AFOHANI8TAN. 



^MA* tltLt Ma*Mot> sad o*a oaly b* out 000*1 



IBK! * * * I- .1 AtlH ttt tlM 



alveiy grown o l* MMm !* 

 sn* 6*ua ( Wdabar to Shikarpuor. Turmeric to on 

 ad al., Mr orW to Smde. A^ortkla grow* in 

 an r, dmtod; U 



Madder i* SXten- 



Znia-Dewmr, ud 

 TunMrie i cultivated in BUIUK-S 

 dagrow* in many part* lm-h 

 of tbe produce i. Ukrn to 

 b. ul foTtenning, but Ih. 

 Kvreral wilJ *hrub* furauih food from their 

 . hark, Bower. or fruit. The fruiU of some kinds of berberry 

 1 of ihr tM via. an muob need. 



Imto * oaly fc-nd > f> Himalaya Mountain* and the 

 MhU-JCok Thon an no wood* on the table-land, and all the tree* 

 fnr* UIOT an planted, generally in row* along toe water-courses 

 ^ j -- - .ad around tbe orchard*. Only willow* and poplar* are 

 found then, aad tbuw tr* are and chiefly an timber, and in Borne 

 plan* a> firewood. Tbe .lung of cameU and otter animals U often 

 and a* fu.1. The mullwrry tree grow* wild in all tbe valley" which 

 an not hot Tb fruit i* muob improved by cultivation, and there 

 are at Ua* twelve varietk of tbe plant, all of them good. In the 

 valky of On- Hindoo-Cooah tbe mulberry is ground into flour, and 

 farm. UM obief food of tb* country. Tbe plantation* are very 

 irtaiaiTi than, and *ome individual* are aid to pouess 10,000 tree*. 

 A ry nod lr* will bear 10 mauad*, or 600 pound*, of mulberries, 

 aoJ if the rnge produce i* one-third of this, it i* calculated to 

 t a far greater population than tillage. The produce is little 

 I by the MMIMM. and i* very regular. Bilk in not produced to 

 gnat amount, except in a few place*. Nearly all the fruits 

 _ frrated in those oountrie* an al*o found in a wild atate, chiefly in 

 UM mountain valley*, *uob a* apple*, pears, cherries, plums, apricots, 

 !MiMl*M>v uuioccv, MM potoecrwiavtc*. 



The mo*t important of tbe domestic animal* are tbe sheep. There 

 an two kind*, both with the broad fat tail, which in some parts of 

 nvTni**iir-t i* *o large that a small cart u put under the 



' 



aw gn i 







tell. Hcr.-l.rtu. (itl 113) say* the aame of the sheep of the Arabs. 

 They eoastitute almost all the wealth of the mountain-region of the 

 iisjureh and Kif^rl the inbabitante of which sell wool, woollen 

 and gas*. These abeep yield two fleeces : the 

 leeee U ussd for carpet*, grain-bag*, and other 

 ; UM autumn or finer fleece u manufactured into cloth, 

 cloak*, sad rug*. Tbe numerous flock* which pasture on the table- 

 bad yield only on* fleece Uoats an nearly a* numerous a* sheep. 

 Those in UM Koh-i Bab. Mountains and the ParopamUus yield, like 

 shoe* of flash mars aad Tibet, a fine and remarkably soft down, which 

 row. at the root of tbe hair. The hair is long and usually jet black, 

 Mt UM down i*' of a lighter shade. The down is in great demand, 

 and exported to Persia, Cabul, Candahar, Herat, and Shikarpoor, 

 when It is employed in different manufactures. 



Hone, an plentiful, but of an inferior breed, except in Bunnoo and 

 fsiiasn. when then i* a good breed. In some places there are good 

 ponie. ; inule. and ssae* are numerous, and in many places they are 

 tbe principal snlmsla of burden. Many camels are kept on the 

 table laodj, but they are not so tell a* those of Hindustan : there is 



number of cattle is 

 carry their 

 residences. In the 



tae an ; u ey are no *o a a* oae o nusa 

 Uo the Bactriau camel with two humps. The number 

 mall, at the pastoral tribe* keep only a few bullock* to 

 toot*, and a few cow* which are fed near their residenc 



vteinHv of Lake Hamooa great herd* of cattle pasture on the marshy 

 ground*. In Afghanistan they are of an inferior breed. Buffaloes 

 an kept at ome place*, but they are not numerous. The cat* of 

 an rtiitiagalih I il by their long silky Imir, and go under the 

 though very lew of them are found in Persia. 

 laid to 



MM of Pena 



Lion, and 

 and timid. 



exist, but they are comparatively weak 

 are found in the Hiudoo-Coosb. Wolves, 



wild 

 exist in 

 ,are 



antelope* in tbe plains. Wild 

 hasp aad wild goats an caramon in some parts of the mountainous 

 OUBTMB, There an alao poroapuMs, hedgehog*. ferret*, and wild 

 don Monkey, occur only in UM mountains near the Indus. 



tb* common fowl I* kept by tbe pastoral tribe*; in some places 

 it i. wild. Waterfowl an abundant on Lake Hamoon. Domestic 

 dusk* am fouad everywhere. Fish is very scares. Locust* are most 

 (nqasnt in tbe .astern distrieta, but they rarely lay waste any part 



r /mUkiltmU. Th* population is estimated by some 

 at U.000,000, ineluMV. of Bdnoohistsn, but many think that it i* 

 BMtly overrated. Tb. AfchsiM, who an tbs ruling nation, are 

 a*marasd over UM whole </ the tebU-Und j but the mountain* are 

 to r "'" of aUMr tribss, such as UM Hasanh and th< 

 s UM Paraeaousu*. Among UM Afcbans an settled 



All O. Unc- town, ar, inhabited ebiafy by Persian* and Hindoo* 

 ?-_ f**"*i_**r' r *"" n P or *i'oi**> any trad*. Th* only 

 an thsonVjsTs of government and their 



of UM rich at* mafaaal br ha<h irllt .twl . , kr. 



f .. u j* * i^oJ by hih wslU, aad contain three or four 

 *?* ""^ "*" "^ fcb- v EA court contain, a building 



"""' *~*u aaan oaaauns a mini 

 with VOT| *BMll sjiaftm****, aad tbn* or four large halls, rase 



to tbe roof, supporUxl by wooden pillar*, carved and painted. The 

 apartment* open on the halls, and are fitted up with paintings and 

 ookiug-glane*. Tbe doors are carved, and covennl in winter with 

 r lirucade. The floors are covered with handsome carpet*, 

 in.l thick felt neat*, ooveretl with *ilk or velvet, are placed round the 

 room dose to tbe wall. The house* of the common people are 

 story, and usually of a nngle room, about 20 feet long by 12 feet broad ; 

 Jic-y have little ornament and scarcely any furniture. Neither table* 

 nor chairs are uaed ; their place i* supplied by coarse woollen carpet* 

 and thick felt cushions. 



The Afghn, who compose little more than a third of the dwellers 

 in Afghanistan, are of moderate atature, but remarkably hardy and 

 athletic. Their high cheek-bones and pp.miii. us noses diatmguiah 

 them essentially from the Tartars. Their complexions are various ; 

 men as fair a* Europeans being found in the same place* with other* 

 dark a* Indian*. The western tribes are fairer than those of the east 

 Tlieir hair and beard are mostly black ; occasionally brown or red. 

 The usual drew U a sort of frock, reaching below the knee, and loose 

 dark cotton trowsers. The head i* covered with a low flat-eided cap 

 >f black silk, with a coloured or brocaded top. They wear half 

 boot*, laced in front. The ilreaa of the western tribes resemble* that 

 of Persia, and the people of the east imitate their neighbours 

 >f India. 



The manners of the Afghans are frank and open; they j.ny littli- 

 respect to rank, but show great reverence for old age. They ai 

 sociable, and give frequent dinniT piirties, which are acoompaiii. 

 singing, dancing, and music. Any game of chance or akill, h- 

 childish, that may lead to a dinner, i* played with great test ; marble*, 

 prison-bare, hunt-the-slipper, hopping, *c. ic., and the loaer treat* hi* 

 opponent. They are also fond of sitting in a circk-, ooovex^ng, or 

 listening to story-tellers. The people of the east notice the attachment 

 of the Afghans to truth, in which they are much miperior to their 

 neighbour* of India and Persia, though European* will not rank tlu-in 

 very high in that respect. They are puffed up with family pride, and 

 fond of recounting long genealogies, scarcely allowing a man to be a 

 genuine Afghan who cannot prove ix descents. 



Hospitality is the great characteristic of the Afghans; it is with 

 them a point of honour ; and a greater affront cannot be given to an 

 Afghan than by inviting his guest to another dwelling. A man may 

 travel without money from one end of the country to the other, and 

 the bitterest enemy is safe if he chum the protection of hospitality. 

 A person who ha* a favour to ask of any person goes to his house, 

 and refuses to sit down or partake of food until the boon be granted. 

 This custom is called ' nannawatee,' and it brings disgrace on a man 

 to reject a petition under such circumstances. 



Another resemblance to the Arabs of the desert, so celebrated for 

 their hospitality, is the practice of robbery. A traveller passing 

 through certain districts must expect to be plundered, if not under 

 strong protection, while a stranger coming to settle among them is 

 perfectly safe. These robberies are seldom accompanied by murder, 

 and where the government is powerful the traveller is safe. 



The religion of the Afghans i* the Mohammedan of the Suuite sect, 

 accompanied with leas bigotry than usual. Hindoos and Christians 

 live peaceably and respected among them; and even Persians, who 

 are of the dissenting Shiite sect, and therefore more abominated by 

 the orthodox than even infidels, hold high official stations among 

 them, upon the simple condition of abstaining from curses on tin; 

 three first caliphs, the denial of whose right to the command. r-lu|> 

 over tbe Faithful forms the chief reason of their dissent. 



Social intercourse with women U leas restrained than among otl-r 

 Mohammedans, though in towns the females of the upper ranks live 

 secluded, and never go out without n covering from head to foot. In 

 the country, women go out unveiled : in the lower ranks, they do tin- 

 work of the house, and in some of the inferior tribes assist the men 

 in the labour* of griciilturo. Their marriage ceremonies are like 

 those of tbe Persians. 



The language of the Afghans is called Pushtoo, and they call 

 themselves Puahtaneh ; half the words of the language are Persian, 

 but almost all the particle* and verbs are from some unknown n.t. 

 Tbe sound of the language is rough, but not disagreeable to persons 

 accustomed to oriental tongues. They use the Arabic alphabet, with 

 point* over and under certain letters to represent sounds unknown 

 to Arabic. The only original Pushtoo authors their 



compositions are chiefly lyric*, of a spirited and bold cast, breathing 

 a strong attachment to liberty. No Pushtoo authors are above a 

 rintnry and a half old; but Persian works are as familiar to the 

 educated Afghan* as their own, and the Persian language is that 

 chiefly used in composition. Education is not neglected ; every village 

 ha* it* school, generally kept by a priest, and almost every boy 

 attends it. In *ome tribe* boys are sent to a distant village, where 

 they live in tbe mosque, and are under the sole guidance of their 

 whoolraaster. 



The whole nation is divided into tribe*, each under it* own 

 peculiar government, with little interference from the royal power. 

 The principal tribe* an tbe Durances and the Ghiljies ; to the former 

 belong tbe clan of the Sudozyes from whirl, until recently the 

 sovereign was chosen. Shah Soojah belonged to th. : Dost 



Mahomed, the present ruler of Cabul, belongs to the Barukzyes, 



