New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-05-10
THIRTY MILES TO HERAT.
A TRAVELLERS SKETCHES BY THE WAY.

Afghan town thirty miles out on the Pivy or
lrak road from Herat If you chance to he good
paying guest at the inn, yOu are soemnly informed
that Mondays and Wednesdays are the only two
lucky days for iourneying We were fortunate
enough to be poor, and so one said word about
Saturday being an unlucky day to start on. As
soon as we came out the walters of the establish
ment appeared, six Arab boys, each with two kaoks
in his hand. To be knoked is the first step in the
general system Of extortiou in vogue. knox, you
may not understand is an article of some kind
which You have need while at the poi or inn, and
which the waiter-bOy insists presenting to you
on your departure OF course you must pay for the
gift, or run the risk of being pelted with gravel
My proilered kRoks were the two napkins which
had used, the leather covering of a char, two
plates ard lamp. The return for the SIX articles
WAS equivalent to as many dollars, and / was
vexed, for the knobs were of no use TO us at all
Hesitatng a moment, tho leader of the boys asked
if would not accept the knoks. "Yes," said, /" if
can choose for myselfp "All right" they grunted.
Bring me- then, three of the couch rugs, a drapery
and two silver cupsP / said. They were dunn
founded. Such audacity was TOO much, and as they
hurried ont to confer with the landady the post
horses came. and we mounted.
Tho road was cross between highway aud a
byway. 1t proceeded through vast ard plain,
hat rs hoor. and sparsey peOpled by nOmads,
with village here and o village there, and spots
of luxurious vegetation az every mountainous
break On the north the rough hills were magnili-
cent and the south distant roseae ranges skirted
the plains and filed the perspective with ever
varying mirage. That portion of the country is
inadequately governed and unsafe, and as there is
little traffic the expenses of travelling are
enormous. We were in no humor to gain a realizing
6 i.
realize, and that that the horse that rode was
a boagy and of all horses that 1 ever saw bcugy
Afghan is the worst for saddle use He was milk
white and rather Stylish but he went with skip
anda-iump trot that was not comfortable for man
who had not been in a saddle for a year. But ho
did not trot all of the time for just in advance Of
was a Russian traveller with thirty-six loads OF
luggage and train of attendants; and the rules
of the Eastern roads are such that one company
cannot come enough to another to hear the
crack of whips. Although our party carried bag
OF mail, we had no right to go past the Russian
who fancy was in no hurry to get on to Cabul At
mid-afternoon he halted for tho night, and we had
to do likewise
Co.'s was the name of the place, and it was in a
sequestered and desOate spot. narrow rusty old
gate opened ont of an arcbway at the waysde, and
was marked Tough. The word means Welcomed
hut not of beng Welcome, for in
vain pounded the gate with the hammer that is
used for that purpose. But at last brave little lad
came and gave us admittance. We dismOunted
and walking up q weedy lane entered the village
and sought the pOh. The entrance was a square
cellar aud the accommodations were like those of
all other Eastern hostclries. There was one inno-
vation,-a glass window dirty one at that, but
one of which the proprietor was very proud. He
took the sash out and showed it to us, and then
took us to our chamber, where in strange sort of
contrlvance a boy burnt some charcoal aud cooked
our rice Alter sunrise priest came in to see us.
wearing robes, but with bare feet. He wanted to
convert us, but he spent a good haifhour IN
telling us thabby the will of Allah his skin was of
a delicate color. which fact he regarded a
mark of divine honor nasmuch as it distinguished
him from the burntsieuua cOlOred natives. After
ward he talked theology in q mad sort of way.
Apologzmg for the building that he called
mosque" he invited us out TO SEQ it, and we
found very gaudy place. hung all with
festoons aud tmselled drapery. with tapors burning
and tin ornaments sparkling.
We saw perhaps a dozen Afghan women. They
wore no bounets' but simply II long veil of gauzy
stun. Look at them in the right way, and they are
pretty. Their conferences have jewish cast,
bat they are not brunettes Their skin is aneulic,
ball so as to make them look more than naturally
white. They walk remarkably WELL and in the
management Of thor wells display much innate
grace ana elegance. . ,
OF the men may as we'll say that they are not
unlil,e what "A cross between Hindu and q Persian
,yonld be- Athletic. fair and wel-bearded. they
have aaulne faces, with the fOTeheads shaved, and
thr hair on the sides hanging IN curls that fail
the shoulders in n picturesque, shaggy, mane-like
Tay' Their carriage is full OF resolution aud PRIDE
and from one border of the country to another you
cannot out remark that they remind YOU of bantam
roosters. And they are like them, to0,-turDnlent
yain brutal. quarresOmc. liking nothing better
than the practise of martial sports OF cruel cast.
The kd:h chief trb snan OF Co.'s. was as perfect
n =ame-bird as ever saw.
This same kdyh wanted to buy my pens and ink
and | hal no alternative save to consent But
exactcd price of him, and that was a ride III his
sla n To Herat IL was preferable TO 6OHgy riding.
thou0h a slam is % carriage that il rs awkward aud
unwieldy as anything ever drawn by horses From
Selnp three miles further on. to Herat. fine
carriape road had been recently finished, and
Russian had gone on by another road, we had
nIrasant ride. When we came within sight of
ilorat we fonnd rope stretched across the road
to stOp US until mHltdb came out 10 collect toll
and exact an oath that we were not enemies of tho
citv Then he went back and sent out mounted
conrier, whose duty IL was to tell MS that we could
enter the citv by the way of the river-brdge We
tnrne1 down into the valley. where, passing village
after village. and coming among network OF irIi-
eating canals, W" reached tine magnlhcent bridge. q
structure Of twenty-three arches, and called
pghR.mahIan truly the most splendid piece OF
engneering skill that We had seen since leaving
Ye1d Crossing it, we were at the gate of the best
fortified OF the Oriental cities.
beautiful of situation, and notably stronghold
Uerat comes to the eye with u grand earthwork
claiming honor as the most stupendOus in all ASIA
crowned by o mighty wall, and protected by a
vide well-ke moat. Here are the figures Earth
work. 80 feet wide, 80 feet high; wall, IA feet
wide % feet high; ditch, 40 feet wide. 10 feet
deem Well may English soldiers speak of Herats
I,nposing strength. Well may wonder at the
story of the sieges of Timur AMI Jenghiz Khan. We
cot down and entered by tho lrak Gate: There are
others in the centre of the remaining faces. From
each gate street straight to the centre OF the
oity where is a vast quadranguar reservoir. having
n vy0oden dome and holding u years supply of
water. OF the five streets that from the south or
Kandohar Gate is the principal. 1t is covered the
whole length. forming mammoth carayanseral
VT n nrent thnrnn ghfare Tho Irak Ike the