AFGHANISTAN 



AFGHANISTAN. 



-t 



tea 



. 



UMT k*v* K* a aiBdBr 

 a. TWh*rii 









Urg*t riven, 



wnabwto n~r r 



which nin hence eactword to the 

 New the Sufaid Koh theae 

 lower farther to 



l*4 oalM UM Kyber r Tir* rant*. Vwr <b* 

 hMffau oMtaialy ri* to 10,000 feet ; but they grow 

 UM .a*. rf U ther tenniaat. oo thr Ip.Tu.wHh preapitou. 





hiHillJ Itrj can only b. called hirfi hill*. Thi. portion of the 

 mag* ilinili with rather rapid dope* toward* the north, and it* 

 4w to many pbcn ar* bare, but in other* clad with *canty gnu*, 

 MM* arW UM ire** rain* in July and August, when the gram i 

 jjaMhil Cultivation i* limited here, but the top* of the hills, 

 which fimmt (Jain* of moderate extent, hare a deep *ofl, that yield* 

 rood crop* where it can be irrigated. 



. , , , > I | .;......- ' 



UM town of C.bul. drain* the My.lan valley, and peace* through the 

 town of Cabal, where it in an inijmincant tream. Below the town 

 m~l l.y two mar* eooaiderable river*, the Logur on the south, 

 and ke Ohorlmnd on UM north. On leaving the plain of Cabnl, it 

 rotan themounUinou* dttrict which divide, the baain of Cabul from 

 that of JeUafehad, aad in thi* part of ita oourae the river descends 

 boot 4000 feet in a apae of SO mile., and Ha bank* are line,! with 

 " ; there are ahw rock* in the bed of the river. Two or three 

 below JelUlabad the Cabnl <* joined by the Koonur, a large 



it?w which drain* the Koonur 



valley in the Himalaya range. Tin- 

 iUble. Ixvin* the Jellalabad Harin 



another mountaraon* tract, from which it emerges at 

 into the plain of Peahawur, where iu current in very 

 A *hort distance below Muchnee it divide* into two 

 which unite 25 mile* in a utraight line from the point of 

 After a ooane of 35 mile* more it enters the Indue. The 

 LaUnd formed by the two bnnehe* is inhabited by a tribe called 

 Daoodma, aad i* named after them. A few mile* eait of t hi* island 

 UM Cabal receive* on Ha right bank the Lundee, which drain* the 

 valley of Swat or Sewat In it* upper coune the Cabul River i* not 

 navigable, aad of no importance except fr irrigating the contiguoux 

 6aM, Small poplar timber i* floated down the Logur during the 

 flood*, fur th oonaumption of Cabul. From Jellalabad downward* 

 the river rapplie* the mean* of safe and generally rapid descent It 

 i* navigated by raft* floated on inflated (kins, which are admirably 

 to the rirer* of A fghanintan. During the flood* the distance 

 Jellalabad and Peahawur may be traversed in twelve hour*, 

 which by land i* not lea* than 100 mile*. The Cabul Kiver is lowest 

 in the winter, notwithirtanding the heavy rain* which in that season 

 Call in the plain of Peahawur. It ii sensibly affected by the spring 

 rain* in February and March. It fall* after they have paaaed over, 

 bat not to iu level in the winter. For at thi* time the mow of the 

 lower hill* begin* to thaw. At the end of Hay the middle mow* 

 begin to ilaatend, and after them the upper mow*, which bring the 

 river to iu *.'! **>> height in the beginning of August In September 

 UM water* begin to decrease, and in the beginning of December they 

 . 



The valley of the Cabul River contain* three basins, which are 

 divided frank each other by two exteiwive mountain-region*. The 

 tfcrM hario* receive their name* from the principal town*, and are 

 called, from we** to e**t, Cabnl, Jellalabad, and Peahawur. Of the 

 two mountain region* between them, the western i* called Lattabund. 

 and UM Milirn Kyber, from the two moit frequented pa**e* which 

 Ik aero** then. 



The baain of Cabul extend* about 34 mile* from went to east, and 

 from 8 to 16 mile* from north to south. It in divided by two 

 ridge* of hill* into three plain*. The town of Cabul ix built at the 

 baa* of a ridge of hill* which run* aero** the plain from *outh to 

 north, and through which the Cabu] River pane* by a gorge. From 

 it* high*** KtmrnK, called Tak i-Shat, at the foot of which Cabul 



fcniU, UM whole ridge ha* obtained the same name. That iiortion 

 of UM plain which lie* west of the Tak i-Shat ridge i* called Chahar- 

 ML It i* about 8 mile* wide and U mile* long. Thi* I* t very I 

 tract, nraantlm one oootinuou* ma*. ..f verdure, and a succession of 

 extacMive orchard* and meadow*, among which a great number of 

 vilUg are di*per**d ; they are surrounded by cultivated field*, 

 divided from one another by row* of poplar and willow. Fruit i* 

 o abundant that UM poorer people live chiefly '.n it f. .r many months 

 of UM year, though corn i* raised in con- 



TV* ea*t*rn and wider portion of the ba.i i l.y another 



rtdg of height*, which i* connected with the Tak i Shat at ita 

 erdMro extremity, but nms in th< of we*t to east, 



being at iu **t*iu end united to the Pughman Moo 

 IU ewrtern extremity doe* not reach the ! 



parated from thi* great maw by a low depraantnu, thn-ol- wLi,* 

 UM 4ramag* of the northern diotricta i* omrrie.1 

 to the -FH.| River. Thew northern district* go by tl 

 KohMML OB UM w*M they are s 



- they are urround 

 aad on the north and ea. 

 * ofMa. KohMtan ha* a length of 

 width of T miMa, The wmtern ride of thi* plaii 

 HMO *^rn, along which the drainage of the o 

 ttttm. The movBtatei *uiTtnmdin> it are 



!. : Dgl 



ich higher 



MUM da 

 it are split by nunv 



through which rill* of the pure*t water fall. The nlope* in. 

 the ravine* are thickly plunt.-.l witli 



; 



outhern part of the plain i (tony and comparatively Inrreii 

 the principal produce of whii-h i fruit, fur v. 

 climate are well united ; the northern and larger per 

 cotton, tobacco, artificial graaaea, and vegetable*, but 8Crceh 

 fmit except the mulberry, of which there are many plant.' 

 Here, a* in the valley of Panchihir, which opens into thi* plai: 

 iniilberrie* wln-n dri. .1 and ground produce a flour, lii - !i it< uged 

 in making bread. Kohixtan i* a favourite country residence 

 wealthy inhabitant* of Cabul, and in almost ai 

 cantle* a* with ganlena. They are iitrongly built, and may be 

 compared with thr nM feudal residence* in England. 



South of Koh'iKtan i* the plain of Logur, which i* no called 

 the river that traverse* it* southern portion before it jnir 

 River. It extend* about 20 miles from wegt to cant, an.l half OK n. ; >, 

 from north to south. In the middle there i* a ridge .if higher 

 Knium!.", which divide* the Logur and Cabul above their jui, 

 The ground is *o level that it appears to have been formerly a 

 and at present a large portion of it in a swamp during nearly the 

 whole year, especially along both bank* of the river lyogur. '1 

 the least fertile part of the basin of Cabul, and the cultivat 

 occupy only a small portion of the surface; but it is V.TV rich in 

 grass, an important object for a nation which keeps so many horses 

 as the Afghans. It contains also extensive orchards and viney.. 



The dried fruits of the basin of Cabul constitute t: 

 article of trade. They go to Hindustan. Grapes of a do/ 

 kinds are grown, but only two species bear exportation. There are 

 six varieties of apricot* ; of the mulberry as many, beaidea i-mlleiw 

 variation of apple*, pears, peaches, walnuts, almonds, quinces, cli. 

 and plums. Red and white melons are rained in ubuii <: 

 wild rhubarb root is used to make preserves. The vegetables are 

 excellent, but not plentiful They have cabbage, 

 carrots, onions, leeks, cucumbers, gourds, beans, peas, endive, 

 and cauliflower: these are generally cultivated ii . the 



gardens being reserved for fruits and flowers. Irrigation is on 

 wherever water is found. 



The town of Cabul is 6396 feet above the sea-1. 

 most eastern part of the basin of Cabul is 6000 feet above it ; whilst 

 the western rise*, in the Mydau valley, to 7747 feet. It has therefore 

 :i much colder climate than could bo expected from its geographical 

 position. It IB warmer in summer than Englniii!, but in 

 it is much colder. But even in jimmier the heat ia so moderate as 

 never to be disagreeable in the slui.1.-. niul no night is so warm that 

 a thick covering can be dispensed with. The winter* however are 

 very cold. In that of 1839-40 the thermometer was often 4 and 6* 

 below zero of Fahrenheit On the 3rd of S. 

 Ml. The snow generally covers the ground for three : 

 leant; but after the vernal equinox it disappear* 

 places. At this season of the year there are copiout* full, !' ruin, 

 sleet, and snow. The changes in the temperature are greater than in 

 England, even in the warmest season. The quant r .vhich 



falls is very considerable, and is justly considered one of the prin.-ijiul 

 reason* of the vigorous vegetation in the hot and dry seax.ii There 

 is a favourite proverb in Cabul: "Let Cabul be filled with 

 rather than gold." In spring the rains are rather abundant, e*j>- 

 in April In May they are rare, and when heav\ 

 to toe fruit*. In the following month* only light showers are 

 experienced. 



Between the basin of Cabul and that of Jellalabad i- the iu..mit.un- 

 region of the Lattabund IV ..ies about 30 miles in 



and is filled by numerous offset* from the southern range of mou : 

 which approach to the bank,. ..) ih. c.lnl I: 'A.-.I, them 



are oeveral narrow valleys. The wlml. is a succession of steep ascents 

 iin.l .lescenU, and the ridges frequently rise 1000 or 1SOO feet above 

 th. ir l*e, and arc broken into crag* and precipices. Both mou:. 

 and valleys are of the most barren description; they prcxvnt no sign 

 of vegetation, except In the immediate vieh.iu ..i'ih. < 'nt.ul 

 where some stunted trees are met with, but not a blade of grans. 

 Thi* tract i* almost uiiinliul.it.-d. Th. (,\\ f:nnili.> here are 



wretchedly poor, and live in CUM-K. On the i-.mtli.Tli part of this 



mountain -region is the Khoord Cabu) Pas, traversed by the n.a.l 

 from Cabul to Tezeen and Jngdalluqk. At this last place the road 

 from Cul.ul through t! i then 



proceeds eastward through Oundamuck to Jellalabad and Peahawur. 

 The basin of Jellalabad extends about 40 mile* from went to east, 

 and has an average width of about 10 mile*. The surface is in 

 general much diversified by ascents and descents of moderate elevHtii.n. 

 Along the Cabnl River i* a tract varying between .me mile and one 

 mile and a half in width, which is level and low, furti 



.I. Fine meadows alternate with groves of fruit-tree* and 

 field* on which the sugar-cat' t\, :.nd maize are grown to 



a great extent Villages and mud-castles are very a But 



at the back of this fertile strip tl untry ia a stony desert, ovi r-prcad 



with numerous low and bare hills, which gradually rin higher as 

 they approach the high masse* of the Sufaid-Koh. In the vicinity of 

 these mountains the country improves, and contains numerous villages 



