The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-05-04
I
KabVlI,
lBlackwooo'S MaSazine.l

A city built among a wilderness of
heights and mountains is Ka-
bul and far as its stately river
has to travel before pouring its
waters into the Indus, nowhere does it
visit fairer scene than Where, not very
far from its source, itipasses through the
quaint old town, washing and d'at' certain
seasons threatening, the foundations OF
the houses and fortalice-like Enclosures
which hang over it,. Within the city all
is delightfully."- Oriental, picturesque, and
irregular--just such as tue author of
"Eothen" would revel in, the open air
life of more genial Eastern climes going
on in full force, notwithstanding the
cold, which compels, however, shop
keepers of the better class to draw blank
cts over their limbs, and kindle fires
seemingly right in the middle of their
wares. o." .fs yg.lf|
Different sets Of tradesmen and art
isans have each their own quarters, or,
as it is called in the East, muhalla.
Here, a savory smell Of roast meat. and
piles of hot unleavened bread, where
| any number Of cooks are ready to feed
the hungry, at mere trihe a head,
without giving them the trouble of
| stepping aside from the public way, far
less Of sitting down at table. Windows
or front walls there are none in these al
fresco restaurants; and blocks OF yellow
butter, frozen into the consistence Of
cheese, hung, out Of them almost into
the,street. Then the traveller. seated with
|kababs, may find over the way a
brotherhood of fruiterers, whose tasteful
andvariegated arrangements of their dried
apples and grapes form even at this
season one Of the bright features of Ka-
bull. So with the sellers of horse-gear, a
numerous and fourishing guild appar-
ently-the making and members ofshoes,
the tailors, the furriers, carpenters, ar
morers, BARRIERS. and workers gold, sill
YER, andlother metals-the whole repre-
senting hive of industry and focus of
money-making such as British intromis-
sion and Islamite irruptions seem alike
powerless to disturb. Some Of the streets
have shed or partial roof set over
them, letting in only the SUMS oblique
rays, and excluding, doubtless, certain
amount Of rain and snow. In spite of
this, however, the thoroughfares, which
are the merest lanesin point of breadth,
are at this season deep in mud and half
frozen water, with the most rudimentary
elements Of scavengering or road-con-
seryancy having sprung up as yet in
lKabpl, \ ,.-s.s s.t. 5s .sln ..e w..
\ Toward afternoon, the tide. Of human
traffic sets in strong. Tartar-lookine
Khans, mounted on stout nags, sfld fol
lowed by retainers, have to make head
as .beststhey can against, perhaps, line
Of Bukhara eamets laden with merchan'
disc but notwithstanding the incessan
jostle, all is good, haaaor and give and
;; take.I Happily there are no gin palaces
Neither has Kabul any work-houses ol
poorlrates Nd sooner has the keeper o
s, tea.shop heated his urn, and filled hi
prettilyypsinted caps than crowds 9
sturdy beggars, and .gaberlunzies in TIN
highest, degree picturesque, assail him a
eourageously as if every one Of them hat
money in his hand, instead Of onlv
9 patched garment on his back, and fea
? lures blue with cold and Kabuf rnendi
cants, not even a Bumble, could dea
/, NTH nm other than their own FERNS