The Afghans

Afghanistan, or the land of the Afghan, is, broadly viewed, atable land, quadrilateral in shape, south of Indepéndent Tartary, west of the Puajaub, the northwosternmost of the British posseHsions, nortli of Beloochistaa, and east of Persia, lts eastern boundary is ti litfle west of thclndus rivet. Tliis country is about 600 miles from east'to west, and 450 miles from north tn siiiith. !c:iving out ccrtain provinces that are more or loss intimately connected with it. Including these, it mensures about 600 milos each wny. Such is the elevation of the territory that, were the sea to rise 4,000 feet, it would onver only small portions of it, such as the kwel part of the Cabul valley, some ground nenr the Indus. and a triangle bounded by linea from the Lake of Seistan to Herat, tlience to Kandahar, mul back to the Jake. AVere the sea to risp 7)000 feet, a seetion of the country measuring 200 miles by 250 miles would be touched. At Cabul and all over the northern part of the country the winters are severe. In Cabul the snow is often several feet deep. At Jalalabnd the clitnote nssumes an Lidian Ofaaractet. andthefntalsinioon is sometimes feit. Tlie summer !icat is grent all over Afghanistan, especially in the districts bordi'ringon thelndtis. Ifl Khorasan during the hot season there are often dust-stonns md fiery winda At Girishk in summer the sun bas reaehed 118 or 119 deg. Fahrenheit. Afghanistan is reported to be rich in niinends. but little is done to develop its resources in tliis direction. Some iron and lead is miued, and otlier minerals ai'e knowii to exist. In mout parta of the country there are two harvests, as in India. The spring erop oonsists of wheat, barley, and a variety of lentil. The fall erop consists of rico, sorgliuin, raaiüe, millct, tobáceo, beets, turnips, etc. Madder, lucerno, and nicliiiis are riiised largely. All European fruits are produced profusely. The popnlation of Afghanistan is estimated to be 4,901,000. Of these there are in Afghan Turkestan 1)12.000. and of Chitralis and Kafirs 150,000. Of the rest of the people the Eimaks and Hazaras nurnber 400.000; tin; Tajiks, 500,000; the Kizilbashes, 150,000; Hinkis and Jats, 500,000; Kohistanis, 200,000; Aighans and Pathaas, including 400,000 independent YtiwrfTnin. 2,359,000. The Afghans, innred to bloodshed fi'om childhood", are familiar with death and are audaeions in attaek, biit are eusily discouraged; excessively turbulent and unsubniissive to biw or discipline; apparently frank and añuble in manner, espeoiaHy when they want to gáín some oVject, but capable of the grossest brutality when that hope ceases. They are unscrupulous in perjury, treacherons, vain and insatiable, jpassionate in vindictivcness, which they will satisfy at the cost of their own livos and in the most cruel manner. Nowliero is crime committed on such triíling grounds, or with such general impunity, though when it is punished the punishment is atrocious. Among themselves the Afghans are (niarrelsome, intriguing and distrustful; estratigenients and ail'rays are af constant occurrence. The Afghan is, by breed and nature, a liird of prey. They avo etèmaüy boasting of tfeefr lineage, theil iiulopondence and thoiv prowess. Thoy regard Hierhsêlves as the first of jftaÜons, yrt they uso the phyase "an Afghan job" as u synonym lor a ])pculiarly craei ueèd. "Tfóthing, lid BirH. Edwaids. ''is finer than their physique or worse than their niorals." The Afghans are orgauizod in tribes, and olect flioir own chiefs and representativos to occasionai councils. Ineir politica! constitution is a coinpound of democracy and absolutitm. Afghanistan is under one Prinee, but it is hardly. a monarchy as we undi vstand the term. Tt is raiÜer the government of a dictator for life over a military aristocracy, and within Ulis a congeries oí' small democracies. The Sirdors govemlheir respective districte, eaeh alter his own fushion. The spirit of the Afghans is expressed in tln rèniark of one of them ; "We are content with diseord; we are content with alarms ; we. are contont with blood ; but we will never be content with a master." The Afghans are Mohammedans, and nearly. all of them are of the Sauni or ortliddox liraii-li. Theyarc vnv superstitious and fond of field sports. The revenue of the country is from s-2 .r.00,000 to 63,000,000 a year. The regalar axmy was formed in 1858 with 16 infantvv règimciïtfl ol' iSOl) men each, 900 cavalry, S0 rield pitees and a few lioavy gnns. The main inililury force, however. is the untnvini'd but hiurdy and warlike levies that the tribal chiefs can produce on qccijtsv ':■ The Afghan bisten ians cali their people the Childrèh of Israel, md claim to In' dcs-( -nili'd frm Kiug Saul. In 1809, in consequence of thn intrigues of Napoleon in Persia, the Hon. Moiintstewart Elijhinstone was sent to Sliah Khiija. tlion in ]ower, and was wcll receivedt Tliis was the first acqnaintance of tho Afghans with EhgTishnien. In 1H37 tho Pei-sian siegc of Herat and tho ïiiovements-óf the Bussians oreated UBeasiness, and the English deterininel to reinstate Shah Shuja, long a rofugee in British possessions. llaujit Singh, King of the Punjaub, agreejS töassist, but linally refuscd his aid. Tlio army of the Indus, 21,000 men, under Bir John Keane, advaneed through the Bolan pass in March, 1S38. Thex'e was little opposition, and the expodition appenred to havo been an easy suocoss. But in 1841 a revolt against the Kngüsh and Shah Bhujah broke out. beginning in Cabtil with tlie massaore of sc-eval Euglish officers. Disaster aft(r disaster was sttfferëd by the English. Ambuscades and tho snowR of winter almost annihilated the army of 4,500 men that souglit to retreat into India. In 1842 the English sent an army to avenge this deleat This army d(liered a numbor of prisonèrs, dostroycd the citadel at Cabul, and then returned to India. The country bas since 1842 passed through many vicissitudes, and for several years the Aniecr has been on good term with the (lovernment of India, and has received numerous and valuable presonts from it.