRI~II and Uamino. The c l iu~;~te 01 Lnl (rind tl~:tt of Fnr.i-Jn~>g:~l is much llle s;trnr) ir sevcrc. The winter begins about Illc loi,lrllc 01 X ~ ~ c l t t l ~ e r and ll~nvy snon.fnlls soon close tllc rontl. About the luidrlle of l.lel,r~~.~ry the SIIOB. Ilegins to ~ e l b , and tho rond bocomes absolut~ly irnpnwnble eron fol. footnlen, as e v c q little strunm becomes 2 raping Lorrent; Lbis lnstv till Uny, nud as a great deal of rain also f:tlls nl~ottt Illen, iL may Ile ncreptucl that lor a t lenst six months t l ~ c routes tbroogh Lal to linbul, Gbnzni and U~luinn are nbsolutely closed to Iroops.

DIOLAT YAR. Tllis is n small district l tclongiu~ to Hewt. I t may be described ae

tllc rst~.c~nc. na>,tlt-enst cwnrr of tlle Itcmt prorit~ce, as. 8 miles higher u p a t lllr 1):~l~an.i.Sav-i-.1:~~1gnI, llw c o u ~ ~ l r r of t l ~ r Ilni Znllgi Hnv.nrnr is entered. nnrl tlnis tract is :~d~~t i~~i* :vrcd 11.0111 Hinmi:tn. T ~ I P ~ . n l l ~ y 01D.10l:lt Ynr is nbout 11:111 a rnilr wiolant Iwlln>n ; ils rlev:~li .~t~ nhout 8.100'. TIMI l~ills bnundimng the vnllt.v :~rc Irnnn, (iU0' to S00' I ~ i ~ l w r . Tllc fort o l I ;aol:lt Y:~ri, n Inrqr mud strue- ture,'mit,ll 1owr1.s a t t l ~ nnrl<.s. It sl:lntds ON tho l p l ~ lv~nli oltlle river nnd is notcommnn~lc.d esccl\t:tt Ion:: rillr ranzc,. 'l'ht* rircr is hcrc nbout i l l yards wide, b ~ l t sllnllo!\. :lnd ensilr lul.d:ll>lc in duly. Tho ~>ol~~~l : l t io l l dorn not exceed 1 , ~ 0 0 rn,,,ilior %,,d crrl;.i5~s 01 Tnilnanir, l'irozkol~is, LLi>m~.:bs and 'I't~jilis. Sup. pllap mu be colh~r~ed in considr~.:rl>lc: qanalil i~s a t U;~ol:nt Ynr. Below Daolat yar tile 1lnri 1lud vnl:ey is almttt a mila wi~le and lilled wilh low nillon jungle through the river wiuds iu several c~laoucls.

C n a ~ c n a r r N.

I s tlle vnllrv of the upprr Ilnri lturl below Dnolat Ynr, that is, below tbc juuction of tllc Snr-i.Jnn:nl and Lnl slrr;trus, down to the delllesof Knminj. I h c course of 1he Hari Bud through Clmkcharan lies between

100. and 1 200. ,,.1,ilc tho parses over llw I~ills in I I ~ P sn81tl1 nro 0,0810' In 10,'1110'. dl,nkcbnmn'is about 21 milm wrlr lrom rl.r>l lo c.rr?I 181 ill<. I , < ~ u ~ ~ < l i n g laupus, l,,lt llla ncltnnl v:~llpy ia o111y lnlf 11 tulle toil 188il~. in nidllb, ~ . . ~ ~ i l ~ . i n c l ~ ~ ~ g in lo nnrrorr defilrs Ilctaren 1111. mdr rlI rpttrs. '1I1c vnlrr.l.t,d on I ~ C I I #ider is from 2,000' to 3,000' :~l~ove I I W I.:IIIEY. 'I ltc ~ I U ~ I P ~ O ~ I S r i t l i l tc~ :tnd glens brlrwn lhu spurs that spring ho.n tliem'lte:~rly nl~snys I!:trc, \\-nter and grass nlld so~nclimrs patel~cs of cull~mfion. T h r n i.; ;or,cl ln '~d in the ulnirt

a nllrnber ol half ruined fcrrts, round .Itich the Piro7,kohi~ enlnp in aintrr. 13110 =ire" is 70 to 100 jn~.tIs wi,lr, clrnr, s!ritt nnd not v:tsily 1urd:rblc. Absodnsec ol grass, clover, brusll\rood, be., nlng I I ~ louod on the ~ . i rc r I I R ~ ~ s .

~ l s e district nl~parentlg cxtcndr over I I I C norlllcrn rnuge iuto Korjiqtnn nearly ns far nr tho .\Iur:h:tb, anrl nnn~.cllcs sritlt CI~.>hnrsndn. Tile total winter pol~ulntion ano o,~mputstl i a 18SB a t nl,oat 3,1100 f:Iolilirs, or ahieh a few huntlreds were Tajiks, Ibe rest l):tnzi Firo~kol~is. but ia rumlucr most 01 them go off inlo the I~ills.

From Cllnkoharrn do\l-n to K:~rninj t l ~ e rnller of ihe ner i Ruil in its present stnle is q u i t ~ i~nprnclirnblo for tnen od foot, so thnl the ~.o:lrl has to goorer the DnnP-i-Bnino into SI~:tl~:tr,qli. Then. arc t.so routcc, vi:. , thr mad arcr the Zltrhlni ICotnl and tho routs lrotn Al~ingal.an by lllu S h o t ~ r k b n n pnso trhieh is tlt:kt most. lrequcatrd thougl\ not so car? as t l ~ v Lrt:rlni. l i : t~nioj belongs to llte 'l'nimnnis, bat brlnw this Llnc rallpy dcwn to Kl~rrnja Chisht the bigbmt place in Ohuh. I,clangs to the Pirazkohis.

Onen.

Obch is the eastcrnrnoct ol the Clmhnr n i ' l n g n l nr lour oatl!-in: districts of nrra t . Oenrrnllp speakin:, i t is lhc rnllr? of Ihc l h r i n o d 11.orn ;about Kln~njn Clrislbt to Uurinbnl on Ihs rinht l~nnk :~nd in the Kno~.nn rirrr on the left. T I I I - ~ arp nhoat G O rill:~qr.; or xnlullr 01 vill:>e<'s ill tltc rlistrict. with n pnpoli~lioa ol s l~oat 4,500 fsn,ilics, ut \> l~2131 nrarly 3.U00 :Irr AIgltnns, mostly Cilnilmis. I<ice is largely cltlliralrd, llut S I I I . E ~ lllng 1~1, ~ ,o t~s i<lcr~d Ill? prin~ip:~l producc of tho couatl.y. In 12183 il s; ta c,;>lcol;ttcrl ll>nt t l ~ c Olwh nn ldn t r on.nud nlrout 60.000 hvnd ol nltculn, 3Io-t nf !Ilvsr rrmldmn n1.o Gllilz~i. who lead n nomadic life iu llte llllls unound, sllich are richly prnssd. Of lale ihu Uuronis hnrc also 1)cr.n mix~.tttinm illto lhc country, rvl~ilr? the Fimakahi lbns bccn nlmost eniiroly di.;r;osscrs:d. 'L'hr 1,rople aq n;~ltnlo Innre the cllarneter of beiug ienrless au,l i~\dcprodcnt. hut othern.isv ,oi\.e w1.g litile trouble.

O l ~ c l ~ itself is n collection of 15 or 20 rilln-cs an or ncnr tlw right, hank of the Hnri nud. The rnllcp is hrro 6 or (i nrilax;cror-, and llle river Ilotvs near thu s o ~ t l > s i d ~ , SO tllnt it is n lea- a.av from tllc rill:t-rs to llw I>ills. 1'10. bablr not more rll:tn n Illi1.d of tlw ccpnn;~: is ctdliv:ttrd? " h e Iort of Obcll ia an t l ~ c north ride of llle linc of rill;l:rs. I t ir Iruill oI run-dricrl brick, and though nhandnncrl mi:Lt rrsilg I,e rn;zdc delcl~siblr. I t is rarroanrletl hg a lnrgr ditch a,lticl~ can be Oood~d, nnd tlncre is n c!r:~r sp:lre all nvond for serural hnndrcd yards. Ohcb on lltc \vltolc look5 a I Iour i~ l~i~>g plncc. TIn~ro i s abundanea or xrnler, nnd very fino orcl~srds csist. T l ~ e Usri Rud in July is fordable a t Obel~, thon~11 not l~ ig l~cr up.

North of Lbe Hari llud rnlleg lies, nn liss nlrundy been shtcd, the Pimzkohi aouotrj which may be here described.

T n e F ~ x o z r o n ~ s .

The Firozkohi country compriws almost the n.holc of Ihe upper basin of the hlurghab and the dislrirt 01 Chkkol~aran in the upper vnllcy of llle Hari Xud, thus crtending about 130 miles from nest to cast.

On the nortl~ tho Firolkollis am bounrled Ilg the Unnd.i.Turkistnn, allich r i t h its castern conlinunlion fiel~nrateo them from 1110 Uzbpks of ~ [ ~ i ~ , , ~ , , , On the earl thc Firazkol~is da not crteltd quite to l l ~ c hendt\-atcrs of tile 3lurgl1al,. tbnt rcgion beinx occupied by tho Tajiks of Chirns. On thc south the Uand-i-Uaian divide. Cl~nkcll:~mu Irnm tllc Taimanis but fLom tllo h m i n j district reetwnrtl llle Bond-i-Dnbn is tbc northern bdundary. TO *bc welt 01 the Pimekohin is the Knls Nno Hamm couutrg.

Cco~mphieally slrahing, t l ~ c Firoakobi country map Ihc divided into t l m c l~arls ;-

(1) KO,!~+ rrl~i,,h is conaiclercd part of Dn,lr.l~is, as nl\o l l ~ r Ham Jnog;~I district-tllnt is, tllc tract b~:L!~.eett U:bndarand the Ilur,~lnnb.

(2) Kn'nrji,qtor, that is, llle I~nsit~ of tllc J I t~rg l~nb nlmve Slnnh-i.)In&. bad, hot cxclusitc o l ('hiras.

(3) ChoPrlonr.an, x~lniel~ is 11)" upper valley of the nnri nud from Daolat Yar to llle delilcr I I I I U S P l<atninj.

Dandor belongs Lo Mnirnnnn. while Chnl>:~rm<la is 11ndl.r llnr Govrrnor of Bar-i-Pul; but tho rest of lllc I"irr~rkolni eottntry helongs lo tllc pro. rince of Hcrnt, but no portion crcept CI~:lkclb:ir;~ot and Knclir is rcnlly nmch under Aigllan cart~.al. 'J'lle eleralion of tlac cout~try vwirr flr,ln ll,h00' to 2,000', but most of Knrjirtan lie. hetwera R.llOU'n~~~l 5,iJlllI'; trllilp tlu: C11:lli. cllornn wtllry iu fmm 8,000' lo 7.1100' nlrurc tllr ri.n. lltc paism orcr the l~ille lo llie south 11ei.g n couple of tltousond lect higllrr.

The ~ e n e r a l cllavactcr of I<ajiat:tn appen1.s lo I,c a srria,s 01 untlulaling plateaux slopinz rapidly lo 111~ 3lurzl~:th, n-hicb flows in n n;lrro,r and dcep valley bounded hp Ili?l~ rlin's. T l ~ c pl:ttcnox nn, 'i<,:~n~cd niH1 d r ~ p lncky glens and r;lvin~r.s runniug lo tltc river, tlw dr,ptl~ of sunla of tlwcr glens is extraortlinary and Ihc!- arc crtrc~nely dilfirt~lt to get in ond out 01. The plutcaur are grassy nnd t h ~ pnslur:tgr Itcxorin~~t.

The Virozknltis raise imough corn for lhcir o s n eon sump ti on^ vilhout dillioulty. Csttle nrc numr!.ous :~nd nrc usrcl :ts 1,ack nnilnnls. Shut,p too are plenliful. Therc are no c n ~ ~ ~ e l s . Tlnc prople lire vlniell!- iu the glt,us, nllcre i r r i~a ted land is arailnl,lu. Juniper grows n11onrl:~nll~ ou tlw hiwller ranges, hut the principal Iucl 01 tlbc caunlr?- appcsrs to be brla (small &tshc.s wit11 n.oorlg roals).

l'lle clin>nte of 1110 counlry is seserc in winter; snow ktlls in bare~nbcr and lirs till April, and all tlle roads arc clusud; when llnc snow melts l l ~ e ~ ~ is hen\.! raiu lor somc aceks nud tlie eouotry is not Iairly open till Juue. The 1t:irvest in gcnernlly a t the eud of Allgust.

Tltc cooulry takcn as a rrllolr: is verg dillicnlt, chicfly ouio: to the enor. mous ravines nltieln seam i t ; but rlmtrt lro~tl Ibis the mouufnin sloprs scem cnsy nnrl the pnsscs are not sererc. Tltc 3lurghsb is n furmidn:,le ab\tncle; not only h :~s tllc ~lesrcot into its n.al.row v;!llr)- lo he nl:lrla I,! rocky prtlts. bu t the river ilself is snlardnble, b ~ i n g 4U to 50 yards u ida nnrl ncwr less thmt 4: deep, witlb n very r e i f t current. 1x1 spring and cnrl! suulmrr it is in flood m ~ d tolally impo;alde crccpt a t tltr bl.id,ous. Thcrc i. n uaodcln bridle ncnr ICnla G:iolln~ in Clhnl~arsndu, alul onc lit. ror e.arnels nc:w IGln Eii;tr l ~ l ~ d n . There arc, it is buli~~rcd, 3 3 0 otllers nl~os-u Dnrlrand-i-Iiil llekl>ta. Thc only im- porlant roads in Lltc Firwvkul~i country arc the roulc from Iinhnl lo llerat lhrougli D:mlat Xar nnd Ch.~krl~nrnn and the dircct nlnrl from Ilcrat to Mnirnnnn ~ . i 6 Kndis, Kala Binz nod tho Unraglhon pass to Khisnr (ride lloute XIV. IIcmt series).

The weat~rn Pirnzkollis. who livc in Dndghis, nro known as (Ile SInh- madis. Thcy on: m e n a i good phrsiqne, reseml~li!~gl'njiks. l'l~erastcm Piroz. koltir or l h l a 7 . i ~ I\ave a mod slrong '1'xt;tr ~ O U L ~ I de~.i\.c.d Irrml the Ilazaras. Tllev live entirely in Chukehmn and Knrjisktn. I'hc I\I:~ltmudia nornbrr over 3 060 families, tlw D;traiis nbout 7,000. The Pirozkobis pnarally hare a God reputation for oourngc, and are very indcpeudeut.

I n a c hills south of the Hari Ilud is the eountry of the Taimanis.

Tne T.\IUANIS.

The Tnimanin ore one of the Cllalrar Ai~uak trib~s. They arc indeed the most nurncrous and tltcir country is the marl extensive o l nnp. l h e g ocenpg t l ~ e hilly wpian south-east of Herat Iletwccn the Uar;ln.int and tho diatrict of Sol,ra,ar. The overa(.e len-th of this tract is about 12Umiles. and the average width esy 80 ; hut th;oulliLe of tho Tuimsni country is very imgular. The

mny lnkrn :,t 1?.000 square milre. l'lle !rllnle of llle T ~ i m n n i ro ,,,, tr,, is xoutl, of (I,,. I);lll,l.i.B.linn c*~crp t I ln~nin i ;tad file nlljacrnt gI~.ns in tl,o.vnllcy of , l lr ~ l ~ ~ . i K,,,I, and tllr dvt:n,lnrrl ~ l i \ t r i r t 01 Il:~olnt 1-ar ~slnich lies nl,aul, Il,c j,,nrli,,n ,,f tl,,, Lll nltrl S.tr-i..T:~~~qnl sIl.l.allls s I1cl.c. lh?y comhine to ll,o lt,,,~. <ylbr I~~.is~.iI>al I>ocli.n~~ oi llw T:~i~rl:~ni rnuntr?. is nhn t is

rs ll,r ,:ltornl, so r ; l ~ ~ , . d front tlw 1\11) \n l l~!s of l l J~~r - i -T ia i \~ .a rn aud Gl,or.i..\l,,rl,t :,,,, ,,,,, ,.h I I I x I ~ g ~ t ~ t ~ r s of IIII. s ~ ~ r ~ o ~ ~ ~ : d i ~ ~ n ~ l~ l~-d i r lv iv t s are in- ,,ludcrl in tllc ( i l lorat :,ud n1.r umn~lrr tI~v Tniw:nr:l Cltirf. T I I I ~ grnr,r:~l r lrrnlion ,,f tl,o ,~i,,,:,,,i r o l , ~ ~ r ~ - ii* nl,,,ol i,000' 11100:1b it viu IPS lvo~u : ~ I I O L I ~ 0,000' nt tho sourcra of llle ]?t,rah j : ~ l d 111 undvr 5,UOO'in tltc soul.ln.wu.t nbool l 'arjn~nnn and ~iZg:,,,. yllr \rllole region is :L re:! of brorsu 1,nl.o Ilills. ranoin: in a gene- ml nnll ,,cat dircclion. T l ~ e w Inills iwr. or no g~.c:~l. I~uigl~l. as contpnrcrl to

tile Isre! and : t r ~ rroandr.d :~nd gr:trrllr rn l l~cr tlwn slecp and r0c .k~; here tllcrc r1rl.s :I I,c,nt. TILC nlost 1lotn61o:trc liol~.i.\V:rl:t ~ o u l l l enst of papsi I?,BhO, Cl~:~lrlj 1):llan. ~lol.lll of T:tiwn~.:t 1:'(i011', r8n.l tllo I<all-i.Jnn x n l n ill tIII. s,l~tlll.mar lS.IiiJU', s-l~ic:la is :I gl.ent nnluvnl Iorlrrrs and 1111s bcen f l rgarn~ly s * ~ r l a- :I plai,c of relugv. 'I'hc. T:timnai I>ill.;:tn. I~:tvr nll<l stony, law scrllll nncl r,o:lr.o :rass Iwin" lllvir 01113 corcl.in> A ~l(.culi :~~ily 01 lllc T i~ im:~ni couatr~- is tllr : > I ~ ~ ~ ~ : I I I U I . d luxtlrinut I ~ I C ~ C I ~ \ ~ pl':11S HI:I~. is I O U B ~ I :l~on?: I I ~ eoursr of the atrmmc, l'lwre i.; nl.0 n co~~sirlcml,lr nnlot~nt oI nllttvinl I:tnd io tile v ; ~ l l l ~ ~ s . The 1J:zrsi u:~llry is s.aid t , l,c IhoI:~~.pr.t iu t i~~ :eo l~u t ry . I t is n

3 or -I milt.; s i.le :md iabc)tnb 10 ~n>ilvs long, but, liinst of i t is 5 stony d n d t . I t mar be mentio~~etl IICI.E t l ~ l t 1n1.n~ n t ~ ~ n l l t r s O F d l ~ l ~ i ~ u s from the yusl~t.i-llud districts ssvnrm iulo t l~v 'l?ti~unni caalllry from 3lag till Septcm- her fur thc Ilurlmsu of grmiug tlieir Ruuko io the rich pnslurcr o[ t l ~ c Tnimnni ralieys.

T l ~ c wl\olc'himnni roulllry is rru~nrkably deslilulo of lreer and bushes oi crpry k i d , and urcn n rnl:~ll ~,:,l.t,v aou ld altcn lint1 great <lillieultg in oh- taining lire\r.onrl. Tlle Vnr:tll l:tt~I is said tn rut) ttll the wily i ~ ! i~ deep nnd n:trro!r mllry, aacl cscu I l i ~ l l up it is not cnsr to lo1.11 erevpt in autumn. Urlon- Lhr junction of Illr G l ~ n r str1.3111 the F:.mh Iiud is snicl to r ~ i d e u ou t nud run in) n sm~dy b d . Tltc~.<: npprztrs to bo uo n,:td ; ~ l o ~ r g thc Palxh l l u d i n tlnc Tni~nnni conntry. JVl~en troop* llnru Ix,cn sent 1.0 Tni,mm, they llnve usunllo enlercd tltc Xnimnni country by ihc Wrah Bud and then marched by ~ d r j u m a n and Nili or Tarns .

Tlbccli~nntcoC the Taimnni country i% severe in winter; nnd s ~ l n n lies deep in illc rrllvgs. Bn ,n~ Xorrmllcr to Jlny or .lano llte country is quito inlpmc. Iirnblc lor troops either ~ r o m snott-or floo:l. Slllllmfr nnllnotunln are d o l i ~ h t - l n l rmsnns. Tlln hnrrest is in Sclrtc:nl,rr, so ti~:bt Scptcmb,,r rind 0ctobrrDn,w thc brat months lor arililar? opvrntions. T1w1.r ere no e:m~rl rands in the Ihiamni country c s r r p l i ~ ~ n Hie Il lrat-Knhul road, and tl~cl,ullock is the pnek animal nloslly t~actl. 'Y:~iwarn :~nd Fa:lr..i are wllnt mag be called lhe stmtegi- cal 11oinls of llte euunlrr, as l ~ e r e ~ n c r t lnost of the rnnrlu. At Arst s ig l~ t it mould srrm lllxL llle sltorlcst t~:ty Iron, Giri\lnlc to 1irr:)t must lir lLrotlnll the Tai~unni coonLr, but this is o o t t l ~ r rnlsp. n < , g ~ r d c d as n llill caontr; iL is not rcrr dilficult a t llle proper s c a w l ~ lor smnll 1wrdie.i of troolls witll suihble trnnsp&t; hot llie lir of Lllr couutl? is all nqnillst ;I movcnlrnt Imm Gilishk to Ilrrat , ns that \vauld inrolrr cmrsin,*lltc nholeol tlw drainago. r\s said n~lnve, th* auly inlporlanl nmd iq tlvtt fro; Ucmt to K:hbol. This lenres tile Hari I3ud ncnr lilrxvnjs Chisht, and nsccndinn to H l c ' r n i ~ ~ ~ n n i ~,lntsnu passes thlollmh tllc r~holt. Irn;tb of Htc Sl~nl!nr:bt distzct, ,le.cend~ng a p i u to the upper Hi" 111111 in Chateliamn. This ~.oule is drreribrrl elre\vherc.

TheT;timnniu dilTer fronu the otlnr CII:LI).II. Airnnl<r in ~ ~ n ~ i ~ : n large nucleus or P:ntbnn origin :unrl an 1hrtcdit:rrv n~.i.tncravy in their Rllnll libel nlliCll ..ires d l Ihr ClticC*. F*~rlncrlg tltcs? ~ i l i c l * levied SI,,:IU leer,.^ dues in\l1eir dis&icts :mtl collrr.lcd the r c r r n u c ~ s well, lint in 18SG tilcqe llliPilegcS ,yem only by tlte Cl~irls ot Gl~or and Sltal~nrek. Tlto Tnilunnis hnrc Nucll in in pltrsiquc, drcsr, nppcarnnec :and l anq~~n-o r i l l t tlnc iull;lbitnnta of tile ~~~t vnller. Tllcp nreltardg nnd powerfol, lyut notvery ,vnrlikcnucl cr.re,,,elgdirty. As a rul?, 1bc'Kl'nimanis ouly live iu tcnts 'r khn,gnt,a dllrinn tile summer, I n winter most of them go into mud huk . They ore s u n i ~ ~ h & ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ,

religion sit0 lightlg on tllem. Thr! Tnimanis are not rcqnired to Brill mounted levies l ike the otller Cbnl~ar Aimaks. TIII: pol,ulatioo of the 'rairn;tnicouotry is said to be over 12,000 Iamllic~s. of whom 10,IJUO nt lrnst nrc 'Jnirnsnis. The nnrtherntlislric,l~ are cnti~.elg Tnimnai, trhila t l ~ o (iltomt cootoins a large numbcr of '1l;~jiks. Zuhrir, Alo~nls. he. During tltu apring nnd snlnrlncr mooltns there is a n ilnlncnre .inl!llx Uuralria CI.I)III tin? l'u~I8t-i-llud on11 Sabzwar ; these ~,enplc coming to pn%t!ll.e I.lwir Hocks and Ilc~.~ls. 'Tho Ghorat is the sib oI the ouec tsmoua c ~ l g ut Gl~ar , tlw ruins o( wI.iclr still exist.

Aa reynnls aupplic~, tIllmro is vrrg little sul.pllls to Ihe obtniocd ; and even this is cx l~nu~te r l Ivy line :~nn!~:bl Du~.oni mig~.nlion. A~vnnl l rolumnol2,000men m;trching t l~rouqh tll* couulry mipllt, poruihlg hc suhsibte(1, anrl from Ju ly to Octohcr tlts . t~rldinq crnpr would 1111.oisl1 suIlich:~~t lomgo. bleat would a t al l times he nl,anrlnnt. The 'lbimnnir o!rn no cantcls, .11td l,ulloeks a re tho earnman transport of t l a r:oanl!.?. Unolnl Tar, though uudcr o T ~ i l u a u i oltiel, is mos~ly ioh;tbi~ed by Pirorkollir.

~ ' U E ~ E ~ A T - I ( A D U L ROAD.

Kow tha t the rcadrr cnn lann somc i ~ l r : ~ ol thc country Igin: cast of Herat. i t \\-ill bc uwlul to consider tlte subject nf tlhc Herat,-Kabul road wbicl~ lies tllrou:h it, mostly nlasg the r:~lley of the Rar i llttd. This road has been eonscn\cted I n llbe prcsvnt Amir. I t wns intended t o make i t a n 1 8 feet n,sd tlnrouil~out, lrnt how lac this llno bcen carried out is not known. 11, 1685, in some of llle worst pl:~ecs i t was only (i feet brnnd and some of tllr rmdients mere e r t r c ~ n r l y slt:vp. while rneblling n-nr required iu many soft bils o l clavcg soil. 'lhc I'0ad cnn h:tnlly bc considered prucliczlrle for ort i l le~y, though battvry or two mizht bc gat over wilh considerable delay and trouble. The total dibtancca are:-

>tiles. ... From Kabul I n Dnvlftl Yor . . . . . . ¶?I

... . . . . . . ,, Daolat Ynr to Hent 119 - ... T o r r ~ 467 -

Colonel l lai t lxnd was ol opinion (Itat n British Indian division n ~ i x h t eavor tltis dishnce in sontcol~nt less t lnn t l ~ r r c mantl~s. pvouidrd (11 i t slarled a t the plopcr season, i.e., l lctaren Jlsv and November, or more spceiGcally tllp rnsroh should not I q i n till llle end oi M:tg :tnd sltould be Iwought too close before the end e l Octolrer ; (2 ) Llmt prcsious rrmn~.cmvals had becn made lor tllc collection of s u l q ~ l i ~ r ; (3) t lAt no t lpPo$t io~ was C ~ C O U I L ~ C P C ~ . If Ihe artillery ronsisted cntircly of mnuntnin h:tttcries and tho tntops were i n ~ ~ r e d lo hill marching, th r time tuiglnt Ilc rcduccd to wren werks. '1'hc:rcatrt dillieul- ty mould be stockincr tllc country bcr~rcen Daolat Ynr nntl I<hnnja Clnirl~t (13 morcl~es) with soppries. Yor nlost or tllc \v:lr in lllia p:.rI of tllo ro:d t h e is nothing t o be got out of the country Init u-:,tcr. 1, obtl :ml gmss; nud unless supplies could bc collectud bclorel~aad tlw troops migltt ha re to burdun them- sclvcs on tllc murelr mill, 1 5 days' sopplirs.

I t cannot tlwrclorc Ile cunsidercd a suilnble line lor military operations ; moreortr, i[ 1hE Rn.;\irns \vcw a t lIeral , tlwg cnulcl mot unlv prevent I d hcin* rlr:twn llotn tlneorc, bnt could Itnnt,o lllc nl:treh of n Dritish column throuqb L I I C T:tim:tni coontv.p and oppose it ilr cnvncst a t nny srlectrd pomt ncnrer to 1lel.nt. A n.p~alro s.ould 11,: rli.;wtmus, as tho Firorknhto would nl. mast cert ; l i l~ly fall on clla rr:w all11 f l t t ~ k s of the Iwatm fore*. On tlm wbol~ . tllercforc, it ~vouIr1 seem most u n l i k ~ l y t l ~ a t the 11araraj.at road, e v a l a t the rcrg best (imt. o l yc.;tr, could hc used by ourselrcs for all oprretion of any mnwnit,,do. hlr liliu re;lsuns i t aoulrl be of little use to the enemy; so that el$pt for l,urpnscs of n!vonn:~ismoer, t l ~ : ~ t is, lor ubt:tining iulormntion or for enverinq rind Illoleclinp certain t r l l l c~ snddislriets, such ns the llselrns and the "tlomt,, tllis lint of opel-atiuss is almost uselera and may be regartled a of only very seeonclnry irnporlaneu

pr'or is lbore nor lnirly good or dix.ect rond l l~rougli lllc I'nim;~ni cnunlry c o n n ~ ~ t i t ~ ~ Girisllk ;rill) Herat, so lllnt i t iq ascless to specal:ile 081 tlae pn~rihil . i ~ g of intc~-ccptinq or Iorertrll~u: n forrc usins the c i r c u i t ~ , ~ ~ Vnrnlt r u u ~ e by adoplin: ouo of tllc r o ~ ~ l ~ ~ s through Ibc Ghorat.

l o 1110 asma way 1.11. Firorkol~i country may bc enovidsrcrl I,t,yo~~d t l lc mope of ~tlililnry opcr;ttious. T l~erc is n route 1hro11gl1 i t 1mu1 llaamnnn Ily Chobarmdn la Al)inp.?r:~!~ 01 Puzalich in tlie Unri Rud vaII?)- below Dnolul Y.ll. nod nlrc~thcr from Sar-i-l'ul by Clbn~.ns to1)aolet Ynr ; but lhey rile both diffiruli s v m for small bodies of troops n i th lllvlc ciarriage.

CTIAP'CEU TI.

SAlIZlYAlL ,lY!I '~lll5SOUT~lb;nN A l ~ l ~ l l O , i ( ' ] ~ ~ ~ 70 lll;ll,,T

The Sahl.iv:tr diri\ion of IIr~mt, ~ t n i t n p r , r ~ a ~ t ill ilJelr is alratcnic.lllg of gw:IL inlport:~n,.e, n* Illrclu:.lk il. lit tllc only praclienllle ro:;da lenllioBDto nerst lrom Sistnn n11r1 I(:8ncl:tltnl.. I t nlny t h ~ r e l u ~ c rerg possibly I ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ > ~ , , ~ ~ day tho sucue of n~ilil:~rg opcr:ttio~!s.

I t mag he dcknr,l as I.ll:lt part of lllc hosin ol the Admskand or Harut Rud wl~ieb lien Itr:twcm tllc 'Pnim:lni bills :~od tlte I'cninn il.ostier. ~t eousirta of tlle tonn 01 S:nbzwitr 311d tlze Collo~ring adjacent dirlrie1s:-

(1) Dr,dgul.-rlrouad and wcst of tllc ton o.

(2) dri:abnd.-Rnrtll-cast a l llac lo st^.

(3) Z,twal.-End of Sabz51:lr.

(k) Ir,mrrcf.-To the south.

All Lllrse are small dislrictli in close prolimit: to Sabzsar.

(6) K<~ir,.rrclr<t.-The north-cast, porlion of the district.

(6) A~~nrdui.o.-To the sout l t -~rs t .

(7) Kala #oh -The ~:xtremc soulh-west of tlbc dislricl. Tlnc town of Snbmwnr is in ruins, and tlic totnl population is prohnhl?

under 700 fnmilics, nearly all of wl~orn arc Parsiwans. Sahzwar now eansialr of a fort about 230 to 300 rartls square, ~vl~iell is in good repair. Inside is the rcnideocc of the (inrernor nnd Ibis ollicials sit11 n certniu number ol local aouon and n few sltaps, but thvre arc nu troops and fcw inbahitnnts. There is one gate to l l ~ e south-cast and outsklc that a small bazar. llouud nllout arc grouped ha~nlets and orcl~arrls.

Dadyul llas ahout 1,8OOFnmilics, of wltom trra.lltirds are Algllnnr. A large percentage of the population lites solely iu tents, ra*tttrinz tlwir slteep oo llbr Sabzsar nlain in the winter and minrntina to tlw I~ills in t.be summer. Sheen are nurndrous and large numbcrs io'uld al;.ajs be olllniued.

driiab,td or Kusntonl contains nhnut 27 villages or groups of villngrs and about i.000 inllabitnnt.~, 01 rvltorn 6,UOO n t l e ~ s t arc Argl~nns. Sllerpare nutner. ousand the wzter.sol~ply lor in.in.tliau is frirly abundant, so that graiu is probably obloiunblc iu fair quanli&r.

Zotool cont3illo allout 1.100 Inu>ilicc, 01 nhom orcr 800 are Alglaans. A Inrgc proporlion n8.e nolltnds 01. srnli.nota3ds.

i7oiknl or Itnar,nl contains allout 1,GOO Iamilies, of whom 1.300 are Algbans; the majority are naulado.

ISaruclrn extends Imm line Unllnn-i-Donb-i-Fnrai down to Jnmran i a Sahzsur (120 n~iler), nnd is .;:aid Lo eoutain 11.1 villager null 4,000 families, of whom 3,500 are nomad Surra i Uu~.auis.

I t will Iro noticcd tllnt in t l ~ c nbo5-e five distrirls the Afgl~nn population ns romp~red with 1l1r Ynais.nnir nc:lrly as 1. to 1 (8.000 fatuilicr lo 2,000) : nnrl lltisisa lact olco~~sidc~rablc polilir:ll imporlauce,nsic rncnns Il~ntSahzwnr is !he first tract of coontry in trltich :nu inmder lrorn t l ~ e nortlr migltt possil~lp meet with local rcsistnnre and apposition. T l ~ c populnlion is ns distinctly Afghan as l l ~ a l of Hcrat is Perrinn. Tho Aigllnl~s are uenrly all Duranis of tllo h'urzai. Alizai and Achnkmi elnos. The supplies obtainable in tllasc districts may bo bken a t 78,000 rununds of grain and nt least 100.000 sbcep.

mes t and nortlk-rr-est of tlwsr dislricls lies a rompnraliI'rly llrsprt trsrl wllicb stretcl,e. swap to thp l'r.rrian I>or,lor. This [>art of tllc division is sub- divided iolo ~ ~ 1 , alld An:tnlnr:l, throu;lt brbich lies the wlnin mmd Irom 6istau to Uerat.

HALA K A ~ .

TIlF Roln l in l l dislrirL r l~ ic l t is llnc mul l~ r rnmor l pnrl or Slllz%sor on ils ,TntPr,, fro,,lirr is o,,lr llractirnl i~al,o~.L?nrc in cwneclioll s l t h nlililary olwxltio,,s ~,,,.;~d ,,,, sistnn, or n tnrrring ~ u a r c n ~ c u l Crolu Ill0 llircclioll of ]<il.jaIld ; bat ns Illere nns bo~l t possil,le ennlinnanricr eolnc rt,mnrks rcznrdin:: tllis diotric.t may filly be intn~daerd. The &ltlerl 'lrart. 01 tlno rlistrict lies but,.-een llle l i l ~ ~ l ~ l t i nnd 1l:nrut Iluds, tllc Intlcr l ~ r i a ~ t l ~ c lo#r,cr course ,,f the ~dm~k-ko,r,l. I t is ~Iisidcd i n t x n by n mnnc of hills, th*, part north "1 allioll is ksrrsn as 1C;nla li;nlt Pasl>t . i- l iol~ rind contains 19 villngc*, the ],,,,.t to tilc soull, ]<:,la li;nlt SI):zb l iol t ; the Inller cou1:linilly B villnkes, fclrwerlr ~ , , , l ~ , , ~ ~ , l 10 L : ~ ~ l ~ . J ~ a ~ r ; ~ i n . The 1ol;nl pop\~latioli of tbc district i* ,,~:~,,t l;to" i:,mili,.r, 01 wl~ir11 I I I I I ~n>:~/ovicy Itre Pillii\l.illl~. TIIC r ~ i n r l SPOSOII

iv~ Knl;l I(:BII is fl.oln V r r r m l ~ r r to .\l;~~rlb wlncn t l ~ e B;trut Rud is m u c l ~ ' e s ~ a s c d lo IIPSIII~~S. n n ~ l is rl.rquoatly i m p : ~ ~ r ; l b l ~ for scvernl 11;bys.

'I'o t t ~ r d e r ~ b r l ~ l lllr I~vnriaq of 1C;lln ICnll on s1ilit;lry npcrnlionr, i t is npcrs. rAly to lllemiro lllPt ~ , I I c ~ . olll.mlilt!: 1llel.c is IVISI~~I 1111 L~lsl~-.lll..ilill. n most innporl;>~~l l~osirion s.l~irlt no1 nnlr corcrs I.lm routw into birl-la 18nd lip the right 1,:ank 01 11w l l c l ~ t ~ a : ~ ~ l , 1&1t IItrca~ens line nb:tiu Iilbo F:~r:tIl.\Vnslbir. Between i t and li:ula Iinh n1.e 11;c Uashl-i-libu,l~k liud n l ~ d D.I~II-~-K:II:I Knlb on tlm sotztl> cnld nnrtl) btnhs, ~ ~ r ~ p a e t i r e l y , o t llmr I C l ~ ~ ~ s l t k 1I11cl; and on e i t l~c r of Illere plnins n dolen-ivp ~ l o a i t i ~ n miplil be hken tap 1n1mo.t s ~ n y n l ~ c ~ . e to bnr o flank ~ n o r e n ~ e n t lrotn l<irj;tnd or Pn.sian trrrits~ry. Tlnc i8clu:nl groot~d oEcru no p:nrliculnr ndmolngvs, l ~ u t a go011 clear iron1 101. l111.e~ ~nilc's 1.otn1d 110 ob- tnineil errrywl~rro, and tlna soil 1nei1,g suitnblc lor 6vld s.orks, a slmn: l~o.itiun could b- madc. An n11:tc.k hrnnl I'nl.ol~ 11). the valley 01 the lparah l lud along s lhiel~ Illera is o p o d rosd, could Ile mct in tllcarme uny.

Tlte plntma of llae I1:trltl.i-Khushk Rud is Icrful and open, c o ~ ~ r e d will, n scanty scrul,. I'nrtions of the s a r h c r are solt, and n.ould, rrlwoinllv niter r.tio, I,e very lhravy lo^. ~ I I I I S . 1.110 I C l ~ ~ ~ s l t k Rucl, al lcrc the roar1 I.I.,,SS~; it, is :~llnttl 200 'to 23b yards n i~ lc , ei t l i sloping ~ r ; i r e l hanks about 40 I'ecl. hill). I t r l ~ e d i . ; l i l l ~ ~ ~ l nil13 $~:l\s, nl~rl s:ttvr i s o ~ ~ l y luIm got by di;:iv~ or Ironl mnrslny pc>uls, l ' h ~ r ~ ~ n t l l r o ~ u tlme lil~ttrlnh I lud lo the Unrut l lud is cas j nntl level, n go"d part of il I~ein!: o v e r n l ~ ~ ~ ~ l i l c e~tl l irnled plain. The only obslnelos nrc the crpelb Pn~r:es n I~it:l~ ~vould II:IVC to be hid-ed or mml,erl doa.n for onitnals to rros*. 1 1 1 ~ U R I W ~ It~ad \7111.m cro\s(,d IPV l h z I.O:L~ is about 150 yards rvid,., s l~n l los~ anud 51-nr~1I.v. ~sillb u belt or jungieou eae l~ b:lsk.

A x a a n a n ~ .

h 'orl l~ of Laln Ii:)Ii porner llbr smnll dislrict o i Anardnrr, bnrdel.in: Pcrsin. TI,? di.t~.ic.c contains :~l,uut 1.:!00 Cnwilit~s,nc~nrlg all I'nrsianns. Tlw irnl>al.tant point In I I W di*trirt ir tlw An:~nl:uln delik, r l > i r l ~ i s n -npia the liol~-i-l)ar;l, llle ~.itr:g, bousdln: l l ~ c D i ~ ~ l ~ I - i - B i ~ b t ~ ~ nn llm nortll. T E ~ S gap is a gorge, tvilh ~m#v~i l~ i lous eidvs o l l in>r , lo~~~ . rock. I t r I I P ~ is nrurlv Ic \ r l and front n qllartcr lo ln:llf ;t mils wid#.. '?'Ill, :nsrcwl isexeeediogly p l .~ t i ? . A good slrrnm floss dns,n I I ~ ~ ~ r r n l r c t~C11~~~cor:eorernsmooll~ g m ~ e l bcd 6010 55 yards .,idr. :x!~l 011 rill>(.r side 01 Illil I I ~ I C C - I . O ~ ~ ~ C . n l ~ i o h scrres as tile road, a str ip oi llnl le1.1ilc gnound c r l e ~ ~ d s lo t l , ~ side of the gorce. T l ~ e ground is closely ~ ~ ~ > l l i ~ a l c r l nlld u~lvlorcd \\ill) ~nurl ~ m l l s n l n u t 8 l w t llinlt l o protc<:t Ihe Iluit tr-c..; IIIIIII ~ I I P s t rotq ~ i ~ l r l s wltiel~ blo!r in the gorge. Tllc gorge is f f I I I J I F > I,III; nncl is clarrly lill,~cl will) tlwre orehar~ls. 'Ills !,illugu lies 11:111 \ v :~y up rind ronri*ls clt \veil lluilt mud hnusec. It is IIse centre of x ,-onsi. ~ l ~ ~ r x l ~ l c lr:~Iliv I~ct~vcun 1 1 ~ 8 1 XRWI S i \ h n , Pa,rqi:~ IGtn~da l~n~ , alld s0vcrb1 I>und~r.d c ~ n ~ ~ i r l s rc>old IN. Ilin d ill Llbe distrlct a t any timc.

TIIP c!ow :mcl a.nllvd nnlurc 01 tbe defile tvoubl msl, le a vcti~. i~m force to dispute, e5a.t)- r tr l , ; mltlle onin: lo line preuipiloos nature of lllc lnilG ~t s o u i d IN, diliis.vlt lor nn rnv~oy to crown Ihml. T l ~ e l l ~ f i l ~ Ilos3-l-ercr, I , ~ turn,,* to Ll~p tl<.rIh.c:8st Ily a ro:!d Ir:ading from ,La I)arht.i.Askak to th,: u o v u t 1,l:ain

h o n ~ l b - n r ~ l nt :\n:nrd:trn I l~ev i l l a r r r q~~i lec l lnnne tlloir rhnmclernod I~~~~~~ rmnll ~utld IE:IIIP~ f01.1~ or nllriut 1.0 j:krds side, $I i l c n t0$101 BL one nncvlr. 1 villnrc ful.lfi iue. l#o.%c\(.r, IPB. in numller, nrld ll,e ,,ol,ulaliol, is vcG aconly ; rlt1,plics nould 11111 be ~ ~ b t ~ ~ i n n b l ~ .

I t may be rncntioned I~ore, that from t l~c losoron~l of the rinardnm defile a p o d rond loads up tho Hnrut vnllcy to Bnl~zn,ar, nnil this might he important a9 a lateral communicalion llctweon columns on tho Snbzrar mld Aonrdnra mads.

Tllc wllole of Sabzwar is compintively level open country, consisling for most part of broad open doahla rlivcrsificd by occasional narmw hill ranges whicl~ are pmlongntions of 'llle Taimani hills. Bobzanr ir tho clliel conlru of popolntion, but Zrnups of villnges arc studdednbout in most of the plains. With the csc:cplioo of Snbswnr, ~lresc rlistricts cannot be termed productive or cnpnblo oI Iurnishit~g any but triflin: nid torvards tho support of tronpr. T l ~ e gcnur:ll drriange is totvnrds llle Sistan Unmun, but the streams quickly dsrintllc :twnv or aro absorbed by irrigation. nod in the dry scnsou do not rench the western'lncts.

The western parts of Kola K a l ~ nnd Anardarn are occupied I,y tllc salt llescrt plniu of the Dssht-i-Nnomed, rrlticll in~pedes nll direct ean~munieation in lllat quarter with Persia. Thc scarcilp of sweet water in this direction nod as Iar up as the Chorinn district renders travelling difficult and military more- mcnts impossil~le. But riHh the crcoptian of these wcstrrn desert tractscorn- muuichlion is rcry cnsg tl~rongl~out Snl,nrar, and tho existian mutcs require but little inlpn,vcmcnt to bccome goorl roads for wl~eeled tra;(rport . but there is littleor no limbcr of any sort n fact which might impedebridgiog~perntions.

COM~~UN~CATIONS. Thn important point as rcgnnlr Ihe Sabzlmr division is, ns has already

llccn said, its rclatioo to tho roads lending to Hcritt. There are trro i m p o h n t routes, vi:, :-

(1) Kandal i~r to Herat o i 6 Girisllk, Fnmll and Babzwar, (2 ) Sistau to Herat oid Lnsh-Juwain and Aunrdara.

'Ille first named is the "rent hi41 road bctweon IChorasan and India and is that always fallo~~-ed b;nrrnicsDor Inrge ccanrans. I t is gcnernlly praetic- nhle for nll arms. and the g ~ m t e r part of i t ip in fact very good. I t has been repeatedly tmrerscd by whecled artillery. The Arlrasknudnnd its large nfluent, the Rud-i-Gar, havc to be crossed four times. Thcre isalso thc IInri l lud close In IIrmt.' Tl~csc nrc onlg difficult when in flood, an11 then only for a t n days nt n timc. T l ~ c floodsenson is in l larcl~. April and Alny. T l ~ e rrl~cnt l~ar res t is in Junc, so that tlle I~cst season for rn:hrohi~\g is ~lrol~sblg Iru~n June nItcr tile hnrvcst till autumn. I n \~.iutcr llla s a u t uPr:tmcl--meins r~auld millre the ~ n a v e m ~ n t s of n large force very difficult. Iu July, z d August, bonorer, the heat is eonsidornblc. On the whole, September and October mny be reckoned the best months. Tbc total distonce from Knndnhnr to Hcrat by this mute is 3 b mnrchcsor 40.5 miles, which mny be divided up into thcfollosings sections :-

Jlushea. Miles. Kanrlslnnr to Oirisltk ... ... ... 7 17 Gnrirllli to Wlnb ... 14 170 FRI,O~B 10 SO~ZWIIC ... 0 82 Snbnssr to I i c ro t ... 7 76 - -

Torar. 34 103

Ayub Kbnn ndronoinw Icisurolg, re~ched the IIclmnnd from IIernt in 60 days ; 2nd thougi~ tllc dist~nncc is onlg 31. marcher, n larae force would probably tnkC seven wecks to corer Lho distance. l'hera is no altprontirc or subsidinr~ route to thc main rond, wllicll Leavcs it a t Wnsl~ir m>d rejoins it nt Khwaja uI.in olio mare11 (10 miles) ~lorth o l Sohzwnr ; and this of course from its rela- tirc LORitioll to 1110 main road would be 01 the utmost imporlnnco in military opcGtions.

11-ilh ~.eIeronce to the portion of the rond between Hernt and Sabzwsr it, should Ilo uolod LbaL from D few nlilcs out of Sabrlrar till l<oznbogh is reaClietl therr nro uo villages, so that supplirs rrould have to bc cnl~ied the ,\.l,,,lc br.lrr,.cu thosc pl;wcs or dol,8ts formed.

. Sa rY(~.~IIcL ,. I,.. YYIO LO LLc r i v e r a ~ u tlw K ~ 1 ~ l ~ r . l d e l l ~ L I ~ c Smblwm db%tacl rllh)l om cqusIOr 8mYr

38

Ie t.l~oenrc o l nn ndrnner from tltc roulh, roaistauce might be oxp~oted a t llbo crossing of the Rttd-i-Gnz nnd nmnin nt I lomlm~h. On the other I~nnd, no plrtioalnrly p o d delcusivo position & e ~ s itself with releronco to nn attack Cwm tho north.

As rrgnrds the 5ist.m ~.nnd, tlln total dietnnce from Lish-Jurrain to nern t oi5 Annrdorn nnd Poltrs lnny 1,c (ah-on nt 18 marches or !215milcs, oiz. :-

Usrcbr. Milo~. Lnrlt-Juw\-nin to Aosnlora ... ... 7 8 8 durnlars Lo Palms ... 9 107 Ynhn 10 l lsnt ... ... ... 2 - 9.5 -

Torat. ... 18 916 - - West of this rnorl lies Lbo uodulatin,8 grnvelly wntcl.lens dcscrt, known

ss thr Dns1ht.i-Xnumed, so tlmt prncticnlly ~t cauuot be tu~med on tho wcst nxccpt from Bi jnod.

This rollto prcrents no pligsical obstacles of arry nlcmeot a l t e r l c a ~ i o ~ Sistnli, but tho Bannlam defile above described mixht bc n point of considerable military irnportnucc.

R</<lrn.~t. Algllnu Uoundary Cvnnntirsion lkcnrds, Yslama I, prgss 87-125. ,, ,, ,, ,, Vulllme 11, 1'nges 576-WR. ,, ,, ,, ,, Yolama 111, ynge 37-51.

h. D. C., Il,lnlrr, Ilrl~n:nad snrips, llouler IIIC, VI nod 1'111.

THE - MCADD-PAHARpahar.in/mountains/Books and Articles/Afghanistan/1893...THE MILITARY GEOGRAPHY or...

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Transcript of THE - MCADD-PAHARpahar.in/mountains/Books and Articles/Afghanistan/1893...THE MILITARY GEOGRAPHY or...