THE WAR NEWS.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XIV, Issue 1826, 16 April 1885, Page 4

THE WAR NEWS.

The following very interesting arfacie on the strategical position o£ the Russian army, the British route to Jierat, and the description of the Bolan Pass, we copy from the New Zealand Herald of the 13th inst., and is oi special value at this stage of the warlike preparations; a perusal of the details herein contained will help to elucidate sundry difficulties connected with names and localities, now of frequent recurrence in our telegraphic news. l

The strategical importance of the Russian military position at Sarakhs is now becoming apparent. The position of that city is at the junction of ™ c f°a, ds leading from Herat and ii ii. These roads ruu alon S t]i e valleys through which flow the rivers Han-rud and Kesh e f-rud. Sir Charles 7, C^E ™ his work on Khorassan States: "Whether Bussia uses Sarakhs »s a base for offensive measures against Herat or England, or as a detensive outpost to defeat any such operations, that position will be heard of again for if England does not use Sarakhs for defence, Eussia will use it -for offence." These prophetic words are now realised, as Sarakhs Jas been made the base of Eussia's tuture operations against the Afghans, which means both Herat and England. -The river Bari-rud, which forms the western boundary of Afghanistan, rises very nearly in the heart of that country, and flows from the southern slopes of the Paropamisus range of mountains ; it passes Herat j and on reaching Kusan, the Afghan Persian frontier town, it turns at right angles to the north, cutting through tho various mountains it meets on its course passes by Sarakhs, and is taally lost in the sands of the desert. ±he distance from Herat to Sarakhs is 155 miles, and the road follows the course of the river the entire distance. Ihe detailß are as follows: Herau to Kusan, 68 miles, road very good = Kusan to Chasma Laoz, 24 mU£T rroad good ; Chasma Loaz to jg£l i' Khatun, 28 miles, crossins*£L Tr akhanchil Pass, and^Sr g to tne right bank J/^ Hai ?. rud Dear Pul-iKhaJ^ bad road> but ~ Practical W^ uns> and could be | asil f proved; Pul-i-Khatun to miles, road very good. Jj£% distance from Sarakhs to Kras■''"novodsk, on the Caspian Sea, is about 380 miles. Starting from Sarakhs, a very good road runs along the base of the Damon-i-koh Mountains to Askabad, about 190 miles. Abundance of water and forage for horses and cattle are procurable the entire way. At Askabad the railway commences, and runs across a wild trackless desert to Krasnovodsk, on the Caspian. The waters of this sea are now ploughed by innumerable steamers, and in twenty hours you „ can be landed at Baku, in Circassia. Baku is in direct railway communication with Batum, and a line also runs to Moscow.

Cireassia is the most important military district in the Russian empire. Tn times of peace its army establishment is 150,000 strong which could be easily doubled, in the course of a fortnight, from Odessa and other ports in the Black Sea, and by the Volga and Astrakhan, most of which places would be en rapport by rail with the heart of Russia.

It may therefore be assumed that in the event of war between England and "Russia, the latter power, to reach Herat from Europe via Krasnovodsk

and Sarakhs, would at the present time have but to march some 342 miles, of which only 68 miles (from Kusan to Herat) would be in the enemy's country. This could be easily accomplished by an army of 70.000 men in seven weeks, to which would be added the forces already cantoned in the valleys* of the Hari.rud and Murghab, reinforced by all available troops from the army in Turkestan, which when concentrated might number some 40,000 men.

To meet this formidable army, and prevent the occupation of Herat, two English armies are to he assembled, one at Quettah, the other at Peshawar. Quettah lies at the northern extremity of the Bolan Pass in Beluehistan, and Peshawar at the eastern end o£ the Kyber in Hindostan. For the present our remarks will deal but with the former pass. By the trer.ty of Gandamak, the ~~ Pisheen valley, with the Koja Amran range of mountains, were ceded to India, and on the evacuation of Kandahar we established our foremost outpost on the western slope of that range atOhaman, 5,760 feet above the level of the sea, overlooking Kandahar, which is exactly 80 miles distant, During the past four years great exertions have been made to render this position impregnable, and the redoubt established can accomodate some 5000 men. It would be absolutely necessary to take it ere any] hostile army could force the Kojak Pass, which is 7500 feet above the level of the sea. The other available route is by skirting the southernmost spur of the range; which drops into the desert, and to prevent these being used, another redoubt has been commenced at Ispintazah, which is supported by works of great strength at Gulistan, on the Lora River. This river loses itself in the desert after leaving Gulistan. Magnificent roads now unite Chaman, Ispintazah, and Gulistan with Quettah. Quettah is the headquarters of our forces above the Bolan, and is a place d'arme of the greatest importance, guarding against invasion the western frontier of Hindostan. Its garrison according to late advices, numbered some 12,000 men, the Ist battalion

South Staffordshire Eegiment and two European batteries being the European portion of the garrison; but since then telegrams state that an army of 3G,000 men is to be assembled here, with General Roberts in command. It must be within the memory of many hour destitute this position was of provisions and of forage necessary to keep lite m the cattle requisite for our commissariat during the late Afghan war, and that thousands of them died of starvation, which prevented General Phayre from moving forward to the relief of Kandahar when this city was beleagured by Ayoub Khan, after the battle of Maiwand. But since then all has been changed ; the entire Pisheen Valley is now under cultivation, and forage is abundant right up to Mustang' It has been stated before that from Cham an to Kandahar is 80 miles, and the distance from Kandahar to Herat is about 350 and 400 according to the route selected. The main road runs from Kandahar to Gririskh on the Helmand, which is about 70 miles. From thence, two roads lead to Herat : the northern one via TVashir and Daula* tabad, being most suitable for cavalry and horse prtillery ; then the southern route, by Bakwaand Farrah, which is far less rugged, consequently better adapted for infantry and heavy artillery. Both routes unite in front of the Khwaja Pass, which is about GO miles from Herat. There are no difficulties to be encountered by either route, vrater at the present time of year being still plentiful, so that, with the hearty co-operation of the Afghans, no delays need be experi enced. Thus it will be seen that the mileage we shall have to traverse fr^vii Chaman to Herat is -130 or ■j£#-' m iles according to the route seley r^ cc j p It must, however, jQs borne in mind that the basev^of our army which shouldbe,^Q uet tah, is not m eommun^n India by rail. Tha.'-j^dus Valley state railway, iToming from the Punjaub in the north and from Kurrachee in. the south, meet at Eohri ; here the Indus has to be crossed to the Island of Bukkur, then again to Stikkur on the mainland. From Sukkur the railway runs past Shikapoor, Jacobabad, Sibi, to Nan, which is at present the terminus of the line, about 70 miles from Quottah, to which it will ultimately proceed, the works being now pushed forward with the utmost celerity. From Quettah to Chaman there is again about Go miles, so that the army stationed in India and called upon to march to Herat, will have to traverse a -distance of SGO and 610 miles respectively.

Again, from Sibi a side line runs to Dadur, the entrance of the Boian from the Pat Desert. The ascent of this pass in former years was a most laborious undertaking. From Dadur to Sir-i Bolan is 61 miles. Dadur is 750 feet above the level of the sea, and Sir-i Bolan 4490 feet ; and it takes six da}^ to accomplish the ascent. A rapid torrent runs through the pass, which had to be crossed some five or six times a day. Immense boulders are strewn everywhere. At Ab-i-gum the pass becomes so contracted and steep that numbers of camels and baggage animals usually succumbed. This is all changed now, for during the past four years two regiments — Madras Pioneers and Sappers — have been engaged in cutting a first-class road, so that artillery can ascend it without inconTenience. The heat during summer in this pass is terrific, but this route will be an auxiliary one Avhen once the railway is completed to Quettah,

Looking at the distance to be got over we are obliged to come to the conclusion that it would take at least nine weeks for an English army, using the utmost expedition, to be within the lines of Herat from India, which certainly would give the Russian army an advantage of two weeks. But if our troops already in cantonments at Chaman and Quettah were pushed forward at once to Kandahar en route for Herat, we might certainly, with the assistance of the Afghans, hold that stronghold until the main English army had arrived, especially if to these troops were added a flying column of horse artillery and cavalry.

One great advantage we shall have, and it is this, that our army will march through a friendly country, and what provisions are to he bought will he offered to us freely and willingly.

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