Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1904-05-17
THE kHYBER PASS.
Its Importance, Its Guardians and It's
Caravans,

Caravans.
The most sensitive nerve in the Brit
ish empire terminates in Afghanistan,
and the ghost Of the czar is always
dancing about the Khyber Pass,
through which caravans laden with
merchandise find their way across the
mountains between India and the coun-
tries Of Central Asia. Every time there
is a stir in a clump Of bushes, every
time a board creaks in the floor, ev-
cry time a footstep Is heard under the
window. the goose flesh rises on John
Bulls back, and he imagines that the
great white bear Is smelling around
the back door Of the empire in India.
Peshawur is the jumping off place Of
the northwest, the limit of British au-
thority, the terminus Of the railway
system Of India and the great gateway
between that empire and the outer
world, through which everything must
pass. It is to the interior Of Asia what
the Straits of Gibraltar are to the Med
iterranean Sea, and the Dardanelles to
the Black and Caspian seas. While
there are 300 paths over the mountains
in other directions, and it might be pos
sible to cross them with an army, 1t
has never been attempted and would
involve dangers, expense and delays
which no nation would undertake. The
Khyber Pass has been the great and
only route for ages whether for war or
commerce. The masters Of Central
Asia whether Persians, Greeks, Mace
domains or Assyrians, have held 1t. AL
exander the Great crossed 1t with his
army, Timour the Tartar, whom we
know better as Tamerlane, came
through upon his all-conquering expe-
dition when he subdued India to found
the Mogul Empire, and If the Russians
ever enter India by land they will come
this way.
The pass Is reached by crossing a
stony plain ten miles from Peshawur,
and winds through gorges and crevices
in the mountains for thirty-three miles
at an altitude averaging 1000 feet above
the sea. At one point the mountains
close in to about 500 feet apart and the
rocks rise in sheer precipices on either
side; in other places the gorge widens
to a mile or more and will average per-
haps three quarters of mile the en-
tire distance. It Is a remarkable gate
way, a natural barrier between hered-
itary enemies and easily defended from
either side. Kabul, the capital OF Az
ghanistan, is 1SO miles from the west
ern entrance to the defile.
The British Notifications are at jam
rud, nine miles from Peshawur. and
the terminus Of the railways. where a
strong garrison is always kept. The
pass itself Is controlled by a powerful
semi-independent native tribe called
the Afridis, estimated at 10000 strong,
who receive subsidies from the British
government and from the ameer OF At
ghanistan to keep them good natured on
the pretext that they are to do police
work and keep order in the pass. 1t
Is blackmail and bribery, but accom-
plishes its purpose, and the pass itself,
with a strip Of highlands and foothills
on the Afghanistan side, Is thus occu-
pied by a neutral party, which prevents
friction between the nations on either
side of the border The Afridis are
fearless fighters, half-civilized, half
savage, and almost entirely supported
by the subsidies they receive. Nearly
all of the ble-bodied men are under
arms. A few who are too old or TOO
young to fight, remain at home and
look after the cattle and the scraggy
gardens upon the gravelly hillsides.
The women are as hardy and as en-
during as the men and are taught to
handle the rifle.
The British authorities are confident
of the loyalty Of the Afridis and be-
lieve that the present arrangements
would be as absolutely safe in time Of
war as they are in time Of peace-that
they would permit no armed force,
whether Russians or Afghans, to cross
the pass without the consent Of both
sides, as is provided by treaty stipula-
tions.
The arrangement is as effective as
1t is novel and the Afridis carry out
every detail conscientiously. The pass
is open only two days in the week, on
Tuesdays and Fridays. No one is per-
mitted to cross or even enter 1t from
either side except on those days. AND
even then travellers, tourists and 9TH
ers actuated by curiosity are not al
lowed to go through without permits.
The caravans going both ways are re-
uuired to camp under well formed reg
ulations at either entrance until day.
light Of Tuesday or Friday, when they
are escorted through by armed bodies
of Afridis horsemen. There Is not
the slightest danger Of any sort to any
one, but it is just as we'll to go through
the ceremony for it keeps the Afridis
out Of mischief and reminds them con-
tinually of their great responsibilities.
These caravans are interesting. They
are composed of long strings Of loaded
camels, OK carts, mules and donkeys,
vehicles Of all descriptions and thou
sands of people travelling on foot, VINO
come sometimes from as far west as
the Ural mountains and the banks Of
the Volga river. They come from Per-
sia, from all parts of Siberia and from
the semi i-barbarous tribes who inhabit
that mysterious region in central Asia
known as the Roof of the World"
The camel drivers and the traders