The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-11-07
THE PASSES OF AFGHANISrAM

What arc the local conditions which rom
der an invasion Of Afghanistan serious mat
ter2 How numerous are the channels of access
to the Amocr's domnions from tho southeast.
and how do they differ one from another? Some
clear notions about the topography OF the coun-
try seem indispensable to the understanding OF
recent kilograms.
The whole territory OF Afghanlstan may be
regarded rs n mass of mountains. interspcrsed
with valleys. some OF which are OF considerable
size. This Asiatic Switzerland is walled off on
the east from the plains OF the Punjab by lofty
chain known as the Solyman range some OF
whose submits reach an altitude OF $4,000 feet
And here we must bear in mind that this Soly-
man chain Is not q mere screen. but broad
tract OF Alpine country from fifty to hundred
and flfty miles across. 1t Is pierced. not by
three or four defles. as is sometimes taken for
granted. but by multitude Of passes. OF which
no fewer than seventeen are well defined ronds
practicable for the movements Of lightly
equipped columns. Besides the three or four
roads best known. several others were formerly
trodden by whole armies and are still occa-
sionally followed by couriers and fast caravans.
The chief OF these less used tracks leads from
Dore Gasi Khan through the Sakhi Sarvar de-
file to Bori and Candahar, and ia famous for the
passage Of Sultan Babers army In 1905.
) The three channels accommodation between
tho valley OF the Indus and the Afghan land are
the Khyber and Koorum Passes. through the
Solyman range. and the Bolnn Pass which cuts
the Belooch frontier. and opens road from
Shikarpur to Candahar. This IL one OF the
most important commercial highways OF India.
and was followed by the English in 1889. 1t Is
q serviceable road enough. but has little fodder
in the Bolan defile. which is ninety miles long.
Ina In ~ n,tatt, hn, ~
northern end Of the pass. this has become the
safest and easiest. although the most circutous
route. By this road 1t is proposed that n column
shall attnck Candahar. the former capital OF the
country. and this conquest would entail the con-
troll OF all southern Afghanistan. together with
tho command OF the main highway between
Herat and Cabul. Before GlanclnR ut the Koo-
rum and Khiva routes. which are marked out.
we are told for two other divisions OF the ex-
peditionary force. we may direct attention to
one other commercial thoroughiare. This Is
the road from Ghuzni. the principal Afghan
fortress. to Dore Ismael Khan. on the right bank
OF the Indus-some $50 miles in length. From
Ghuzni II follows the river Gomul to the Gualer
dcflle and thus reaches the Indian plain.
part OF the route lies through formidable hills.
and In some places is so narrow as scarcely to
admit the passage OF loaded camels. Two other
roads from Dere Ismae Khan traverse the ridge
by different ravines. and converge In the above
named Gomul Valley.
The British military posts which lie nearest to
the Afghan frontier are Kvhat and Pcshawur
The route from Cabul to Kohat offers no par
ticular hardship to caravans. but. being infest-
ed by robbers. Ia much avoided. The length OF
the road is 2s9 miles nearly the whole OF which
lie In Afghan territory. Moreover. the British
means OF communication with this point OF tho
frontier are OF the worst description. SO that the
difficulties force would encounter before
reaching the eastern end Of the Koolum Pass
would be scarcely less than those to be met with
in the mountains themselves. or the five roads
from Cabul to Peshawur. on both banks Of the
Cabul River. the most ireduented passes
through the Kurd Cabul Pass and aiterward
through the Khyber denle-a total distance OF
1875 miles. Midway between these difficult sec
tons Of the road stand the fortress Of Jelalabad
and In the neck Of the Khyber gorge itself tow
ers the frontier stronghold OF Ali Musiid. The
eastern entrance TO the Khyber Pass is at IA
dam a small village. surrounded by mud
wall. some thirteen miles west OF Peshawur.
Here still exist the ruins Of an old Sikh
fort built in 1897. after the defeat OF the AZ
CHAN army on the adjacent plains. Within
900 yards OF Kadam the gorge nnrrows to a
hundred and fifty yards. with precipitous cliffs
on either hand Between this point and the
stronghold Of Ali Musiid. a distance of ten
miles. the mountains on each hand are some
1900 feet in height bare. and apparently mac
ccssiblc the width OF the dene now shrinking
from 300 to 40 feet. Difficult as this pass would
seem 10 force. 1t Is matter OF record that Col.
Wade pierced it in 1899. at the head Of some
irregular troops with the loss OF but $50 men.
! Three years later. Gen. Pollock made his way
through 1t by shelling the heights from the rn-
vines below, while columns on either flank
pushed the enemy from ridge to ridge More
over. the British stan has acquired much fuller
information regarding this region OF late years.
and It is now known that several roads com
| pletely turn Ali MusJid. and these. doubtless.
| will be followed should the tribes command
| ingthe defile. proper prove intractable. II
| is Understood. however. that Shere Airs hold
on the Afridi Clan, which virtually controls the
pass. has been much weakened owing to a
stoppage Of the subsidy paid by his father and
preceding Afghan rulers.
| History BARK.
~