, 1880-05-12

tomb, the ugly uniformity of the fiat mud
roofs Is unbroken by a single object like a
tomb or a minaret, such as you would ex-
pect to see in a large Mahomedan capital.
There is not even a handsome serai, and
the serais are so filthy, from the peculiar
habits of the people, that they cannot be
inspected without disgust. The beauties
of Cabul must be sought outside the:city in
the gardens and orchards with which the
n~eighbourhood is studded, and in the
views which can be obtained from the top
of the Shahr Darwaza or Asmai hills.
From these hills the valley of Cabul, and
still more that OF Chardeh, must look love-
ly when the rich crops they produce are on
the ground, and when the richards and
gardens are decked in their summer
foliage.
The manners of the Afghan Sirdars of
Cabul, as seen in their own houses and in
their intercourse with those English Off
GERS who show any desire to cultivate their
acquaintance, are exceedingly pleasing and
friendly. Sirdar Wall Mahomed Khan, for
instance, who, if he could only speak
European languages would be an accepta-
ble guest at the best tables in London or
Paris, is a most agreeable companion,
full of conversation, and with an immense
fund of information and anecdote drawn
from long experience OF men and things.
In a lower generation Ahmed Ali Khan, q
grandson of Shere Ali, and son of that
eldest f~avourite son whose death Fin battle
drove him for some months almost mad
with grief, is a youngster> who, if he carries
out his present wish to accompany Sir f.
Roberts to England, may yet make his
mark in London drawing-rooms. Among
other visits I lately paid one to Husseln
Ali Khan, q KiZlbash gentleman OF some
distinction, who after many years OF faith
full service rendered to Shere Ali became at
last COMMANDMENT Chief of the Afghan
Army. Hussein Ali Khan, [ may remark
en- pdSsGnt, was just the kind OF man that
Shere Ali liked to promote. He was notonc
of the Barakzai Sirdars of whose possible
ambition and influence Shere Ali was so
prudently apprehensive, but a nal with
out tribal or family influence, and who
looked to his patron alone for advancement
and place. lie was tutor to the young
Abdullah Jan, and accompanied Shere Ali
in that capacity to the Umballa meeting III
1869. When Ayoob Khan obtained pos
session of Herat, shortly after Shere Ais
fight to Turkestan in 1878, Hussein Ali
Khan was sent by him a prisoner to Cabul
and remained in confinement by ssYakoob's
order until after the battle of Char Asiab,
when his Kizlbash kinsmen released him.
This by the way. His house is in the
Kizlbash quarter of Cabul, and the ap-
prOach to it gives q good idea of the neces-
.sity under which Afghan Sirdars live of
making their houses their castles. Turning
down a narrow and filthy lane the road lay
through a dark covered passage to
the entrance door. Here the eX-COm-
mander-in Chief met me and my compan-
ion, and, ascending a steep staircase with an
abrupt turn, making it highly defensible, he led
us through an outer room into a small apart
lnent furnished with chairs and a table. The
latter, on our entrance, was covered with a
cloth of grey pattern, which was Immediately
vithdra wn, and exposed a perfect array of the
beautiful fruits Of Cabul-apples, pears, grapes,
and ounces, Interpreted with plates Of %confec-
tionery, After a few minutes conversation
tea was brought 10 and served in cups of Rus
sian ware. The tea used by the Cabul Sir
dsrs is invariably green, imported by way of
Bombay, the supply direct from China through
Bokbara having been stopped for many years,
for reasons which / have not been able to dis
cover. 1t is drunk Persian fashion, weak and
without milk, and freely sweetened with Rus
sian loaf sugar. The taste for tea in this form
ID soon acquired. We were then most hospi-
tably, pressed to attack the beautiful fruits,
and. as our host was full Of conversation, and
was equally at home in the Persian and
Afg han languages, we were able to enjoy q
most Interesting hours talk. On taking our
Iaaxva IVA were AGAIN conducted to the foot of