Scrapbook of newspaper cuttings about Afghanistan [‎27r] (54/312)

with scorclaing heat; but the shepherds retire to
the mountains an d find for their flocks a cool retreat
and grassy valleys. At Candahar the temperature
in summer is excessive, but proceeding north
towards the Helmund River the cold increases,
and, leaving heat behind him, the traveller finds
himself advancing into a region still covered
with snow. At Cabul itself the winter is more
regular in its severity than in England, and in
summer the heat is greater. The inhabitants,
therefore, wear at one time clothes of felt, with
cloaks of sheepskin, sleeping at night under rugs
before a fire ; and at another thin chintz or
muslin robes, and have their beds out under the
trees.
But, whatever the changes, the climate,
judged by the people, must be eminently
healthy, for, as a race, there are few to compare
with the Afghans in physique and energy of
character. They are all stalwart, active, and
brave. This does not hold true of all the in
habitants of Afghanistan, but of the Afghans or
Pukhtuns proper only—for the country is peopled
by an infinite diversity of races. The Tajik,
of Persian origin, and the Hazara, the residue
of Tartar invasion, Uzbegs and Turkomans of
I various tribes, Kuzzilbash Moguls, and a bewil
dering variety of Hindi and Kashmiri colonists
all combine to form the population, while south
ward, but still subjects of the Ameer of Cabul,
are the Brahoes and Beluchis, descended from
different stocks and speaking different lan-
! guages, and a medley of emigrant communities
j from Hindustan and Persia. In one or two re-
i ppects, however, all these diverse people re
semble each other—their lawless independence of !
character and their poverty. They are all
equally ready to join in plunder, and murder if
need be, and may be all reckoned upon to join
the leader that promises most. To a force in
vading Cabul from the south they will afford '
the exact material wanted for scouring ravines
and reconnoitring hills, for collecting forage
and keeping open communications. Such a
force would enter it most easily from Jacobabad |
! in Sindh, and, proceeding vid Gandava to
Khelat, thence reach Quetta by the Bolan
| Pass, sixty miles in length, already'patrolled by
British troops. From Quetta to Candahar
the advance would meet with few obstacles if
the inhabitants were well disposed. The valley
northwards, looking from Quetta, is over
shadowed by the Zarghun range infested by the
Kakarr tribe, the most hardy mountaineers of a
country where all are hardy, and hopelessly law
less. The freebooting Domarr again make
unsafe for travellers and even caravans the direct
road to Candahar, but to an armed force could
offer little molestation. These tribes muster in
all some 70,000 households, but they are scat
tered over so wide an area that when recently
their suzerain the Khan of Khelat organised a
punitive expedition against them no trouble was
found in reducing them in detail to submission.
In December snow falls, and often af tey that the
road, though never impassable, is rendered
I difficult. The Murghi Pass leads by an easy 1
I route down to the Peshin district, and at Kushlac,
fourteen miles from Quetta, a small stream of
that name is passed, which demarcates the fron
tier of Khelat and Cabul. Another eighteen
miles of practicable road brings the traveller by
the Surmaghazi Pass to Hykalzai, situated on a
plain of red clay soil—a favourite rendezvous of
the nomad Sarins, and marked by numerous
j ruins and several inhabited villages. From
| Hykalzai a march of fifteen miles attains Araubi
| Kariz, several streams being crossed en route, and
a fair sprinkling of inhabitants encountered.
Excellent roadway obtains thence past the
spurs of the Toba range, the populous villages
of the Dihsuri Grlen, to the Khojak Pass,
at all times practicable in spite of its narrow
ness. On the southern side the elevation has
been recorded to be 7,000 feet, at the top of.the
Pass 7,410, and at Chaokah, on the northern
end, 6,600, and here, as everywhere else along the [
road, pasture is abundant for three-fourths of
| the year. From Chaokah to Chaman, and thence
to Gatai, some twenty-five miles, the route lies
north-westerly along a gradual slope on to the
undulating sweep of the plain; and from Gatai a
march of fourteen miles reaches Mel Maudah, the
road lying across a plain and rolling downs, with
out inhabitants, as pasturage is very scanty, and
the water brackish. After eighteen miles further
M4kti Karez is made; the Barghana Pass, which
lies midway at an elevation of 4,100 feet, pre
senting no difficulty to the traveller. Thence a
winding ravine leads to the village of Makii, and
| sixteen miles further, across an undulating plain
as far as the Arghesan river (a very shallow
stream, though of considerable width), and
t thence across broken country, lies Mund Hissar.
jFrom here to Candahar is twelve mjles. The
whole route, it will be seen, is as easy as an
invading army has any right to expect, and
from end to end water and pasturage abound,,
while in the numerous flocks of -sheep that are !
driven into the district to graze an abundant
source of meat is at hand. The only apprehen
sion, therefore, is from the inhabitants them
selves ; but from the well-established popularity
of the British at Quetta, and the general friendli
ness of the Beluchis towards us, there seems no
ground for suspecting interference with the ad
vance. Even, however, should such hostility
be evinced by any tribe, their neighbours are at
all times willing, for a pecuniary consideration,
to undertake their punishment. Should it,
therefore, be necessary for a British force to
invade Cabul from the south. Nature, by pro
viding so easy a route to Candahar, has supple- |
mented the political sagacity that acquired i
Quetta.
To an army invading Cabul from the east,
the Khyber Pass presents itself as the most
obvious avenue of advance. That famous defile
is already so well known that no description is
needed. Suffice it to say that from end to end
the Khyberis territory is 180 miles in length, and
that, held by a determined foe, its passage
be a serious undertaking. But, as we pointed
out in our issue of yesterday, the Khy-
berees are to-day more peaceably disposed to
wards us than they have ever been since. We
pushed our frontier up to the foot of their hills.
They are an independent tribe, owing alle
giance to none, and willing to sell their services
in the best market. For many years they have
been anxious to attain the dignity of treaty re
lations with us, and in the telegram from our
Special Correspondent at Simla, which we pub-1
lish to-day, it will be seen that Lord Lytton,
with the same sagacious promptitude that has
marked his direction of affairs, is prepared to ac-
' cede to their wishes. With the Khyberees in our
service, Cabul becomes as British as Peshawur.
Thai (or Thull), which our telegrams inform
us has acquired a sudden importance as a stra
tegic point, is situated about midway between
the frontier outposts of Kohat and Bannu. It:
commands the entrance to that Kurum Valley
the occupation of which we suggested in our
issue of yesterday, and a force marching along it
would strike the road to Cabul at a point about
fifty miles from that city. Supposing,; there
fore, that the Khyber were by any unexpected
circumstances closed against an advancing force,
the route from Thai would be always open to us
as the alternative.
ENGLAND AND CABUL.
CONCJ5NTR ATION OF TROOPS.
BREAK-UP OP THE MISSION.!
[BY INDO-EUROPEAN TELEGRAPH.]
[from ouk special correspondent.]
SIMLA, S ept. 24.
Orders have been issued for the concentration
of troops at the Thull entrance to the Kurrum
Valley, and also at Quetta above the Bplan Pass.
The Commissioner at Peshawur is engaged in
negotiations which have for their object to de
tach the Khyberrees from the Ameer; and the
authorities are hopeful that the end will be :
attained, as the Khyberrees, by their friendly
j bearing to the mission, have incurred the severe
I displeasure of Shere Ali.
The Mission itself is now broken up, and Sir
Neville Chamberlain returns at once to Simla.
Serious piracies are reported from the Persian ;
Gulf. As the Turkish authorities are unable
to control the Arabs, it is probable that the
British naval force in the gulf will be stiiength-
ened at once. ^