Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1880-03-17
Iierat-

THIS CITY stands on the Herr River, on
the slope of the Hindoo koosh, and conse-
quently in the northwest corner of Afghani-
stan. Due north, at distance of abont 80
miles. is Merry: due east, at distance OF
nearly 100 miles, is Cabul; considerably
TO the southeast, and almost equi-distant
| from Cabul and Herat, is Candahar. If
our readers want war map which will
convey fair idea of the situation from
sirategical and political point of view, let
them suppose a capital l. mounted on top
of 4 capital V; Merry viii be at the top of
the L. HersH at the angle, and Cabul at the
horizontal extremity of the letter, while
Candahar will be down at the angle of the
". Cabul may be eliminated from the
situation, for though there are direct roads
between il and Herat the route by Maimana
to the north of the Hazarch mountains is
circuitous and difficult, and that through
the Hazarch country is eqnally roundabout
and more arduOus. The man route, and,
so far as is known, the only road by which
large force could be moved from Cabul
to Herat runs through Candahar. From
Candahar to lIerat is about three hundred
miles in direct line; the road, however,
is not very direct, and for military purposes
the distance may be called $50 miles. The
ruad from Merry is 50 nearly straight as to
, be less than 250 miles long; il is a good
one, being even al its worst part, where II
crosses the Hazrat-i-Baba Pass about thirty
miles north of Herat, practicable for all arms
of the service. Ii trayerses fertile coun-
try, and runs for great part of its length
along the valley Of the river kushk, SD that
supplies and water are very abundant.
Whenever the race for Herat begins, if
there is n fair start, the Russians should
get down the perpendicular Of the l. from
Merv before the English can get up the
thick side of the V from Candahar. The
position occupied by Herat on the high road
between India and Persia, the centre spot
/ of an extensive and fertile valley, well
watered by channels made from perennial
stream. marks her out as the natural garden
and granary of Central Asia 1t is situated
I in plain about $500 feet above the sea,
and Is fortified with mud walls, presenting
/ the form of a square, each side of which
/ is something under mile in length. The
streets are ill-built, narrow and dirty; in
deed, the common saying OF the place is,
'.lf dirt were to kill. where would We bc:'
! s'OnIy man is vile' at Herai, however, for
nature has done everything for the city and
its environs The climate is the finest in
, Asia; only two months of the twelve are
hot. and even then the mercury rarely rises
above SIS degs in the shade. The nights
are ALWAYS cool, often cold. The IIerats
have a proverb, If the soil of lspahaH,
the cool breezes of Herat and the waters
of Khwarizin were in the same place there
would be no such thing as death" The
waters of the Heri. Connolly described in
1881 as the best he ever tasted, and the
fruits as the most delicious in flavor. Peo-
Ole enter the gardens and eat at will, being
weighed as they pass in and out and
charged for the avoirdupois gained; a SIM
pie system, which that sane wag Nasir Ed
DIN once defied by filling his pockets with
pebbles and casting out ballast as he took in
lading, so as to bring the astonished pro
prietor into his debt. The soil is extraor-
dinarily fertile, and the orchards, gardens,
corn-fields and vineyards stretch to the
mountains, four miles away on the north and
twelve on the south, and along the valley a:
far as the eve can reach. There are exten-
sive mines of iron and lead, only worked
at the surface, and the scimitars of Herai
are as famous in Central Asia as its horses
Silk is spun there largely, and carpets Of
wool and silk are manufactured. The
other articles of export arc mamma, assafe
tida, gum, saffron and pistachio nuts.
Half century ago il paid an annual reve
nue. of $3.50 900, and Malleson declare:
that under British rule the income TO the
Government from the district would suffice
/ to pay the expenses of garrisoning the prin
. cipal cities of Afghanistan. Foster, whC
J visited Herat in 1888, described the city as
far surprising Candahar in the extent o.
, its markets and the volume of its trade
| Christie, vino spent a month there in dis
guise in 1910, is as loud as Connolly in hi
, praise of its delightful situation, brisk busi
: ness and phenomenal fertility. He place.
the population at 100, 900; Conolly's esti
mate was 45, 900, and the present numbe
/ of inhabitants is believed TO be somethin.
e under 40, 900, though the encyclopedias
9 call it ''about 30. 0O0" Herat, however
is only shadow of its old splendid self
Its origin and early history are unknown o
4 little known. There was town there be
d fore Alexander, and the modern city stand
on the site of one of the four cities Of Arr
r ans "Aria"-Artakoana, Aria Metropolis
: Candace and Sousia Akhala. The PERSIA
chronicles not so very much later speak o
q Heri, the capital of Aria, as place of con
> siderable importance. In 1857 the Turcc
mans captured and sacked and probabl
destroyed 1t, yet, when in 1889 Gsnghi