AFGHANISTAN. 



AFGHANISTAN. 



90 



Bolan Pass, is described by Kaye as a wide plain bounded by noble 

 mountain-ranges intersected by sparkling streams, and dotted with 

 orchards and vineyards ; it was temporarily annexed, with the 

 adjoining provinces of Moostung and Cutchee, to the dominions of 

 Shah Soojah in 1849, previous to which it was held by the Khan of 

 Khelat, a Beloochee chief, whose capital, Khelat, was stormed by 

 General Willshire, November 13th of that year. The winters are 

 much colder here than in England, but the summer temperature is 

 much higher. In winter it freezes every night, and in spots which 

 are not open to the sun the ice does not melt during the day. South- 

 south-east of Quettah is the upper entrance of the Bolan Pass, through 

 which the great commercial road runs, leading from Candahar to 

 Shikarpoor, and connecting Persia with Hindustan. The northern 

 entrance of the pass is more than 5800 feet above the sea-level, and 

 the southern opening only 904 feet. The northern most narrow and 

 steep part of the pass lies between almost perpendicular cliffs which 

 vary in height from 100 to 600 feet, and the southern part is the bed 

 of a torrent covered with loose gravel. When there is rain in the 

 higher parts of the mountains, the stream at times comes down in 

 an almost perpendicular volume, without warning, and sweeps all 

 before it. In a wider part of the pass there are a few spots under 

 cultivation. The mountains that inclose the pass are composed of 

 rocky ranges of hills very abrupt, between which regular sloping 

 plains fill up the valleys. They are covered with gravel and boulders 

 of various sizes, sometimes large round stones, sometimes pebbles. 

 These plains are cut into deep perpendicular ravines by the torrents 

 from the hills. In the spring they are covered with a coarse herbage, 

 at j i mling pasture to sheep and goats. The length of the pass is 59 

 mile*. In summer it is not used, on account of the pestilential air, 

 which is produced, as it is stated, by the sun's heat between these 

 steep rocky masses causing the evaporation of the pools of stagnant 

 water left by the mountain-torrent. 



VII. On the south-west of the Central Table-Land is the Daert of 

 feloochittan and the province of Seistan. [SEISTAN.] The river 

 Helmund, the ancient Etymander, the largest of the rivers of 

 Afghanistan, flows through the Zemin-Dewar, along the northern edge 

 of the desert, and across the plain of Seistan. It rises between the 

 two ridges of the Pughman Mountains, at an elevation of more than 

 11,500 feet above the sea-level. It flows through the mountain-region 

 in a south-west direction for about 200 miles, and enters the level 

 country at some distance above Girishk. Here it continues to flow 

 in the same direction to its junction with the Urghundab, below which 

 point it gradually sweeps round to the westward, and entering the 

 plain of Seistan, carries its waters by several arms into the lake of 

 Hamoon, or Zarah, the ancient Aria Palus. Even in the dry season 

 the Helmund has a plentiful supply of water ; when swollen by the 

 melted snow it flows with astonishing rapidity, and U equal in size 

 to the Jumna. Below Girishk it flows through a bottom between 

 4 and 5 miles wide. The left bank, which rises with a steep ascent 

 immediately above the river, is distinguished by vast mounds which 

 constitute the edge of the desert in thia direction. The right bank 

 is formed by high steep cliffs, hollowed and indurated by the action 

 of the water. Between this bank and the bed of the river, which is 

 paved with stones swept down from the mountains by the impetuosity 

 of the current, is a rich well-cultivated tract called Gurmsir (hot 

 country), full of orchards and mulberry plantations. The average 

 breadth of this tract, which has a deep alluvial soil deposited by the 

 river during its periodical inundations, is above 2 miles. The entire 

 length of the Helmund exceeds 400 miles. Its principal feeder on 

 the right bank is the Kash-rood, which flows nearly due south through 

 the territory of the Dooranees, and joins the Helmund in the Gurmsir. 

 On the left bank it is joined by the Urghundab, or Arkandab, which 

 joins the Helmund below Girishk. The Urghundab has a south- 

 western course ; it passes a little to the west of Candahar, below 

 which it is joined by the Turnak and the Arghusan or Urghesan. 

 The Urghundab, or one of ita feeders, is supposed to be the ancient 



VIII. That portion of the table-land which lies west of the Central 

 Table- Land, and extends from the road that leads from Girishk to 

 Knrrah to the base of the mountains of the Hazareh and Eimack, is 

 called the Ztmin-I)eicar. This region is traversed by several ridges, 

 which are offsets of the mountain-region north of it, but they are 

 neither high nor do they occupy a large extent of country; their 



which are rather steep, are very bare. Between them there are 

 valleys, some of which are 30 or 40 miles across. The soil varies. 

 Near the southern extremity of the ridges it is generally sandy and 

 nearly a desert ; but higher up it contains a very large portion of loam, 

 which extends northward into the valleys of the mountain-regions. 

 The worst part is that on both sides of the Kash-rood river, which 

 is covered with grass during the spring and winter, and then it is a 

 favourite pasture-ground of the Dooranees. The best part is the plain 

 which is traversed by the Furrah-rood, which is nearly as large as that 

 of the Kadi-rood. A large portion of it is irrigated with water from 

 the river and from karezees; and where the water is abundant, crops 

 of whmt -,nd other grain are obtained. The name observation applies 

 to the plain through which the Helmund runs, on the banks of which 

 river there are many village*. In other places cultivation is limited : 

 i in grown to some extent. This region appears to be divided 



between agriculturists and nomadic tribea. The climate is not so cold 

 as that of the northern portion of the central plain, and is probably as 

 temperate as that of Candahar. Rain is scanty, but as in spring the 

 melting of the snow in the mountain-regions of the north fills the 

 wide beds of the rivers, there are ample means of irrigation. On the 

 higher grounds, however, the grass is burnt up after the summer 

 solstice, and then the nomadic tribes wander with their herds to the 

 mountains of the Hazareh and Eimack, especially to the elevated plain 

 on which the Helmund rises. 



IX. The territory of Herat comprehends that part of Afghanistan 

 which lies west of the mountain-region of the Eimack, and extends 

 westward to the boundary -line of Persia. The mountains of the 

 Paropamisus lower gradually until they constitute low ridges of 

 rocky hills, which run in different directions, but generally from 

 N.N.E. to S.S.W. They are mostly bare, except for a few months 

 in the year, when they supply pasture-ground for sheep and goats. 

 Between these ridges there are level tracts. Some of them are 

 sandy and sterile, and nearly uninhabited; but others have a soil 

 in which the sand is mixed with a great proportion of clay or loam, 

 and are very fertile ; such are the plains of Subzawar and Herat. The 

 first is 30 miles long and 20 wide, and partly cultivated. The plain 

 of Herat is about 30 miles long and 18 wide. It is watered by the 

 Heri-rood, a river which rises far to the east in the mountains of the 

 Hazareh, and all the year round brings a considerable volume of water 

 to the plain, over which it is spread by numerous canals. A bund, or 

 dam is thrown across the river, and thus the waters are turned into 

 the canals, and conducted over the whole plain, which is covered with 

 fortified villages, vineyards, orchards, gardens, and corn-fields. The 

 heat is excessive for two months in summer, but the winters are cold, 

 and much snow falls in this region. 



Climate. The degree of heat and cold experienced in Afghanistan 

 differs greatly in different places, in proportion to the elevation of the 

 different parts of the table-land. The heat is insupportable in Seistan, 

 especially in the Gurmsir and round Lake Hamoon, where the thermo- 

 meter rises to 120 and even 130, but in Ghuznee and Cabul it is very 

 moderate. The rains which accompany the south-west monsoon 

 extend to the eastern border of the table-land, but at this distance 

 from the sea they are scanty, and last only about a mouth, from the 

 middle of July to the middle of August. In the valley of the Cabul 

 River they never extend beyond Jellalabad, where only a few showers 

 fall ; but they are much more abundant in Bunnoo and Bungash-i-Bala, 

 and in Daman and other countries between the table-laud and the 

 Indus. These rains do not appear to be experienced on the table-land 

 itself. The winter rains, accompanied with fulls of snow, and the 

 spring rains with sleet, are abundant in the valley of the Cabul River 

 and the central table-land ; but not so on the eastern table-land, which 

 has a very moderate share of moisture, and is therefore unfit for 

 agricultural purposes. The summer is dry, and generally no rains fall 

 in the higher regions from May to September or October ; even in 

 November they are rare in most parts. 



Production!. Afghanistan has great mineral wealth. Gold is found 

 in several streams which originate in the Himalaya Mountains or in 

 the Hindoo-Coosh and fall into the Indus or Cabul River, and it is 

 collected in some places. Silver is said to exist in the mountains of 

 the Hazareh. Copper-ore is abundant in the hills which extend west 

 of the Sufaid-Koh to the neighbourhood of the town of Cabul, and at 

 some places it is so rich as to yield from 60 to 80 per cent, of metal ; 

 but it is not much worked. Iron is found in the greatest abundance 

 in the Himalaya Mountains north of the Plain of Peshawxir, and of 

 the best quality. It is extensively worked in a district called Bajour, 

 whence it goes to Cashmere, the Panjab, and to the other parts of 

 Afghanistan ; in Candahar it is used for the fabrication of matchlocks. 

 It is supposed that if prepared with more care it would equal the best 

 Swedish iron. Other iron-mines of great extent are on the eastern 

 table-land, at Foormool, in the country of the Wuzoorees, not far from 

 Kanegorum ; their produce is generally of inferior quality, but some 

 of it is converted into steel. Iron-mines are also worked in the 

 mountains of the Hazareh. Lead of excellent quality is worked in 

 the Hazareh mountains, and also in the Pughman range. In the 

 last-mentioned mountains plumbago is found, and sulphur in the 

 Hazareh districts. Salt is obtained in the greatest abundance from 

 the Salt Range. Lignite has been discovered in the country of the 

 Wuzoorees, not far from the iron-mines of Foormool, on the mountains 

 east of the central table-land, and in the Bolan Pass, and it is 

 said also to exist in the Hazareh mountains. Salpetre is obtained in 

 considerable quantities from some pits in the vicinity of Furrah. Near 

 Kalabagh on the Indus great quantities of alum are got. 



The grains cultivated are wheat, barley, peas, beans, maize, rice, 

 and some other grains of Hindustan, as jowary, chuna, musoor, bajra, 

 moth, moong, oord, andmurhwa; and two crops are annually obtained 

 in the valley of Cabul as far west as Jellalabad. The most common 

 vegetables are carrots, turnips, radishes, lettuce, cauliflowers, onions, 

 garlic, melons, and cucumbers, with a few others from Hindustan. 

 The fruit-trees have been mentioned in noticing the valley of the 

 Cabul River. No natural grass is cut for hay, except in the Hazareh 

 mountains; several kinds of artificial grasses are grown, but they 

 are different from ours. Barley is cut when green near Peshawur 

 twice or thrice, with little injury to the crop; but wheat is more 



