The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-08-27

bull. the center of the Ameer's autocratic
rule. and Jellalabad midway between them,
In the heart of the land of those wild noun
tain tribesmen who obey neither Empress
nor Ameer. On either flank of the Khy-
Der for many mile the same conditions
exist. WaziH at the south and Swat and
Chitral1 at the north are in a ferment Of
fanaticlsm, raising the futile standard of
revolt. Whether the Ameer speaks truth
be ascertained. If he does, the screw guns
and the Sikhs and Ghoorkas should make
Even the 20,110 Afridis can make only
brief stand before the might of India. But
if he is playing false, the talked-of rail-
road through the Khyber may have to be
built and the scientific frontier be made
to march with Persia and Bokhara.
Another writer gives the following de-
scripton of the gate to India: The khy-
Der pass is a mountain defie twenty-eight
miles IN length, running from Jamrud 10
and rocky hills of the Khyber range. They
are without a tree, there is scarcely
brush, except from the fiat ground, where
few stunted shrubs are to be seen. Inc
entrance to the pass is between two cliffs
about 200 feet in height, and the road IS
f1anked by cindrous looking rocks, pied IN
interminable confusion, without a sign OF
vegetation, brown and forbidding. Eight
miles from the eastern entrance TO the pass
stands the picturesque little fort OF All
Musjid At This point the defile is only 400
feet wide, and the elevation OF the tort Is
2.433 feet above the sea leYel. II stands
on a cOnical hill which oVerhangS lhe var
ley $50 feet above the roadway OF the pass
through which runs small stream. foI
distance of two and one-halt miles Pc neEo ,1t
All Musiid the defile retains its dlfncult
character, the width of the gorge varying
from 300 to 400 feet and the mis- on eacn
side, about 800 feet in height, being sla{y'
bare and to all appearances lnaccessddDle
The bed of the torrent is likely to be nlleo
with sudden fall OF ran; o wngh the i1e rave
sometimes disappearing completely s"eAs
to raging violence Dr.
Beyond this section comes the Lala peg
valley six miles in length and mile ana
half In breadth, and in whlch tnere Is
of the road At the western END or lne
valley the road contracts again till there
is scarcely room for two meeting camelS
to pass In this section, for distance OF
a mile and half, the traveller passes alone
a. gallery twelve feet wide with on one
hand a towering. cliff and on t Inc orn t,
a sheer and yawning preclplce. Inc tr4 Az
eler then enters the section known as the
Lundi Khan pass, in which is sltua tea
the village Of the same name, which the
british now hold In the Lundi Khana the
greatest height, 1873 feet above the sea
level and rise of 22OS feet since IeaV tng
pass the invaders encounter the greatest
natural obstacles of the Khyber: Inc as
rugged path that guns can be drawn up
only by men, and by them only after the
roadway has been carefully prepared me
descent from the summit, near the VlIage
of Iundi Ghana, to the end of the dehle
at Dakka nine miles distant. is over prac-
ticable road, and is not difficult, although
the descent is sharp.
The Kurram valley, on which another
hostile tribe of hillmen is reported to be
descending lies to the south of the Khyber
pass and is regarded as the better route
Of the two between the Punjab ana CaDoOl
both on account of the easinesS or the
roads and the abundance of water, fuel
grazing and supplies .procurable in it. The
Inhabitants of the valley are all Shiah MO
hamnedans and are usually more friendly
toward the Anglo-Indians than they are to
the Caboolese, who are Sunni Mohamme-
dams, and are regarded by the Kurramese
as oppressors. The Kurram valley, by rea-
son of its location. turns the Khyber pass
and stretches almost to Cabool. 1t COM
Gurdan passes, which bar the way to Ca
bool and Ghuznee. in the very center of
the ameer' s territory