THE AFGHAN FRONTIER.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 79, 11 April 1885, Page 3

THE AFGHAN FRONTIER.

Something Anout the Land Over wlicfc Russia and England are f™r""|Li£ * One Anothor-Travels of Ou> Brttisn Commissioners.

A coBREsroNDKNT of tho London News, writing from Penjdeh, on the Murghab, Afghanistan, soys: »It ought to be mentioned that vory few Enghshmen, it might be put Europeans, have travelled over this region of the earth's surface. It 18,*" unknown ground. The latitude and longitude of the maps of this part of the world are all wrong Penjdeh has found to be seventeen miles to the west of ts place as given on maps, and hvo milesi south, lhis condition of things gives a value to every hit of detail which can bo picked up, and will add vory greatly to the interest.connected with the scientific department cf the mission. The surveyors under Mai. Ho - dich are determining the latitude and longitude of each place with greatprecision ~ Dr. Aitchison is collecting the natural history and the botany.; Mr Griesbach is work mg out the geology. These officers are carrying out their work in a methodical form, but an connected with the expedition are more or less at work, and when the work is over something will be known of the country we are now travelling in. " Having come down the Kushk alley to AkXapa, we are now going in a southerly direction up the valley of the Murghab to Bala Murghab, from which we turn to the east to our winter quarters at Ohahar Shamba. The Kazi Saad uddin, with an Afghan escort, accompanies Sir Petor Lumsdon as tho representative of the Amoor. So far wo have como along smoothly, mo commision has been well treated wherever it has appeared. Here we are in Afghanistan, and the Afghan authorities are most particular in their manifestations ot civility. This ia slightly different from what the prophets foretold. We were going among wild races who would be sure to murdtfr us all. Had I not known something about the East, I should have hesitated to comei out here, owing to what friends suggested as my probable fate before I left England. Had the prophets of evil been here for the last two days—for we have rested a day or so here—they would have seen something very different from that of the wild tribes murdering us. Everyone hore haa been busy, and I regret to have to report that all the officers, without an exception, have, by their conduct the last day or so, rendered themselves liable to be called " carpet knights." The Turcoman young ladies have a deft way of working a peculiarly fine kind of carpet, aud some of the finest of these serve as doors to the kibitkas; thoy are hung up like a curtain. There has been quite a run on these carpets or "docirs" here. Prices have gone up to fabulous sums. Our winter quarters are to be kibitkas, and everyone wants a carpet or two, and a "door" as well. Judging by some purchases, it looks as if some of our party are going to have very large kibitkas, a kibitka, say, with a half-dozen doors at least. The largest and finest kibitka I have yet soen in Penjdeh had only one door. This was a very handsome residence; it was hung round with fringes and tassels, and the door was covered with a very beautiful carpet. It had a bloom on it like a peach. Some suggested that it would be the Lord Mayor's residence, and it was at once christened "The Mansion Houso." At first new carpets were brought for sale, but some one brought an old ono, beautifully toned down, from the time it had hung on a door. This was bought up at a high price, and as Boon as the value of old doors was discovered there was a rush on the kibitkas, and every ragged old article was brought to market. This led to some amusing scenes. One of our people bought a carpet from an old man, and had paid his money, when tho wife appeared. She seemed angry, and seized the piece of carpet, carried it off triumphantly, and hung it up on its place ovor the door of her kibitka. The old man looked rather foolish, for he had to hand back the silver coins.

" There are a number of Jews in Penjdeh The Saroks are a mixture of two races, the Turanian and the Iranian, or Mongolian and Caucasian, according to tho old way of putting it. Some are very Chinese in their features, while others might pass for Persians, and there is every degree of mixture between. On the day of our arrival I was carefully noting the facial forms to be seen in the crowd, and three or four men with a distinct physiognomy caught my eye. They were dressed like the others around, in high sheepskin hats, the hair outside, and the outer garment which covers the body had very wide, bulging sleeves. After (patching these men for a time, I went up and pronounced the words, " Bani Israel!" to one of them. He turned sharply round, and looked astonished, but he did not look as if he understood me, so the words were repeated. What he said in reply was beyond me, but it expressed assent. Thinking it would be worth knowing if he understood Hebrew, I began with " Baraschit," and repeated some of the wordß in the firat verse of Genesis. At the word "Elohim" he took up the sentence and went on to "Aretz," the laßt word of the verse. He uttered it all in a low voice, as if he did not wish anyone but myself to hear him. From this it may be concluded that even in this out-of-the-way spot they are not ignorant of their own language or of their religion. I noticed that they were very busy when carpets or other articles were in demand, and they have made a good harvest during our stay atjPenjdeh. "Ourstay here has had a good effect on the people. They have benefited largely by our visit, and muat have formed a favourable opinion of us. Perhaps they may not have a high opinion of our judgment after seeing us give such high sums for the old doors of thoir kibitkas."