1831.] 
Overland Journey to India. 
395 
Were Kandahar the seat of a just king, it would be the centre of a large circle 
of rich cultivation. The soil is so good, and water in such abundance, that even 
under the oppressive government of the Barikzye sirdars much cultivation is car- 
ried on. We had means of judging of their rule by contrasting it with that of one 
who appeared to us any thing but a “ Nurshiwan.” At Herat we thought Kami an 
an oppressive governor, but all the way to Kandahar the people were eai nest in 
asking us if the report of Kamran’s coming were true, and a prayer was invariably 
added for his success against the zhlitn usurpers. 
The climate of Kandahar is not so good as that of the country about Herat ; in 
summer the heat is very great, and more rain than snow falls. 
On the 10th of November, we marched from Syed Muhin’s tort, 16 miles to the 
Duri river, a stream of excellent water. On the 12th, we crossed the bed of the 
Kudani, which only holds water in winter and spring. We halted that night in 
the Khojeli Am ran hills, which are a broad range, of no great altitude, running 
S. S. W. by N. N. E., and the next day we reached Shadiri, the khail of the best 
families of the Syeds, on the bank of the Lora 5 in the valley of Pishin. 
We wore with these Syeds eight days. Many Afghans w r ho had purchased hoises 
for the Bombay market, Avaited for Muhin Shah, knowing that his influence 
would greatly protect them, both in their own country, and in Belochistan ; and 
when he marched, he was accompanied by a strong, Avell armed party, who possess- 
ed between them about 400 horses. 
We made two easy marches to Quetta, a small town of 400 mud houses, the 
petty capital of the Beloche province of Shaul. The toAvn is distant eight miles 
from a high range of mountains called Takkatfi, which commencing here, i un 
easterly to the Indus. The inhabitants are Beloches and Hindus. Kafilas to and 
from Hindustan pass this \A r ay, and the town is of more importance than its appeal - 
ance warrants. The climate here is very fine, the soil is good, and plenty of water 
can be conducted from the many springs in the hills. We halted at Quetta nine 
days: the Hakim had grain to sell, and report saying that our road was occupied 
by some banditti of the Kfiker and other tribes, it was resolved to wait the arri- 
val of some more horse dealers. When these came, ive put chased the seivice , 
addition, of forty m atchlock-men, and continued our journey. 
31 miles from Quetta we came to the Kurklcke bills, the first of a very ng i 
series, which cover the country as far as the plain of Dadm, and w nc i )u\t a 
general inclination up to the Takkatfi range. We slept in a narrow valley, 
and from it the next morning entered a close defile called the pass o o an. 
first there was but breadth for a dozen horsemen abreast between the rocks winch 
rose like walls on either side to a great height. Afterwards the road lay broad y 
between the mountains, occasionally opening out. It was 'ete e.ic i o ' ’ 
formed of loose pebblv stones and sand, and it ran in shai p ang is o 
200 yards length. This was the nature of the pass for ten miles o k The 
minutest description could hardly convey a just idea ot its strong i > 
which a regimentof brave men could defend ” a ™/' pr eccded' us on our 
and rapid stream gushed out from the foot of ’ g P tiU comraa nd it for 
way. Here the mountains break off from the roa , J ^ formida ble pass 
nineteen more miles to a point called Bi bina ™’ t f ea ring to encounter 
ends. We journeyed through it Avith skirmishers i ’ ecure ly at Kirta, or 
the reported enemy ; but we met not a sou , anc * 
earm-to, a spring, the water of which was hot after sunset, and cold 
time 6 . 
5 Lora is the Pushtu for river. 
fi Such springs are not uncommon in Afghanistan. 
