The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-05-13

ssSsSs;3,s
BY the courtesy of the Boston Adrer-
tiSer THE WATCHMAN is enabled to
furnish its readers an exceptionally full
and clear map of the country in dispute
between Great Britain and Russia.
The cut also presents to view enough |
of the surrounding nationalities and
possessions to give, at sight, an intelli
gent understanding of the geographical
situation. A few years ago Russia sub
dued the Turcomans, inhabiting the |
country east of the Caspian Sea and |
north of Afghanistan. Quarrels arose
between the Turcoman and Afghan
tribes of cattle-raisers on the frontier. |
The question of the locality of the |
boundary line was raised and became |
matter of dispute. Forays were made
across the underlined border. There
were suspicious that Russia was foment-
ing these frontier broils. Afghanistan
was the ally and under the protection
of Great Britain. Practically it was
and is British colonial possession, in
terposed between India and Russian en-
croachment. A commission to " de-
limit " the Afghan frontier was finally
agreed upon between Great Britain and
Russia. The Advertiser describes the
subsequent movements: "The Rus
slams, under Komaroff, occupied Merv in
force on March IS, 1884, and by the
time Sir Peter Lumsden, the British
boundary commissioner, reached Sa-
rakhs, in November of the same year,
the Russian outposts had been pushed
across the boundary indicated on the
larger map given above, as far as Pull
Khatum, Acrobat, and later to Zulf-
kar. The Afghans had pushed over
into the disputed territory to Penjdeh
in June or July, and the occupation Of
Pul-i-Khatum and Zulikar was in re-
taliation for the seizure of Penjdeh.
BY looking at the smaller side map the
rival boundary lines will be seen clearly
marked. Penjdeh, which the Russians
finally took after a pitched battle on
March 30, 1885, is considered by some
the military key to the entire low land
north of the mountains. Just below is
Maruchak, which the Russians have
Just occupied. At the extreme right of
the larger map will be seen Rawal Pindi,
the Indian border town where Earl
: Dufferin met the Amer. 1t is about
: six hundred miles from Herat. The
principal avenue of approach for the
English and Indian armies would be
from the railway which runs from the
Indian Ocean northward along the In
dus, and then through the Bolan Pass
to Quetta. 1t is proposed to continue
this road as far as Kandahar. From
Quota to Herat is five hundred four
teen miles. Immense quantities of
supplies have been accumulated by the
British at Quota. The Russian forces
now occupy all, or nearly all, of the
territory in dispute. Precisely what
their numbers are is not known, but
, there is probably force of over sixty
= thousand Russians and Turcomans near
enough to Herat to reach its walls at
. least week before an English army
could do So"
Should the pending peace negotia-
tons fail and war be declared "what
road will the combatants take to the
. seat of war, and who will reach it first?
- are the questions which arise. The
above map answers them better than
= any amount of description could do
q 1t shows the whole of Afghanistan and
e its two approaches, the one from the
e Caspian Sea, the other from the Indian
q Ocean. The side map gives, on larger
p scale of miles and in detail, the distric
e between Merry and Herat now covered
Is by the opposing forces. The route by
II which the Russian troops have beer
As carried to the disputed territory is tina
e. across the Caspian to Michailovsk
e. thence by rail to Kill Arvat, and per
'e haps to and beyond Askabad, if tn,
as railway has progressed sufficiently. o
10 the work on the railway the Russian
1r authorities allow nothing to be pub
u. lished, but trains are probably runnin,
af to Askabad at least. From this poin
TX it is about six days march to Merv
IN From that place south to Herat is tw
i hundred forty miles. According to MI
is Charles Marvin, the road is so goo
es that four-in-hand could be driven owe
to it, and on to Quetta, the English ad
It's vance post, without discomfort"
~ The river on the larger map, desia
ho mated the Anu or Jihoon, is ais
called the OXus. A boundary line,