AFGHANISTAN. 



AFGHANISTAN. 



82 





of the Hazareh and Eimack, from the names of two 

 tribea that inhabit them; in history they are spoken of as the 

 Ghor Mountains. The southern declivity of all these northern 

 mountains is mostly included within the boundaries of Afghanistan, 

 and is not nearly so rapid as the northern, which sinks down to the 

 plains drained by the Amoo or Oxus ; these are at least 3000 feet 

 lower than the table-land. 



I. Surface: Northern Mountain-Regions. Between 35 and 34 

 N. lat., the Indus runs in a S.S.W. direction, and between two 

 very elevated mountain-ranges, of which the eastern is undoubtedly a 

 part of the Himalaya Mountains; and as the western is a direct 

 continuation of this great range, and resembles it in other respects, 

 the name of Himalaya Mountains is now also applied to the western 

 mountains as far as 70 E. long. This range however, which 

 runs from E.S.E. to W.N.W., though it rises in some places 

 as high as 20,000 feet above the sea-level, does not constitute 

 the watershed of the rivers of this mountain-region. The water- 

 shed lies farther to the north in a range that runs nearly due east 

 and west, and appears to be a continuation of the great mountain- 

 range called Kuenluen, which traverses the interior of Asia, between 

 36 and 38 N. lat. This continuation of the Kuenluen is called in 

 Afghanistan the Hindoo-Coosh. As the Himalaya Mountains and the 

 Hindoo-Coosh do not run parallel, but converge, they unite in one 

 mountain-mass between 70 and 69 E. long. The country included 

 by these two ranges is called Kaferistan. It includes the northern 

 declivity of the western Himalaya Mountains, the southern only 

 belonging to Afghanistan. When seen from the plains at their base, 

 these mountains rise in terraces ; the northern and higher mountain 

 overtopping the southern and lower, and thus at some places four 

 ridges are visible. The valleys which are inclosed within this range 

 are of considerable width, but the cultivable soil is confined to a 

 narrow strip along the line of drainage. The space between the 

 higher portion of the ridges and the base of the hills is an inclined 

 plane, sometimes very wide, strewed or entirely covered with boulders 

 and shingle without a particle of soil. But the declivity of the hills 

 is covered with a rich soil of considerable depth, the bare rock being 

 only exposed where the inclination of the upper strata approaches so 

 near the perpendicular that no lodgment of soil can take place. A 

 considerable portion of these declivities is under cultivation, and the 

 remainder, to an elevation of 10,000 feet above the sea-level, is 

 overgrown with high forest-trees ; near the base, and to an 

 elevation of 4500 feet above the sea, the forests consist of baloot, 

 a species of oak, but above that height they are mixed with eaitoon, 

 a species of olive. The last-mentioned species forms the chief, if 

 not the only forest-tree as high as 6500 feet, where it is gradually 

 replaced by the deodara, a species of fir. The forests that cover 

 the Himalaya Mountains are the most extensive in Afghanistan. 



Near 70 12' E. long., where the Himalaya already seem to be 

 connected with the Hindoo-Coosh, the nature of the mountains 

 changes suddenly. The valleys indeed do not differ much in extent 

 and fertility, but the sides of the mountains are destitute of trees. 

 They are almost entirely devoid of soil, and the rocks project in every 

 direction, and the intervening places are strewed with angular debris 

 very little comminuted. These slopes sustain nothing but arid and 

 thorny bushes, which almost invariably stand alone. Such is the 

 nature of the Hindoo-Coosh as far west as 68 E. long., where that 

 high summit, or rather mountain-pass occurs, which properly is called 

 Hindoo-Coosh, and has given name to the whole range, and rises to 

 more than 15,000 feet above the sea-level. There are, however, many 

 other peaks which are always covered with snow. Some of the valleys 

 included in this range are very populous. The best known is that of 

 Panchshir ; through this valley a road passes which leads from Cabul to 

 Kunduz, and which at the upper end of the valley traverses a mountain- 

 pass, 13,200 feet above the sea, called the mountain-pass of Khawack. 

 The valley of Panchshir, its sinuosities included, is 70 miles long, and in 

 most places about a mile and a half wide ; no part exceeds twice that 

 breadth. The upper part of it for about 25 miles is not inhabited, pro- 

 bably on account of the severity of the cold in winter, but in the lower 

 part there are 7000 families. The soil is naturally sterile, and the land 

 is fit for cultivation only to a small extent, but every foot of it is culti- 

 vated. The orchards and the mulberry plantations constitute the wealth 

 of its inhabitants ; the mulberries are dried, and yield a good flour, which 

 forms the principal food of the people. Another road, which traverses 

 the Hindoo-C'oosh, and leads to the plain of the Oxus, lies farther west, 

 and runs through a similar valley watered by the river Parwan. The 

 mountain-masses are at least as high as the Pass of Khawack. 



The high summit of the Hindoo-Coosh above mentioned terminates 

 the range just described. At this point the range changes its direction, 

 running nearly due south between 35 and 34 20' N. lat., and 

 decreasing somewhat in elevation. This portion of the range goes 

 by the name of the Pughman Mountains. It consists of two parallel 

 ridges, and includes a valley more than 10 miles in width, which has 

 a hilly surface, and seldom sinks so low as 10,000 feet above the sea. 

 This valley is unfit for cultivation on account of its elevation, but it 

 is the favonrite resort of the nomadic tribes in its vicinity in summer- 

 time, on account of its excellent pastures. The two ranges which 

 inclose the valley are from 2000 to 3000 feet higher. As these 

 range* are free from snow in summer, several passes lead over them 



onon. mv. VOT,. t. 



to the valley of Bameean, which is west of the western range and 

 only 8500 feet above the sea. The best known of these passes are 

 those of Ghorbund, of Erak, which attains 12,909 feet, and that of 

 Kulloo, which is 12,481 feet above the sea-level. 



The Koh-i-Baba range may be considered the commencement of 

 the Paropamisus ; north of it lies the mountain-region of the 

 Hazareh. The Koh-i-Baba is not a mountain-region, but a single 

 range, which rises suddenly where the Pughman Mountains terminate 

 (near 34 20'), and hence runs due west. At its eastern extremity it 

 presents an immense mass of rocks, overtopped by three snow-clad 

 peaks. The great mass attains an elevation of about 14,000 feet 

 above the sea, and the peaks rise about 1000 or 1500 feet higher. 

 Patches of snow are found on it in sheltered elevations at 13,500 feet, 

 and towards the summit there are beds of great extent. Farther 

 westward the range presents a succession of lofty peaks, but it is 

 not known how far they extend ; it is however certain that no 

 continuous range is found in the country of the Eimack, about 150 

 miles from the eastern end of the Koh-i-Baba. These mountains 

 are barren, for the rocky masses have no covering except angular 

 fragments of rocks which cover the declivities. 



To the north and west of the Koh-i-Baba are the mountain- 

 regions of the Hazareh and Eimack, which occupy, including the 

 Koh-i-Baba, the whole country between 34 and 36 N. lat., and 

 between 68 and 63 E. long., comprising an area of nearly 50,000 

 square miles. The eastern part, or that which is north of the 

 Koh-i-Baba, and is in possession of the Hazareh tribes, is the more 

 elevated. Its surface presents a succession of high mountains with 

 rather gentle slopes, which are traversed by numerous open valleys 

 of moderate width. The declivities of the mountains are covered 

 with a soil which produces abundance of grass and various shrubs 

 and herbs, but is destitute of trees. Some of the higher valleys can 

 also be used only as pasture-ground ; in the lower valleys barley is 

 cultivated, and in the lowest good crops of wheat, barley, and millet 

 are obtained. The domestic animals are horses of a small breed, 

 cattle, and sheep. As the country is so high, the climate is very 

 severe, and the Hazarehs are obliged to cut great quantities of grass 

 for their sheep, which, during three months of the winter, usually 

 sleep under the same roof with their masters. The general level of 

 this country appears to be about 10,000 feet above the sea. 



The mountain-region of the Eimack does not materially differ in its 

 surface and soil from that of the Hazareh, except that the mountains 

 are less elevated : their general level does not much exceed 9000 feet 

 above the sea. The valleys also sink deeper, and are fitter for 

 cultivation, which is also carried on to a greater extent ; but even 

 here the produce of the domestic animals constitutes the wealth of the 

 population. They are not obliged to procure winter fodder for their 

 sheep and cattle in such large quantities as the Hazarehs ; for in the 

 valleys, to which they return in autumn from the mountains, grass is 

 commonly found in sufficient quantity. In summer, in this region, as 

 well as in the country of the Hazareh, the pastures are so abundant 

 that several tribes of Dooranees, who inhabit the Zemin-Dewar, or 

 the country between these mountain-ranges and the river Helmund, 

 bring their flocks to the higher regions, because at that season the 

 grass in their own country is burnt up. 



IL The ValUy of the Cabul River. This valley lies along the 

 southern base of the eastern portion of the mountain-region just 

 described, beginning on the west at the foot of the Pughman 

 Mountains, and stretching eastward to the banks of the Indus, 

 through a space measuring nearly 200 miles in a straight line. At 

 its western extremity the valley is about J 0,000 feet above the 

 sea-level ; but where it terminates on the Indus its elevation does 

 not exceed 750 feet. 



The southern boundary of the valley is formed by an uninterrupted 

 chain of heights varying in elevation. This chain is separated from 

 the Pughman Mountains by a narrow plain called the Valley of 

 Mydan, which is 7747 feet above the sea-level, well cultivated, and 

 covered with orchards and fields. Through this plain the road runs 

 from Cabul to Ghuznee and Candahar. On the east of the road rise 

 some hills of moderate elevation, which at first are rather isolated, 

 but soon unite in a continuous chain. Baber describes them as low, 

 with little grass, bad water, and not a tree on them ; and adds that 

 in the whole world he had not seen such a dismal-looking hill-country. 

 This is commonly the case with mountain-regions that contain great 

 metallic riches. During the British occupation of Afghanistan it was 

 discovered that extensive beds of very rich copper-ore exist in many 

 places, though the natives only work them to a small extent. These 

 hills change their aspect about 20 miles from Mydan, at Tezeen, where 

 they rise higher and are covered with trees. East of 69 E. long. 

 these mountains attain their greatest elevation in the Sufaid-Koh, or 

 White Mountain, which is covered with snow all the year round. 

 This elevated rocky moss appears to extend 30 or 40 miles from west 

 to east, and perhaps half as much from north to south. Its summit 

 rises about 16,000 feet above the sea. The declivities, to the height of 

 more than 10,000 feet, are covered with forests, especially the species of 

 deodara; and near the base are plantations of fruit-trees. In some places 

 they are cultivated, and the pasture-grounds are extensive and good. 

 From the snow there rise numerous streams, which preserve, a con- 

 siderable volume of water all the year round, an inestimable advantage 



