8 1 2 Report on subjects connected with Affghanistan. (_No. 1 1 8. 



and when the Indus becomes a channel of greater traffic, it will be 

 probably by this route, that most of the exports will leave the country ; 

 for tlie rafts would experience no difficulty in proceeding to Kalabagh, 

 and there discharging their loads into the boats of the Indus. The 

 rafts would then have to be broken up, and the skins to be carried in 

 a collapsed state to Jilalabad for a fresh journey. During the floods, the 

 distance between Peshawur and Jilalabad may be traversed in 12 

 hours, the distance by land being about 100 miles. 



The Koonur River deserves considerable notice from being similarly 

 Koonur River, navigable, and from the forests which occur along 

 the tributary which passes Olipore, and falls into the Koonur river 

 at Chughar Serai Pareen. It presents the most feasible plan of sup- 

 plying Jilalabad, and especially Pesiiawur, with fine timber and 

 good fuel. The Olipore branch of the Koonur river comes, I believe, 

 from the more western parts of Kafirsthan ; it is a large torrent, and is 

 crossed by wooden bridges, on the same principle, but of much worse 

 construction than those of Bootan, or by beams thrown across. 



At Chughar Serai Pareen, where it is rather more gentle in its 

 course, it is fordable with some difficulty in the cold weather. The 

 main branch, which drains the little Chughar valley, is perhaps the 

 larger of the two ; united they form a stream which I think exceeds 

 rather in size the Cabul river at Jilalabad. Both these rivers practi- 

 cable for descent, may possibly come into considerable play, should 

 any great stimulus be given to the wool trade of Affghanistan ; the 

 low tracts along both being frequented in the cold months by the 

 flocks of the Nomadic tribes. 



The waters of the Arghandab and Logur, are chiefly used for irriga- 

 tion ; by the latter small poplar timbers are floated during the floods 



Urehandab and ^^^ ^^^ Cabul consumption. The Arghandab passes 

 Logur. within three or four miles of Candahar, and though 



fordable, is a stream of some size. The Logur passes within a short 

 distance of Cabul ; it is scarcely as large as the Arghandab. It is in 

 the direction of these streams which may be descended during the 

 floods by rafts, that search for coal or any other valuable mineral pro- 

 duct should be encouraged. Timber is, I fear, scarcely to be expected. 

 Both these cities would double their importance, should coal mines be 

 found within the range of either of the above rivers. 



