The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-05-14
But the key to the understanding Of the


rortance on the map Herat is the real
objective point OF both governments. 1t
is only as steps towards the capture of
Herat that the Russian occupation Of
Zulfkar and Ak-Robat, and its later
seizure of Panjdeh, are important. 1t is
only as outposts protecting Herat from
surprise and seizure that the English gov
eminent is so deeply concerned to compel
Russia to retire therefrom. From Zullkar
and Ak-Robat to Herat the Russians have
to march less than loO miles to bring them
to the gates of Herat.
Study of the map shows that the Rus
sian advance upon Herat will be made
along two river lines. On the western
side the ears forces will follow the Herr
Rud river. On the eastern side they will
follow the Murghab river, and its feeder.
the Kushk river. The Kushk river. it
will be noted, rises in the Paropamisus
mountains, Immediately north OF IIerat.
within 40,miles, and. running parallel w.;h
the Keri-Rud river, finally joins the
Murghab river, Just at the point where
Fort Ak Tcpe Hecently captured by Kom-
arotf) commands and controls the whole
Penjdeh district. Penjdeh is about l2o
miles from Herat. Ak Robnt Is less than
50 miles from Herat.
Fort Ak Tepe, on the map, is enclosed by
black lines 1t was built last year by the
Afghans under the advice of the British.
1t stands ON a huge mound (hence its
name, which means white hill,l on piece
of fiat alluvial ground, round which the
Murghab river passes in winding course
before joining the Kuskh 1t not only
controls the junction Of the Kushk aud
the Murghab, but the entire country in
side those two rivers clear up TO the hills
which overlook Herat. Fort Ak Tepe,
with it's II guns, has been thus Regarded
as in every sense u gate to Herat, and that
gate is now in Russian hands
The frontier which Russia claims is al
so marked by a black dotted line upon the
map. Russia's claims include the town
of Maruchak, rs miles above the Penj-
deh settlements, and Is miles from the
Afghan fort of Bala Murghab. This last
named place is, or rather was, u strategic
point Of Importance, too. 1t is situated on
the high road from Afghan Turkestan to
Herat, and thus controls a Russian adj
vance from that direction. The capture Of
Penjdeh sewers Bala Murghab from Herat
and if Penjdeh is retained by komaroif,
all the ameer's territory north of the Hin
doo-Koo5h river is at his mercy.
While ii seems that Russia has been ey-
her action in regard to the debateble land
by asserting that under the arrangement
with England in 1873 by which only those
places then in the actual possession Of
Shere Ali were to be considered as Afghan
territory, Penjdeh did not belong to AT
ghanistan. No Afghan garrison had oc-
cupied Penjdeh since 1873 until August,
1884, when the present Ameer sent force
there and, as the Russians claimed, wrong
fully seized it, and thus attempted to fore
close the negotiations. The Saryks of
Penjdeh number 5000 families, and Russia
claims that they should be under her rule
on ethnographical grounds; that is, that
they are part of the Turcoman race, which
she has subjected in her onward march,
and that if order is TO be maintained
among them she is the power to do 1t.
Between the Hari Rud and Kushk rivers a
number of salt lakes lie, and the use Of
these Russia claims to be indispensable to
the tribesmen under her protection. The
whole of the debatable land lies between
Sarakhs and Herat on, the one side, and
between Penjdeh and Herat on the other
side of the map.
M. Lessar, the famous Russian engineer,
furnished to his government in 1882 de-
scription Of the country from Sarakhs to
Herat, which is full of interest This re-
port of NJ Lessar is significant from the
fact that it shows the Russians to have a
thorough survey of the country over which
they must move to Herat, and that there
are no great natural obstacles in the way
of their advance. Is
The question may now be put,-why is
Herat so important? What makes Eng
land alarmed lest Russia should obtain
possession of it, and what is there about
Herat anyway that entities it to be called
1.-THE key of India General Skoboleff, writ
ing in 1882, when he was chief of the Asiatic
branch Of the Russian general staff, said
"a body of European troops established
at Herat. and standing with its front to the
southeast, would draw upon it the atten
ton of the whole population of India
In that lies the significance of military
occupation of Herat: and it is not with
out reason that number of English ex
perts, knowing India well, have expressed
their belief that were an enemy to occupy
Herat with powerful force, the English
army, without having fred shot, would
consider itself half beaten"
The civilian mind can perhaps, better
understand why Herat is 81 the key of In
dia, "if it is said that the vulnerable part o.
India cannot be reached by Russia except
through valleys, which cannot be entered
and held so long as Herat is held by !,
British force, or by force friendly
to the British. These valleys, running
nearly north and south, are bounded on
the east by inaccessible mountain heights
and on the west by impracticable deserts
Herat blocks the only entrance to then
that an army could safely make. If Hera
is captured the road is clear, through
these valleys, to Candahar. and thence Il
all British India.
1t is believed that the English will ad
vance from Pishin to Quetta, thence t.
Herat The railroad runs no further thar
Pishin, and is not yet built to that point
though it soon will be- From Pishin t
Candahar is little less than 100 miles
and from Pishin TO Herat is 400 miles
The British army to be sent from Quettah
where Lord Dufferin has gathered a fore,
fully large enough TO hold Hcrat, if it cal
get there before the Russians, will, there
| fore, have march of about $40 miles t,
! accomplish There is Il broad Wagon
road the whole way, Russia has ralwa.
communication nearly all the way iron
| the Caspian sea to Askabad. From Askn
| bad to Sarahks is 49, miles, and from
Sarahks to Herat is ao2 miles, makng.i
total distance to be marched by the Rid
slams of less than 100 miles, against 80
miles to be covered by their British com
| petitors in the race. But it is to be re
melnberci that the Russians are estal
lished already at Penjdeh, at AkRoba
and at Zulfker which are but 100, II
| and so miles respectively distant froi
Herat. How large their forces are a
those points is not known, and how mnc
| General Lumsden has done TO bar a SUD
den advance, if it is attempted, upoi
| uerat is matter for surmise One thin