Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1878-11-01
ENGLAND DEFItD In ASIA.

DEFY the might OF England, is taken from !
the philadelphia Telegraph, and viii be
especially interesting at this time:
Afghanistan is country in Central
Asia, which hss suddenly been brought
before the whole civilized world by the
struggle between Russia and England
Tor supremacy over it and It's people, as
berrier to the possessions of both
countries. The Himalayas are section
OF the broken chain OF highlands which
stretches across the continent of the Old
World from the Pacific to the Atlantic
ocean, and end naturally only at the
Bamain pass, for the Hindoo Koosh are
but an extension of the Himalayas, and
end naturally in the great dip at Bamain,
aItnough the range, under other names,
continues westward along the northern
frontier OF Persia on to the plateau of
Armenia. AfghRnistan thus lies both
porth and south of the Himalayas, both
beyond and within the Hindoo Koosh,
and the part of it which concerns Great
Britain and Russia Just at the present
ls that which includes the valleys of
Oabul and Oandahar, to the south Of the
Hindoo Koosh, and within the basin of
the Indus. Afghanistan proper is SIM
ply part OF the Indus basin, that part
OF 1t formed by the southern watershed
OF the HIpdoo Koosh; and to perfect the
northwestern frontier of British India it
has long been felt in England that the
waters OF the Hindoo Koosh, from the
Pamere steppe to the Bamian pass,
which leads into western Turkestan,
should be in British hands, or in the
hands of trusted allies. The conquest
of the country, however, would be
matter of no little difficulty. In mill
tary point of view, Afghanistan is
stronger even than Algeria. 1t is "the
Mshratta country" of northern India-a
country Astounding in all the resources
OF war, in which armies can be prepared
In perfect secrecy, and descend to sweep
the rich and defenceless plains below
without a moments warning. The pro-
verb is current throughout Central Asia,
" He who conquers Cabul rules in Hin
dostan." Afghanistan, in fact, abso-
lutely commands India, and it is felt
that the British must eventually turn it
to their own advantage as a redoubt
across the ditch of the Indus and out.
work of the Himalayas rampant of India.
In possession of civilized hostile power,
it would hang in the Himalayan sky over
the great camp of Delhi like the sword
of Damocles.
The population of the whole country
known as Afghanistan is nearly 8. OOO,-
600. The Afghans of the Cabul and
Candahar valleys, who alone are con-
cerned In the present difficulty, are Iii.
vided into two great tribes--the Qhilzles
OF Oabul and the Duranis OF Candahar.
The Ghilzles had in former times the
ascendancy, and it was their chief, NAH
mould, who overthrow the Soft dynasty
of Persia ip 1717 and conquered Persia ;
but after their expulsion by Nadir Shah
the puranis got the upper hand. This
ul5e is divided into nine clans, the chief
OF which are the Ssdozais, the royal
clan of Ahmed Shah Durani, and the
Barokzais, represented by Dost NOLAN.
med and Shere Ali /; and it is the rival
rles between those royal clans and
families which have reduced Afghan.
stem to political nonentity, in spite of its
extent, fertility and population. The
Afghan tribes are, physically, remarka.
bly, fine races-tall, robust, we'll formed
and setive. They have extremely hand.
some faces, and the beauty of their wo
Pen is often of dazzling brilliance.
The Afghan women of some of the from
tier tribes go unveiled. When they
meet man coming along the road, the
more elderly cast down their eyes and
pass on, but the younger women turn
their backs to him, and stand still unit
ne has gone by. This coy demeanor
h&s proved fatal to the peace of many
a young English subaltern, who has
found it Impossible to pass the enchant
ing apparition in his path. The Afghanl
are extremely hospitable, and whe1
once forced to settle down to industrial
pursuits develop an astonishing aptitud,
for trade. They have made little pro
gress toward general settling down
however. because of the rivalries ane
Jealousies of the chiefs OF the different
tribes. In maps the frontiers of Afghan
stan are made to coincide with those O
India, but all the border tribes boil
both claim and maintain their indepepd
ence OF any central authority, and ar
under no rule whatever except that O
their own chiefs, and these are seldom
obeyed one instant longer than is con
venient. Indeed, the only authorit,
which has OF late late years been rever
enced by TIE tribes on the northwes
frontier of India was that of the lat
Akhoond of Swat, who accidental,
gained inc ascendedcy over them through
MS Reputation as saint.
1t has been the settled policy of tn
British officials of the Punjaub, which
the district Immediately adjacent to Al
ghanlstan, to encourage the claims of th
frontier tribes to Independence of tn
ameer of Cabul. The northwest iron
tier of India has been in a chronic stat
OF trouble ever since the annexation G
the Puniaub, in 1849. In the intervs
between that date and the present, tn
Indian government has been obliged T.
undertake no less than twenty eight 81
petitions against them, or at the rate G
one expedition year. The Khybe
pass, which is or ought to be the gres
highway between British India an
Central Asia, has never once been ope
to peaceful expeditions more than fe'
weeks at time. The ameer could ne
keep it open without asserting an
maintaining his supremacy over th
wild tribes in its vicinity, and the Brit
ish have shrunk from undertaking Oh
task for fear of giving offence to Oahu
AS a consequence the very considerable
trade between the Punjaub and Afghan
ista has been obliged to seek out th
difficult routes to the north of the XIV
Der and between the real Khyber pal
and the Cabul river. The ability of th
ameer to suddenly man the pass an
thus head off General Sir Neville Chan
berlain's mission was the direct result
the half-hearted policy which has bee
pursued by the British government