AFGHAN BOUNDARY COMMISSION. 183 



steps to Daulatyar. The delay was almost fatal to his success, for 

 the winter set in early, and it was only after a constant struggle 

 against snow, rain, mist, and clouds which often defeated him on 

 the summit of some gigantic peak after hours of weary labour lost 

 in climbing, that he at last emerged into the plains of Afghan 

 Turkistan, with his connexion with the Hari-Rud weak but not 

 entirely broken. It was not till the following spring that the 

 series between Balkh and Andkhui was finally completed ; when 

 completed it was met by a series that had been run by Major 

 Holdich and Captain Gore through the chol between Zulfikar and 

 Andkbui. Thus a final system was evolved which covered the 

 whole of Afghan Turkistan and wild country south of the Hari- 

 Rud valley as far as the basin of the Helmund with a network 

 of triangulations which included several hundreds of well-fixed 

 points. 



Captain Talbot found that the Hari-Rud rises about 34° 30' N. 

 lat., and 67° 0' E. long., and flows for some 70 or 80 miles to 

 Daulatyar almost due west, and not as hitherto shown on the 

 maps. As far as Daulatyar it is known as the Ab-i-Sar-i-jangal, 

 and at that point it was a broad but easily fordable stream. At 

 the head of the valley it is probably about 12,000 feet in general 

 altitude above sea-level, but gradually drops to about 5.000 feet 

 opposite Obeh. There are, however, occasional peaks on it, one of 

 which runs to 11,000 feet at a distance of about 20 miles of Obeh. 

 The mountain ridge is singularly straight, with slopes bare of trees 

 but an abundant water supply, and a luxuriant growth of grass and 

 wild flowers in every tagao or stream bed. Some of these narrow 

 valleys are well wooded with willow trees and occasionally haw- 

 thorn. From its source to Obeh the course of the Hari-Rud is 

 about 240 miles in length, and above Dahana Doab it includes a 

 catchment area of about 8,000 square miles. 



About the time that Captain Talbot started for his triangulation 

 towards Bamian and Kabul, Sub-Surveyor Imam Sharif was deputed 

 to undertake a complete exploration and a survey, as far as possible, 

 of the hitherto little known districts which lie to the east of the road 

 connecting Farah and Herat and south of the Hari-Rud valley. 

 Not much was on record respecting this tract, except what was to 

 be gathered from Ferrier's somewhat doubtful account. It was 

 known to be inhabited by the Taimani section of the Chahar Aimak, 

 but the position of Taiwara, the capital of the Taimani countrv, was 



