Scrapbook of newspaper cuttings about Afghanistan [‎37r] (74/312)

direct road to Khulm and Balkh, is 8500 feet, and
the Harako^al Pass at the northern entrance of the
Sighan valley is the same. From Baminn anothei
road branches off due west to the Balkh river and
Shiborgan, and the heights of the two or threa
passes here^ vary from 5000 to 8000 feet. There ia
a fair road in this direction from Bamian, via Kilai
Jahudi to Shiborgan, and Andchui to Kerkhi, tha
Russo-Bokharan post on the Oxns. The distance
from Kerkhi to Bamian by this road is only 350
miles, and from Khoja Salih and Kilif the distance
is rather less.
East of Bamian there are the following passes
leading into the femle valley of Panjkir The
Koushan, the Salalang, the Girdshak, and the
Khawak. Their altitudes vary from 10,000 to
12,0C0 feet. The Girdshak, between Knndus,
Inderaub, and Cabwl, is the most important and
the most used. North-eastward of the Khawak are
the Ishkasm and Nuksan Passes, 13,000 feet high,
leading from Badakshan and Wakhan to the
Chitral Valley, and then, continuing along the
Hindoo Koosh, we come to the Baroghil, 32,000
feet, leading from Ka^hgar. But although these
are the names of all the passes we know, it ia
evident, from the chronicle of our campaign of
1839-40 in these mountains that there are many
more—in fact, that between the valleys of
Northern Aighanistan —and it is nothing but a
succession of \ alleys—there is constant communica
tion, by means of passes of all degrees of practi
cability. But on one point an opinion may ba
ventured, and that is that the outer i asses—those
which lead from the main ranee of the Hin.ioo
Koosh down to halkh, Khulm, Kundus, and
BadaKshan—are susceptible of be ng mide impreg
nable, and the earthworks, which should be the
form our fortifications should take, could Ir e left
during the winter months, when the cold drove our
soldiers into the plains an s warmer valleys of Cabul.
In the western portion of the Hindoo Koosh—viz.,
the Koh Siah and the Koh-i-Baba—there are passed
at frequent intervals, made either by the Helmund
or the mountain torrents which rush down to the
Heri. In this little-known quarter of Afghanistan^,
held by Einak and Hazara mountaineers, and tb.q
whilome seat qf the great Abdali clan, there are
several trade routes used by the inhabitants. They
all point either to Herat or southward to Girishk
and Candahar, or northward toMaimena and Balkh,
Bokhara and Samarcand, the cities of wealth and
luxury in the eyes of central Asiatics. And in the
low country bordering on the Turcoman desert and
lying north of the mountains of Ghor there is that
mam road from Herat to Maiinen5 which crosses the
Murghab at the village of its name, and which ia
traced on through all those northern khanates until
it strikes that Little Pamir trade route which passea
through Wakhan and Sirikol to Eastern Turkestan
and the western cities of China. That fortunate
highway lies beyond the passes alike of the Sulei
man and the Hindoo Koosh, but if the Hindoo
Koosh were the Indian rampart it would be beneath
our walls that the wealth of Western Asia and the
posperity of Eastern Asia should pass to combine in
promoting the-welfare of less ha ny Central Asia, and
it should be under cur auspices hat the regenerating
of the southern portion of Asia should take place.
And this biire enumeration of mountain passes of
various degrees of altitude, andof dirierent capacities
for ass sting in the advancement of the nations, bare
and uninteresting as at a hasty glance it may
appear, will serve to remind us of the double func
tion that is common to all passes. A pass is, after
all, only a door—a " duar' as they call it in
Northern India—a means whereby armies and
merchants may be admitted or shut out. The
barrier of a mountain range is almost impassable,
if the custodian of its crest refuse t9 open it, aa
witness the long range of the Himalaya, where
Chinese exclusiveness and suspicion have closed the
way to the interesting secrets of Tibet and the
western parts of China. The barrier of a river will
never prevent the people on either side of its banks
from knowing each other, from manifesting their
love or their hatred ; and it is because iheiight of
past experi nee is so clear upon t is point that
English sta eonen and thinkers have come to
recognise in tne Hindoo Koosh the true frontier—
true in an historical sense also—of our Eastern
Empire. At the present time the passes of the
Suleiman are of the more immediate importance,
but in a political sense, and as matter of fact in a
future day, those through the Hindoo Koosh are
of far greater and more lasting importance to us.
It is to them and their fate that we must devote
especial attention, while we are concentrating our
troops in order to place those through the Suleiman
in our virtual possession.
L '(&
ENGLA ND AND CABUL.
TROOPS ORDERED ON ACTIVE
SERVICE.
[BY EASTERN COMPANY'S CABLE.]
[from our special correspondent.]
' . SIMLA, S ept. 26.
The following troops have been ordered on
active service :
General Roberts will command the Kohat
column, which is directed to assemble at Thul,
the entrance to the Kuram valley. He will
have in his brigade one horse and one field bat
tery, two regiments of cavalry, five battalions
of infantry, and one of pioneers and sappers.
The garrison at Quetta will be reinforced
by two batteries, three cavalry regiments, eight
infantry battalions, and one of pioneers and
! sappers.
The reserve will at once collect at Sukkur.
It will consist of seven batteries, a siege train,
two cavalry regiments, eight infantry battalions,
and two of pioneers and sappers.
No immediate hostilities are intended.
Disturbances are reported from Seistan, the
country under arbitration in 1872-73.
I [BY DAILY TELEGRAPH SPECIAL WIRE.]
[from our own correspondent.]
VIENNA, T hursday N ight.
The Austrian Government is greatly con
cerned at the news from the Indian frontier, its
chief cause of apprehension being lest an Anglo-
Russian conflict should arise out of England's
difficulty with Shere Ali. It is feared that in
that case the treaty of Berlin would be
come a dead letter, an eventuality that is
looked forward to by Austria with well-
founded misgivings. A gentleman in a posi
tion to be exceptionally well informed said
j to me this afternoon that in his opinion Russia
was only using the Afghan incident as the tor-
reador uses his red cloak to attract attention
from the quarter where real danger is likely to
come. He thinks that Russia will show herself
quite disposed to leave Afghanistan to the mercy |
of England providing the negotiations that have
lately been entered upon at the Porte with re
gard to the indemity of war are allowed to take
their course. Russia is not ready to measure
herself with England in Asia, he said, but she
has not yet got all she wants in Europe. If she
cannot obtain it by such means as she has re-
i course 'to at present, then perhaps she mav risk
another war.
[BY DAILY TELEGRAPH SPECIAL WIRE.]
[from our own correspondent.]
PARIS, T hursday N ight.
Le Nord of to-day does not undertake to
, judge the wisdom or opportunity of the mea
sures of the Anglo-Indian Government. As
I regards the irritation which is felt in England
and India, no one, it says, will contest its iegi-
: timacy if it shall be proved that Sir Neville
i Chamberlain did not present himself at the
i frontier of Afghanistan until he had received
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direct road to Khulm and Balkh, is 8500 feet, and
the Harako^al Pass at the northern entrance of the
Sighan valley is the same. From Bamian another
road branches off due west to the Balkh river and
Shiborgan, and the heights of the two or threa
passes here^ vary from 5000 to 8000 feet. There ia
a fair road in this direction from Bamian, via Kilai
Jahudi to Shiborgan, and Andchui to Kerkhi, the
Russo-Bokharan post on the Oxus, The distance
from Kerkhi to Bamian by this road ts only 350
miles, and from Khoja Salih and Kilif the distanca
is rather less.
East of Bamian there are the following passes
leading into the fertile valley of Panjkir The
Koushan, the Salalang, the Girdahak, and the
Khawak. Their altitudes vary from 10,000 to
12,0C0 feet. The Girdshak, between Knndus,
Inderaub, and Cabul, is the most important and
the most used. North-eastward of the Khawak are
the Jshkasm and Nuksan Passes, 13,000 feet high,
leading from Badakshan and Wakhan to the
Chitral Valley, and then, continuing along the
Hindoo Koosh, we come to the Baroghil, 32,000
feet, leading from Ka hgar. But although these
are the names of all the passes we know, it ia
evident, from the chronicle of our campaign of
1839-40 in these mourna^ns that there are many
more—in fact, that between the valleys of
Northern Aighanistan—and it is nothing but a
succession of \ alleys—there is constant communica
tion, by means of passes of all degrees of practi
cability, But on one point an opinion may be
ventured, and that is that the outer i asses—those
which lead from the main ran ire of the Himioo
Koosh down to balkh, Khulm, Kundus, and
Badanshan—are susceptible of 1 e ng m ide impreg"
nable, and the earthworks, which should be the
form our fortifications should take, could \ e left
during the winter months, when the cold drove our
soldiers into the plains an i warmer valleys of Cabul.
In the western portion of the H indoo Koosh—viz. „
the Koh Siah and the Koh-i-Baba—there are passei
at frequent intervals, made either by the Helmund
or the mountain torrents which rush down to tha
Heri. In this little-known quarter of Afghanistan^
held by Einak and Hazara mountaineers, and tlm
whilome seat of the great Abdali clan, there are
several trade routes used by the inhabitants. They
all point either to Herat or southward to Girishk
and Candahar, or northward toMaimeny and Balkh,
Bokhara and Samarcand, the cities of wealth and
luxury in the eyes of central Asiatics. And in the
low country bordering on the Turcoman desert and
lying north of the mountains of Ghor there is that
mam road from Herat to Maimenk which crosses the
Murghab at the village of its name, and which ia
traced on through all those northern khanates until
it strikes that Little Pamir trade route which passes
through Wakhan and Sirikol to Eastern Turkestan
and the western cities of China. That fortunate
highway lies beyond the passes alike of the Sulei
man and the Hindoo Koosh, but if the Hindoo
Kooah were the Indian rampart it would be beneath
our walls that the wealth of Western Asia and the
posperity of Eastern Asia should pass to combine in
promoting the-welfare ot less ha ny Central Asia, and
it should be under our auspicea hat the regenerating
of the southern portion of Asia should take place.
| And this biire enumeration of mountain passes of
i various degrees of altitude, andof diiierent capacities
| for ass sting in the advancement of the nations, bare
and uninteresting as at a hasty glance it may
| appear, will serve to remind us of the double func-
; tion that is common to all passes. A pass is, after
all, only a door—a " duar' as they call it in
Northern India—a means whereby armies and
merchants may be admitted or shut out. The
barrier of a mountain range is almost impassable,
if the custodian of its crest refuse t9 open it, as
witness the long range of the Himalaya, where
Chinese exclusiveness and suspicion have closed the
way to the interesting secrets of Tibet and the
western parts of China. The barrier ot a river will
never prevent the people on either side of its banks
from knowing each other, from manifesting their
love or their hatred ; and it is because the light of
past experi nee is so clear upon t is point that
English sta esmen and thinkers have come to
recognise in the Hindoo Koosh the true frontier—
true in an historical sense also—of our Eastern
Empire. At the present time the passes of the
Suleiman are of the more immediate importance,
but in a political sense, and as matter of fact in a
future day, those through the Hindoo Koosh are
of far greater and more lasting importance to us.
It is to them and their fate that we must devote
especial attention, while we are concentrating our
troops in order to place those through the Suleiman
in our virtual possession.
ENGLA ND AND CABUL.
TROOPS ORDERED ON ACTIVE
SERVICE.
[BY EASTERN COMPANY'S CABLE.]
[from our special correspondent.]
. , SIMLA, S ept. 26. :
The following troops have been ordered on
active service :
General Roberts will command the Kohat
column, which is directed to assemble at Thul,
the entrance to the Kuram valley. He will
have in his brigade one horse and one field bat
tery, two regiments of cavalry, five battalions
of infantry, and one of pioneers and sappers.
The garrison at Quetta will be reinforced
by two batteries, three cavalry regiments, eight
infantry battalions, and one of pioneers and
sappers.
The reserve will at once collect at Sukkur.
It will consist of seven batteries, a siege train,
two cavalry regiments/eight infantry battalions,
and two of pioneers and sappers.
No immediate hostilities are intended.
Disturbances are reported from Seistan, the
country under arbitration in 1872-73.
[BY DAILY TELEGRAPH SPECIAL WIRE.]
[from our own correspondent.]
VIENNA, T huesdat N ight.
The Austrian Government is greatly con
cerned at the news from the Indian frontier, its
chief cause of apprehension being lest an Anglo-
Russian conflict should arise out of England's
difficulty with Shere Ali. It is feared that in
that case the treaty of Berlin would be
come a dead letter, an eventuality that is
looked forward to by Austria with well-
founded misgivings. A gentleman in a posi
tion to be exceptionally well informed said
to me this afternoon that in his opinion Russia
was only using the Afghan incident as the tor-
reador uses his red cloak to attract attention
from the quarter where real danger is likely to
come. He thinks that Russia will show herself
quite disposed to leave Afghanistan to the mercy
of England providing the negotiations that have
lately been entered upon at the Porte with re-
gard to the indemity of war are allowed to take
their course. Russia is not ready to measure
herself with England in Asia, he said, but she
has not yet got all she wants in Europe. If she
cannot obtain it by such means as she has re-
i course to at present, then perhaps she Riav risk
another war.
[BY DAILY TELEGRAPH SPECIAL WIRE.]
[from our own correspondent.]
I PARIS, T hursday N ight.
Le Nord of to-day does not undertake to
judge the wisdom or opportunity of the mea
sures of the Anglo-Indian Government. As
I regards the irritation which is felt in England
and India, no one, it says, will contest its legi
timacy if it shall be proved that Sir Neville
Chamberlain did not present himself at the
l frontier of Afghanistan until he had received
from the Ameer the assurance that he would be
welcomed with all his escort. On the other
hand, if the embassy wanted to penetrate into
Afghanistan before having received the reply of
the Ameer, or if the latter demanded in vain a
diminution of the escort, it 'must be admitted
that the responsibility falls at least as much on !
the Anglo-Indian Government and its delegates
as on the sovereign of Afghanistan. The Rus
sian organ would not be at all surprised if the
escort were the determining cause of the present
incident. The ostensible and avowed object of
j the Mission was to establish permanent and regular
relations with Afghanistan. According to the
official declarations made at London and Cal
cutta, it was a mission of friendship and peace ;
i but when one offers one's friendship to any one,
j adds Le Nord, it may seem strange to present
oneself armed to the teeth. Nevertheless, it
does not despair of an arrangement being ar
rived at if the Anglo-Indian Government acts
more in accordance with the usual methods.
Le Temps of this evening does not think that
all chance of an understanding is lost because
military preparations are being made ; nor does
it imagine that England has already determined
to carry war into Afghanistan. The three hy
potheses still open, according to this journal' are
an ulterior understanding with the Ameer of
Cabul; a rectification of frontiers, through the
armed occupation of the free passes, and of
their opening in Afghanistan ; or else an offen
sive war on the part of England. As this war
would be severe and expensive, and as England
would hardly know what to do with Afghanistan
after the victory, it may be expected, in spite of
the warlike tone of the English journals, that the
British Government will not resort to such a
measure unless it be absolutely necessary.
[reuter's telegram.]
SIMLA, S ept . 26.
Notwithstanding the prompt military measures
taken by the authorities, it is believed that the
Government intend to await the course of
events, and to observe the attitude adopted by
the Ameer Shere Ali before undertaking the
actual invasion of Afghanistan. A serious out
break has occurred in Seistan, on the frontiers of
Persia and Afghanistan.
iii