New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-02-19

It ia the question Of the possession OIL Herat, an
afghan princpality, but lately occupied by the
Persians, that has given occasion to the occupation
by the English, acting in the name of the East
India Company, Of Busnire, the principal Persian
Dor. on the Persian Gulf. The existing political
Importance of Herat is derived from the facs Of ts
beng the strategcsl center of all the country inter
veDing between the Persian Gulf, the Caspian Sea
and the Jaxartes on the west and north, and the
Indus en- the east; so that in the event of great
struggle between England and Russia for suprema-
cy in Asa-a struggle which the English invasion
of Persia may tend to precipitate-Hsrat will form
the chief object of contention and probably the che
alter of the frst great military operations.
That the importance sscribed to Herat is not
unfounded, must be apparent to all who understand
il geographical position The interior Of Persia is
formed by an elevated plain, surrounded on all sides
by mountain chains, allowing no egress to the
waters flowing down into it. These waters are not
of sufficient importance to form one or more
central lakes; they either lose themselves in vast
morasses, or gradually vanish in the arid sand
of the great desert which fills up by far the greater
portion Of the Persian plateau, and forms an almost
impossible barrier between Western and North
eastern Persia. The northern boundary of this
desert is formed by the hills Of Khorassan, stretch
ing along from the southeastern corner Of the Cas-
pisn almost due east, the connecting link between
the Elburz and the Hlndoo- koOsh Mountains; aud it
is Just where these bills send branch to the south
dividing the Persian desert from the better watered
egions of Aghanistan that Herat is situated sur
rounded and supported by valley Of considera-
Bile extent and exuberant fertility. To the north Of
the Khorassan hills we find desert similar to that
at their southern foot. Here. too, mighty rivers
like the Murghab are lost in the sand. Blu. the
OIus and Jaxartes are powerful enough TO traverse
it, and in their lower course form valleys capa-
BILE of cultivation and Of large extent. Beyond the
Jaxaltes the detert gradually takes the character
of the steppes Of Southern Russia, in which it is
finally lost altogether. Thus We have three dis
tpcs seats of comparative civilization Intervening
between the Caspian Sea and British India. First,
the towns Of Western Persia: Shiraz, Shuster, Te-
beraB, Ispaban secondly the afghan towns:
Cabou,, Gbszns, Candahsr; thirdly, the towns Of
Turap, Khiya, Bokhars, Balkh. Samarcand.
Between all these tncrc is COueiuciooio Iva
course, and the center CT al this intercourse Is
necessarily Herat. The roads leading IRON the
Caspian 10 the Indus, from the Persian Gulf to the
Oxus, all u eet at that city. Between Caboul aud
Tehersp, between Shirsz and Balkb, Herat is the
halfway house. The line of oases marking the
great caravan route across the Persian desert BY
Yezd snd Shehustap, debouches in straight line
on Herst; and, on the other hand, the only road
leading from Western to Eastern and Central Asia,
avoiding the desert. is that through the Khorassan
hills and Herat.
Thus HeIat s point which, in the hands of
strong power, can be used to command both Iran
AID Turan-both Per,is and Transoxiana II
gives to its possessor, in the very highest degree
oil The advantages of central position, from which
rsdist;Dg attacks in al directions can be made with
greater facility and chance Of success than from
any other townin either Iran or Tsna. AT the cane