The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1885-05-14
The Strenghold. HerAt.

Herat. the capital Of Afghanistan, is
strongly fortified city, and is the onl,
place in Central Asia which large urn,
could occupy a base for extensive mill
fary operations. For this reason itD occu
patton by either Russia or England i
looked upon as cause Of war by thu
other nation. It commands the mountain
passes to India and ito occupation by Rus
STA would seriously endangsr the Enslisl
supremacy in that empire. 4 recent visit
or to Herst thus describes it:
When we came within sight Of Herat
we found rope stretched across the road
to stop us. until m,tiiah came ont to col
lect toll and exact an oath that We were
not enemies Of the city. Then be went
back and sent out mounted courier,
whose duty 1t was TO tell us that We could
enter the city by the way Of the river
bridge. We turned down into the valley,
where. passing village after village. and
coming among net work Of irregular
canals, we reached the magnificent bridge
structure of twenty-three arches, and
called Puhi-mahlaa, truly the most splen-
did piece Of engineering skill that We had
seen since leaving Yezd. Crossing il, We
we're at the gate Of the best fortified Of the
Oriental cities.
Beautiful OF situation, and notably .
stronghold. Herat comes to the eye with >
grand earthwork claiming honor % the
most stupendous in all Asia. crowned by
. mighty wall, and protected by wide
we'll kept moat. Here are the figures:
Earthwork, $50 feet wide. so feet high !;
wall. IA feet wide. 25 feet high; ditch 10
fee! wide, l6 feet deep Well may Eng
lish soldiers speak Of Herat's imposing
strength. Well may we wonder Vt the
story Of the sieges Of Timur aud Jenshiz
Khan. We got down and entered by the
Irak Gate There are Eve gates TO the
city. two 1t the north. and three others in
the centre Of the remaining faces. From
eaoh gate . street runs straight TO the cen.
tire Of the city, where vast qusdrangular
having . wooden dome, and
holding years supply Of water. OF the
I've streets. that from the south or Kanda-
har gate il the principal. Il is covered
the whole length. forming mammoth
with well built bazaars on
zach side, and being OF itself . great
Ehoroug The Irak, like the other
three streets. il inferior TO ii. But Oil Of
he streets are lined with bazaars. Pass
ing into the rear Of the baxAars you find |
he houses. These are Of two kinds, |
prick and mud. Most Of the latter arc il |
'uiss, aad uninhabited except BY vermin.
rhs bri K structures arc more modern
,ut sadly out Of repair. and fast going to
In these houses the people
i've IN swarns. going out into ID CAdhar.
ul c"Fsur Bazaars') TO traffic. There
nay b $4,000 population, but they arc
'nough TO make city Of the same ssni-
ary class - many others Of India Filthy
! no name for its condition. II IL not 30
Fery disgustise around and about the
louses, though they are BY no means clean,
mt 70 into the streets! There are drains,
and they open into the streets; sewers -
nd they discharge into the sams thor.
garbage. ashes and refuse, all
hrswn into the streets 10 heaps. Cholera
J always IN invited guest there. and ! had
70 wonder il the people we're not di1sr.
ntly constituted Iron their fellow beings
0 escape The invssisa Of deadly plague.
he public bulldogs Of Herat are neither
asny nor grand. The meg'i Jumo lgrsst
,csque) is vast ruin not unlike the Col.
sssum 1t Rome. II vas once magnif-
ent in architecture and sdornnsnt. but
% one has the means, or isclinstion
, care for il now. The elaA r.bagh
loyal palace i not inferior % some SINH
II buildings in TshesAn. but b more
.odern-.
Il fssi bsds' Hunts Kidney and Liv-
Il Remedy encourages sls<p. creates 40
ppstits. braces up TIE system, and re-
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