Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1885-04-23

EmNhhohhs |
Whether or not Peter the Great left i
will in which he advised that the Empire !
enlarge its borders till its southern shores J
were washed by the warm waves of the !
Indian ocean, this certainly has been the I
policy of his Successors. What may be
their ultimate ambition, or what the r
extent 10 which they deem II possible to /
stretch the boundary of Russia, no one +
save the Gar himself knows. 1t is ,
possible they have no liked goal in view,
hut il is more likely they look with
longing eyes towards India, Asin's rnrest
Jewell which spnrlles 50 brightly in the
crown of Englund's Queen, and towards
this land they have been advancing OF
late years by steps neither short nor slow
The question ut present in dispute be
tween Russia and England is the northern
frontier of Afghanistan, about which
there is much confusion of ideas and
marked conflict of claims. This boundary, |
as laid down in English maps, starts at
Sarakhs, ON the Heri-Rud river, 200 |
miles from Herat, and runs in straight |
line little north of east, crossing the |
Murghab river, near Baba- Gumez, and
striking the river Oxus ut Khodja Sail.
On the other hand the frontier, us re-
arranged by RUSSIA in the recent General
staff Map, starts from Pesh-robat and
runs east ON q line only 80 miles distant
from Herat, crossing the kushk river,
then turning sharply to the northeast and
passing about 10 miles to the south OF
Penideh.
If Russia were to secure this frontier it
would put her in possession of the district
of Badghees, and would thrust in n
wedge of Russian territory between the
two principal rivers of Northwest Afgha-
nistan, thereby placing Cossack pickets
within so or 40 miles of Herat. MIR.
Lessar, however who has been commits
stoned to represent the Russian govern
ment in this matter ut London, does not
claim quite 80 much MS this. The frontier
line which he suggests starts from the Herr
Rud river, so miles north of Pesh-robat
and 80 miles north of Herat, and runs
east and northeast, crossing the Murghab
river Mt the same point as the other
Russian line, and, like TINT, leaving
Penideh outside of the Afghan frontier.
Within this disputed territory there are
Russian detachments at Pul-i-Khatun and
at Ak-robut. Penjdeh is fortress,
situated on broad plateau and forming
a kind of outwork to the local market
and higher up the Murghab. This river
is the most direct approach to Herat from
the side of Russian Turkestan, which
fact gives to Penjdeh its importance as il
commands this approach from the left
bank of the stream. The fortress has
fallen somewhat into neglect, but is still
capable of opposing stout resistance.
Regarding Penjdeh, the Pal Nal
Gazette, March 5, says: The new
frontier will be practically that which
Russia has defined MS the natural limit o
Northwestern Afghanistan, with the ex
ceptiun of this isolated post of Penjdeh
from which the Afghans would be com
PEELED to clear out whenever war is de
clared The squabble about this trumper.
little Afghan sentry-box planted in tn
midst of the Sarakhs, the majority o
whom are under Russian authority
absurd enough in itself, is simply gro
tesque as casus beli between tw
great empires" The Russians claim tina
Afghanistan was the aggressor il
occupying the territory in contest Abou
the LIST of July, 1884, the Afghans too
possession of Penjdeh The Russian
retorted by seizing Pul-i-Khatun. Then
in january last, when the Afghans ad
yanced to Sari- Yari, the Russians move
1OTWhru anu OCCuJleu hh-IODul,
Sarakhs, which was first occupied b
Russia four years ago stands on rock
ridge Just at the meeting point of tn
frontiers of Persia, Afghanistan and tn
Merv desert II was formerly yer
strong and well-fortifed position but il
defenses had fallen into decay whe
Russia occupied it. Probably they hay
been improved in the interval.
Herat which is the place actual
coveted by Russia, has extraordinaI
natural advantages as a stronghold
commands the great high roads fro
Khiva, Teheran, Balkh, Bokhara, Cabu
Meshed, Seistan and Kandahar. II lies
a fertile valley, and is surrounded
enormous earthworks. Colonel Mallesol
in his book on Herat, writes
"Place an army there, and nothir
need be brought to it from Europ
Within the limits of the Herati terrific
all the great roads leading on India co
o.. verge. The mines of the Herati distri
supply lead, iron and sulphur; the surfa
of many parts of the country is lad
with saltpetre; the willow and the poplG
which make the best charcoal, aboun
the fields produce in abundance cor
wine and oil. From the population,
tracted to its new rulers by good COVER
ment, splendid soldiers might be c
tanned
AS to the fertile Badghees district
traveller who passed through it vi
General Lumsden's party last Noveml
writes thus of the panorama which L
folded itself before his eyes, as he sto
ON the summit of the Sar-i-Chashn
5000 feet above the sea;
"a vast sen of grassy billowy dow
swept TO the foot of the Jam mounta
in the fur west, and TO the north roll
away as fur as the eye could see, its
dulating surface being only broken
the island hills which inclose the val
of Penjdeh.
This, then, was the bleak, steri
mountainous country which we
thought of with a shiver, when our ey
tired of staring glaring deserts, were
joying the rich fertility of the He
valleys. Mountainous-as mountaint
as the Brighton Downs Bleak
climate of the Engadine in Augu
Sterile-groves of pistachio and mulbe
trees, wild rose trees, real English bla
berry bushes, wild carrots, testified to
richness of the soil, irrigated i'll MI
places by mountain streams of the pun
water, alive with fish And this
autumn, the eve of winter; what, tn
should be named Badghees ('windy
know not, for since we have crossed
Sich Bubak we have been sheltered in
kindly bosom from the fierce biting BIZ
which never ceased to assail us fl
Seistan TO Kuhsan. How il has obtai
its reputation for sterility is not diff
to say. Scarcely an acre of this rich
is cultivated"
The Turcomans, by the frequency
their murderous raids, rendered
blooming country almost uninhabita
until Russia overawed these freebOot,
rescued the prisoners they had taken
restored them to their homes. I
kindness will go II long way towards
furtherance of whatever schemes Ru
may have in Central Asia.
The means of communication in Afl
nistan, are, MS "a rule, very PRINT
roads often following the more or less
beds of mountain torrents, overhunt
precipices climbing up rugged pa
often as much as 10000 feet above
sen, or wading through seas of sand
dust. In the winter the climate al
Cabul and Ghuznee is tolerably Sc
and the passes are frequently blot
with snow. The people are, as
and especially about Cabul and Ghuz
fanatical Sunni Mohommedans. I
are high-spirited, warlike race. F.
man rs armed TO the teeth. They
constantly fighting among themselves
usual causes for quarrel being water
irrigating purposes
There are a great nunher of diffe