AfOHAKBTAV. 



AFGHANISTAN. 



The iltlagei ar email snd 'lifcr**"* from one another, except 

 M the * - ^- of the Indtta. 



IV Tbe Jjjsiie JVNe* / On TMt-Lad has rarely been visited 

 W rm lie sen* end is very little known. As far as our information 

 I. flea. MM to TOM feet above the sea-level, and iU surface 

 by shorter or longer ridges, which 

 its general level During three or 

 red with , 



four maaths of the year it is covere 



now, which so fertilises 



the arid and sandy *oil a* to enable it to produce abundance of coarse 

 snai It doe* not appear that there is any tract of considerable extent 

 which i* cultivated or fit for cultivation. The whole is in the poeses- 

 eion of several n^m^l" tribes, who live in tents, and wander from 

 pUee to place with their herds of horses and cattle, and their flocks 

 of sheep and goat*. In winter they retire to the lower depressions or 

 to the lower countries in their vicinity. The most numerous of these 

 tribe* en the ObilJMe in the north, the Kankers in the south, and 

 the Wosooreesm the east The river Gomul drains the northern part of 

 this region; though it runs 100 miles, it brings but little water to the 

 plain, where it is used for irrigation, and it reaches the Indus only 

 when swollen by the melting of the snow. This region reaches from 

 the Suliman Mountains to the watershed between the rivers that run 

 eastward to the Indus and westward to the Helmund. This water- 

 shed is formed by a ridge which rises about 1000 feet above the table- 

 land, and is called 8ir4-Koh, at least in its northern part The top of 

 thia ridge is flat, but of narrow width, and only a few trees are scat- 

 tered over iU aides and summit, chiefly wild olives and mountain-ash. 



V. Tt>t GnrfrW Talk-Land, or tkat o/ (,An ami Caitdaiar.The 

 ridge of the Sir-i-Koh runs from N.N.E. to S.S.W. until it reaches 82 

 N. let, where it declines to the S.W. It continues in that direction 

 to M* E. long, in the vicinity of which it terminates in the Desert of 

 Beloontmtsn The last-mentioned part of the ridge U called the 

 Khojeh Amram, or Toba Mountains. They rise nearly 2000 feet above 

 their base. The Khojuk Pass, through which the road runs from 

 Oamiaher to the Bolan Pass and Shikarpoor, rises to 7457 feet above 

 the sea-level Tbe ridge occupies about 6 or 7 miles in width. It 

 rise, with a gradual ascent, but is only covered with grass, except 

 in the dells, where trees and shrubs are found. In some parts, the 

 ides of the hills and even the tops are said to be cultivated. 



Thia ridge form* the eastern boundary -line of the central table-land. 

 IU western boundary lies along another ridge, which is connected at 

 its northern extremity with the eastern chain of the Pnghman Moun- 

 tains, and may be considered a continuation of it Towards the north 

 they are called the Narawah Mountains, and have a considerable 

 elevation; but towards the south, where they separate the valley of 

 UM Helmund from that of it* affluent the Urgundab, they grow much 

 lower. The ridge terminates several miles N.W. of Candahar. Its 

 direction be* from N.E. to S.W. 



The central table-land confined between these two ridges extends 

 fr-.m N.K t.. S W ' -~ - . 



of Cabul by Uw 



ore than JO miles wide. At' it* southern' extremity near Candahar 

 H is nearly IM mOe* across, and this may be it* average width 

 1 Candahar and Obumee. IU elevation above the sea-level 



nearly MO 

 SIM fret 



greatly. It* highest elevation is about 8 mile* north of Ohuxnee, 

 where there i* a hill pass called the Qtmd-t-Sber Pass, which is about 

 MM feet above the sea. Krvm this place to the valley of Mydan the 

 distance i* about 40 miles, and the country sinks to 7747 feet The 

 distance from the paes to Candahar in a south-western direction is 

 > miles, and the level of the table-land lowers from 9000 to 

 The the country gradually descends from a very tem- 

 perate end alma* cold region to one that may be called hot 



The serfs*, of this extensive tract is greatly diversified. There 

 i of ooneiderabU extent, which rise from 1 000 to 2000 

 be***, Tb* most extensive U the Diara-Koh, north 

 of T K. lat, which run. parallel to the Sir-i-Koh Mountains and is 

 not much lower than that range, and the Oantee Huls, east of Can 

 Uhar, which extend east and west The most northern district, or 

 that between UM Mydan valley and the town of Ohuxnee, is the most 

 It preernte hardly a level tract of any extent, but is in 

 >y ravine* and watercourse*, most of which exhibit 

 i and decent* of moderate elevation, but steep decli- 

 vHie. and at several place* many isolated hill* occur, which an only 

 iipaiM.i from each other by ravines. Tbe valley* however in this 

 a very good eoO, and are well cultivated. South of 

 I* lea* broken. The hill* are at great distances 

 the plain* are frequently 18 or 20 mile* long 

 in a few place* that their surface is broken by 

 Tb* soil here and farther 



.a , Jja mmmr w**e> s*w* mmmr\* i*u vtii I 



ZtJiLtSf^tE* r5C ih t "L2S' ** ?S?^ F 1 ' 

 SjrflP 1 ** .* f * m ""d"* * w* 1 *- * * 



'"""fr tt j i r " * "* =D, ** ld. require 

 * CiT-!^ *"** but theriven are small and 

 **'**t tmu M*y- To obtain thia supply the inhabitant* have 

 I a kind of equedMta, called Kareaees, by which the water 



of a hill or rising-ground is brought out at its foot in a rivulet, to be 

 dispnend of at the pleasure of the farmer. Ksrexees are made in the 

 following manner : A well is made at the spot where it U intended 

 the water shall issue ; above it in the acclivity is dug another at the 

 distance of 6 to 20 yards, according to circumstances. The well* 

 are continued at distances generally equal, until the quantity of 

 water collected in them is deemed sufficient, or until the depths of the 

 wells become so great that the expense exceeds the advantage. If 

 the acclivity is not very gentle, the highest wells must be very deep, 

 as their bottom must be only slightly elevated above the level of the 

 water in the lower wells. All these wells are then connected by means 

 of aqueducts made under the surface of the ground, through which 

 the water from all of them flows to the foot of the hill Very good 

 karecees will turn a small mill of the country. Many of these karezees 

 are 2 or 8 miles long, and one, iu the neighbourhood of Ohuxnee, 

 ascribed to Sultan Mahmcod, is asserted to be nearly 30 miles long, 

 including its branches. By this mode of irrigation thia part of the 

 table-land produces rich crops of wheat and barley. There are also 

 numerous orchards, but the fruit is inferior to that of the valley of 

 Cabul. There are numerous villsges, and they are tolerably large. 

 They are inclosed by mud-walls, as these districts are surrounded on 

 three sides by nomadic tribes, which frequently make predatory excur- 

 sions into the lands of their neighbours. South of the fortifications, 

 which are called Kelat-i-Ohilzie, the aspect of the country changes. 

 The surface is much more broken ; fists are rare and of small extent ; 

 hills and even abort ridges are common. Water is scarce, and only 

 to be found at considerable depths below the surface. The soil chiefly 

 consists of sand, which in a few places is intermixed with clay, and 

 moreover it is covered with stones, which in some parts are no numm >UM 

 as to prevent the scanty grass from springing up. This is especially 

 the case with those tracts which lie at the foot of the Khojeh Ami-am 

 range, where a large space appears like a sea of rocks and stones. In 

 this country cultivation is limited to the banks of the larger rivers, 

 where some level tracts of moderate extent are found, and where a 

 small river of fresh-water can be turned to account for irrigation by 

 damming up its bed. Nearly the whole of this country is pasture- 

 ground, in possession of nomadic tribes, the Qhiljies. There is only 

 one considerable tract where cultivation is carried on to a great extent 

 This lies in the vicinity of the town of Candahar, on both sides of the 

 river Urghundab, from whose banks it extends at some places seven 

 miles inland. Wheat, rice, barley, and Indian corn are grown. There 

 are also numerous orchards, which contain vinesof various kinds, apples, 

 peers, quinces, nectarines, peaches, figs, plums, apricots, and cherries. 

 The pomegranates of this place are held in great esteem. Except 

 these plantations, the whole of this region is without trees. Poplars 

 and willows are planted along the watercourses. Qhuznee, which is 

 near the highest part of the table-land, is very cold. The winter lasts 

 four or five months. The frosts are hard, but little snow falls. Whilst 

 the British army was there (1840) the ice in the pools of water and 

 the ditches of the fort was several feet thick, though the winter was 

 considered mild. From this place to Candahar the temperature 

 increases every stage. Candahar has a very temperate climate : 

 iilight frosts and snow occur every year, but the snow melts in a few 

 hours. In summer the heat is very great, but the nights are rather 

 cold. The thermometer between sunrise and three o'clock in the 

 afternoon varies frequently 40 and even 50. Between the middle of 

 May and the end of August, two hot periods each of forty days oo-ur ; 

 the second period is hotter than the first In summer rain is very 

 rare, and only falls in short showers. The greatest quantity of rain 

 falls before the vernal equinox, but only in showers. 



VI. The Sou/Ac Table-Land lies between the Khojeh Amram range 

 and the Muree and Boogtoe Mountains, and descends to the west, 

 where it terminates in the Desert of Beloochistan before it reaches 

 65 E. long. It consists of the valley of the river Lorah ami the 

 country of Shawl The Lorah rises on the borders of the eastern 

 table-land, runs westward draining the valley of Pisheen, and then 

 enters the Desert of Beloochistan, where it is said to terminate in a 

 lake, which in spring is of considerable extent, but nearly dry at the 

 end of the summer. The elevation of this region above the sea along 

 the road leading from the Bolan Pass to the Khojuk Pass, which 

 traverses it nearly in its middle, is from 5000 to 6000 feet Near the 

 Khojeh Amram Mountains the country is rather level, but interspersed 

 with numerous low hills ; along the banks of the river only few hills 

 occur, but they are numerous near the Muree and Boogtoe Mountains. 

 The greater part of the lower country is not cultivated, and is over- 

 grown with wild thyme or a jungle of tamarisk. Some tracts arc 

 cultivated with wheat, but they are not extensive, as the water for 

 irrigation is derived from karezees, the bed of the river being from 

 200 to 300 feet depressed below the general surface, so that its water 

 cannot be raised for that purpose. The hills are without trees, but 

 afford indifferent pasture to sheep and goats. It is stated that farther 

 towards the sources of the Lorah, and also lower down, the cultivation 

 is much more extensive, and it appears that in these two districts the 

 river does not run in such a deep bed, and that the waters are applied 

 to irrigation. The soil is a mixture of clay and sand, but in most 

 parts interspersed with boulders and rocks. The crops are indifferent. 



The town of Quettah in Shawl is 6637 feet above the sea-level. 

 The province of Shawl, extending between the river Lorah and the 



