The Cecil Whig., 1885-06-20
A SAVAGE COUNTRY.

ance, but Full of Peril to the Foreigner.
Eugene Schtytcr in the HHadclphia Sunday Press.
What Switzerland is to Italy, Afghan
istan is to India. 1t not only holds the
same general position, but it has q SINH
lar character in climate, soil and people.
The extremes of temperature in Afghan
istan are much greater than those Of
Switzerland, just as the heat of India is
greater than that of Italy. We must
imagine the country as highland sell
dom below A, 600 feet high, with peaks
running up sometime to 10000 feet.
Even the passes which enter the country
are not under 5000 feet. To get to
Cabul from the north one must cross
three passes varying in height from ten
to twelve thousand feet. From the south
there are long and narrow passages
through mountains not less than 6,000
feet in height. Cabul itself, the capital,
stands on an elevation of G,400 feet.
Unlike Switzerland, Afghauistan has
very little water. The streams are few
and narrow, and soon dry up. But where
land can be cultivated the productions
are luxuriant and much the same as
those of more temperate zone. Among
the people there is the same feeling of
equality, the same independence, the
same absolute love of liberty. Hatred
| of foreigners might be broken down in
Afghanistan as in Switzerland if the for
eigner made no attempt at political sub
| iugation and confined himself to spend
ing money in travelling.
Like the Swiss, the Afghans enjoy
local independence. The people are di-
vided into tribes aud the tribes into
clans, each of which has its own self
government, scarcely dependent on the
central authority except for payment of
taxes. The Ameer is little more than
the chief of the various chiefs, sort OF
military dictator, and holds his position
| subject entirely to their good pleasure.
The Afghans call themselves Pushtoo, Or
Pukhtoo, but they give themselves also
another name, Bani Israil (Sons of
Israeli, claiming to be descended from
King Saul. Their traditions on this
point are So particular and minute that
many families profess to show the direct
| line Of their ancestry back to Adam.
| THE AFGHAN CHARACTER.
The Afgnans are vigorous, we'll built
and muscular, excellent walkers, clever
workmen; they have rather a long coun-
tenance, with high check bones, thick
eyebrows and coarse, thick black hair
and beard, with an olive or dark brown
complexion. They are generally frank,
rude, brusque, negligent in their attire,
and in war capable of the worst of deeds.
If VIC were to believe an Afghan prov
erb-''he who does not open his door to
the stranger is not an Afghan" But
the English, who have know them best,
find 10 good word in praise of them, ex-
cept for their bravery. If VIC may be-
lieyc a Hindoo provGrb-''God protect
you from the vengeance of az elephant,
cobra or an Afghan
The women, who at hGme are not kept
undc. as severe restrictions rs in other
Mahometan countries, are, by general
consent, pretty, and are said to have
played no little part in the cause which
led to the massacres of the English at
Cabul. At the same time they are gen.
orally intelligent and faithful, and an
Oriental proverb says: ''Go to India to
get rich, to Cashmere to amuse yourself,
but take an Afghan wife" Observers
tell us that the Afghans are the only
people in the East where there is any
trace of the sentiment of love according
to our notions. The love stories preva-
lent in Afghan legends and Afghan liter
ature can scarcely be brought up as
proof OF this, as stories equally senti-
mental exist in other Eastern countries.
| AFGHAN MARRIAGE CUSTOMS.
Among certain tribes Ito man is allowed
to see his wife until the marriage cele.
mony is completed; in others there is
almost an equal reserve, and, although
| CLS lONCi llNC Win ulS luluIC liLIcI-
in-law and earn his bride by his services,
as Jacob did Rachel, he may never see
her. Yet in the greater part of Afghan
istan the lovers once affianced are allowed
to so Counting" if one may so call it.
That is, the lover visits his bride by
night, and is admitted by the mother or
other female relatives, although these
visits are supposed to be kept secret from
the father. All innocent freedoms are
permitted, and the cases are rare where
nature is allowed to step beyond the
bourds of injunctions. As in all Mus
sulman countries, polygamy exists; but
most of the people cannot afford to avail
| themselves of their privileges, aud con-
tent themselves with one, Or at the
most, two wives. While the Afghans
very commonly marry into the subordi-
nate class of the population, they never
allow their daughters to marry other
than Afghans of their own rank.
The Afghan IN his own country never
occupies himself with anything except
agriculture, sport or war, living mostly
in the country, leaving commerce AID
the menial arts to the large class of Tad
jks and Kyzilbashes (red heads), the
latter being Persians, so called from
their habit of dyeing their hair and beard
red. Sport is abundant. There is game
of all kinds, although the tales of lions
are now believed to be fictitious, and
even tigers are rarely found. When
hunting is impossible, the Afghan resorts
to many simple games practised by all
children of nature, whether simply saw
age men or civilized youth-marblee,
ball or gymnastics.
| AN AMERICAN ADVENTURER,
We may judge from the experience of
the English and from the blood stained
chronicle Of the past century of massacre
and deyastations, what the chances are
for any Government that wishes to take
forcible possession of Afghanis.an.
Rather any fate, think the Afghans, than
a foreign master. Said an old Afghan to
Elphinstone: "Wc are content with dis
cord, we are content with alarms we are
content with blood, but we will never be
content with a master"
Curiously enough there was at one