GEOGRAPHICAL SURVEYS AND EXPLORATIONS. 135 



rivers issuing from the Hindu Kush and flowing down through the 

 Kabul valley. Mr. Claudius completed the topography of the 

 country from Grundamuk to Kabul on the -j-inck scale, and under 

 the escort and guidance of a friendly Khan of Tezin he mapped 

 an important bit of country which borders the route across the 

 Lataband and Haft-Kotal passes. This part of his work Avas 

 executed at considerable personal risk, and he was badly frost- 

 bitten in carrying it through. Mr. W. W. McNair (who subse- 

 quently gained much credit for his adventurous journey into 

 Kafiristan) completed the survey of portions of the Asphan and 

 Hisarak valleys west of Grundamuk and the Lughman valley, 

 both on the 1-inch scale, and later on he executed a laro-e 

 amount of excellent topography in the Logar valley on the -|-inch 

 scale. The native sub-surveyors . were found particularly useful 

 throughout the campaign from the fact of their being able to move 

 about the country without personal risk, even in disturbed tracts ; 

 their services were also largely utilised in pushing forward the 

 military survey of the country round Sherpur and Kabul on the 

 4-inch scale. The " Munshi " particularly distinguished himself by 

 mapping the Sherpur cantonments and the adjacent country 

 during the actual siege and immediately after it, and thus did most 

 useful topographical work before any European could possibly be 

 so employed. He also undertook an exploration by way of the 

 Kunar river into Kafiristan, travelling as a native doctor ; there 

 was every reason to suppose he could have succeeded in reaching 

 Kafiristan (for he was never suspected at any time) but for an 

 unfortunate rise of the Safis and Dehgans, which took place most 

 unexpectedly. Returning to Kabul he was next employed in 

 mapping (which he accomplished most successfully) a part of the 

 district adjoining Kabul stretching through the Chardeh plain to 

 the district of Pughman, which had been entirely closed to 

 European officers and appeared likely to remain a blank. 



The total area mapped in Northern Afghanistan during the season 

 was estimated at 10,300 square miles, or adding 880 square miles 

 of the Zaimukht country, 11,180 square miles, of which 64 square 

 miles were done on the 4-inch scale, 1.276 on the 1-inch, and 

 the remainder on the ^-inch and ^-inch scales in about equal 

 proportions. 



Southern Afghanistan. — The officers deputed for survey work in 

 Southern Afghanistan were Captains Rogers, Beavan, Heaviside, 

 Holdich, and Lieutenants Gore and Hobday. Route surveys were 



