The New York herald., 1879-08-04


halt at Serbacque two kinds Of fish are brought U.S.
one of which, spotted red is not unlike trout; the
other spangled with silver has the strange charsc-
teristic that its eggs venomous Both are to the
palate delicious. quaint wooden bridge carries
us over the brook. where all the springs We have
met boiling and fuming in one narrow channel
| and the road, full OF whims and caprices. goes
dancing in zgzags to the music of the streamlets.
then hastens to the east though summoned by the
roaring Of the river past crumbing fortresses past
villages nesting in shadow of apricot trees. till it
comes in sight OF the Khuni hurling its noisy
cadcs into the pre:pce, with white foam streaming
with the rugged landscape rising ali sides. with
gnarled trees imbeddedin the rocks and the stream
passes casting showers of silver spray upon them
as king throws his largesses to the people, Once
more have Chamber over the mountains
Sometimes huge bowlder comes tumbling at our
feet and the eye seeks nstinctvey the point
from and the mind realizes that marching
through the midst of dangers. The craggy roof
again drawn us, and the sky appears to like
a bit of blue ribbon on girls neck; and so. amid
passes and detles arrives in the valley
OF RouY
RoUI RIeHINAU.
From this point We begin new march. Ave stages
in all-sixteeu miles to Donab. eighteen to Madere
sixteen to Scheschbour. fifteen to Sigane and four
teen Righl-Nau. Atthe very start tha Khulm gads
neghboring valley, and leaves feeble substitute in
its place. way ward weak wlled that it
and recrosses path eight times before we have
done with it. On the mountain side is
ruined castle; beyond 1t little valley with
another dry stream that enhances
grets for the Khuim; then q path so narrow
that the horsemans knees Craze the rocks as he
rides. The suns rays have never penetrated this
crevasse. 1t is delightfully."- cooi. The Khulm comes
back. like giant refreshed to escort us to Donab
and then begins valley gridironed with water
channels which render its soil damp and marshy.
Overhead the crass perform miracles of equilibrium
to keep themselves together; underneath the eye
dives iuto awe-inspiring Depths and suddenly.
though fairy of pantomime had waved her wand,
the bristing ravines replaced by pastoral pros
pect of fields and Of carrots and the setting
CLEANS red on the ruins Of the ancient city Of
Madere. Hore rise the Notifications constructed by
Dost Mohammed Khan. who waged with the
British forty years ago. Here is the castle Of
Badjga, which the victorious English then built.
Here the ruins group themselves into artistic poses.
and the moats and portculiees more medi@vsl
than ever, and the gafdens watt abroad subtle.
Oriental odor which recalls the essences Of Wang
Ylsng. Thence march into defle dubbed the
"roothbreaker," because of the mischief it has
wrought to man and beast. and so by tortuous and
stony path pausing every 800 yards to take breath,
push for three hours. fording streams, climb
ing precpces. and spying at last. like twinkling
the distance. the little town of Sigane. Num-
habitations lie its skirts but all seem de-
serted as though famine had swept them. and
their few inhabitants mere bundles of skin and
| bone. Our horses founder in the muddy road.
| and we are all heartily glad when the tents are
! pitched at Righi-Nau.
RIGHr-NAU MoHAMMED ToPTCHI.
The present journey made with the AUTHORIZE
ton of the Emir oil Atghanistsn, who gave orders
that receptions should be offered us at different
points Of our progress. At Righi-Nau found the
| Governor of Bamian waiting for our arrival. The
worthy Official painted and decorated like VIII
lags signboard His tawdriness relieved by the
beautiful gray horse that he bestrode by the 200
that followed in its train, small every of
them. but uncommonly strong and good looking.
The 200 horsemen fired guns in honor at more
or reg ular inter rvas. But them behind
and. having little limped stream left come.
three miles further down, the pass of Ak Robert
where the stream joins issue with u second, then
with third. and all three accompany in arm,
carolling and whistling as they go. till
more caught in u web Of ravfnes. gorges and
mountain scenery and reach extraordinary village
which seemed to have been built vertically upon a
rock. being really constructed layers one above
| the other. II there holes behind the rocks
now. asked ourselves, could the get out
| of doors? We had no time to wait for an answer,
| though little rat, bathing in the morning dew.
looked at us sagely as we passed, though, if he
would he could easily solve the mystery. We were
| even more puzzled when came to Baman, which
has the singulariy of being built without houses.
At its entrance you encounter three gigantic idols,
which are themselves inhabited. In other days there
four, but one has disappeared leaving nothing
but niche to pcrpetuate its memory. The largest
| is seventy feet high the next In size, once
covered with gold, now lies deserted in q deep
| ditch. The skull and face of tho third being
Topped away with sabres. the clefts. as you
look down from the skull, which holds ff-
teen people. being visible from top to bottom. 1t
probably represents a woman, having large sleeves
and hair dressed after the fashion of Chinese ma
tions. In its head and tho calves OF its legs
bales OF hay and grass; the farmers store forage
here. and here the birds build their nests The first
idol conceals beneath its feet the door of little tenn
| pie, its walls black with smoke. where the shep-
herds take refuge during winter. The natives cast
stones ut these gods of another age and even fire
guns at them. But. strange to say. the whole town
of Banian ouches into the holes beneath the idols
feet. being built like the WALLACE lately passed. vert
cally upon their Sides 1t is the strangest sight
these dwelling places. which well nigh inac-
cessibc. Many old coins found in the neighbor-
hood. most of thcm bearing the head OF the sacred
J OK, and human bones, white ivory, strew the
ground Mohammed Toptchi, twelve miles away. is
reached in three hours.
! MonAMMEp ToPTcHI cABUL.
The castle OF Tohec, little further down the road
has it's legend. Its founder was invncible in war;
his might resistess. and whether he smote with
right with LETT he WAS equally potent and
conquerable. Nobody knew that his arms owed
their vrilty to serpents which ceaselessly
tyiu otIudt nd W forb bre at
morning demanded the brains of one OF their mas
! ters subjects Population by this means was so
rapidly thinned that when the two sons of Feridoum
came up against the warrior and his Mathu sian
serpents, slew them aud delivered the country, all
who were left OF it's Inhabitants went mad with Joy
Trsversng the pass OF Tvak we were now in such
attitudes tnat we could moisten parched mouths
with snow and blocks OF roll down INTO the valley
| We opened our reserve bottles OF champagne anu