THE WAR NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7301, 13 April 1885, Page 5

THE WAR NEWS.

THE STRATEGICAL POSITION OF THE RUSSIAN ARMY.

THE BRITISH ROUTES TO HERAT.

DESCRIPTION OP THE BOLAN PASS.

The strategical importance of the Russian military position at Sarakhs is now be* coming apparent. The position of that city is al; the junction ot the roads leading from Herat and Meshed. These roads ran along the valleys through which flow the rivers Hari-rud and Keshef-rud. Sir Charles Maegregor in his work on Khorassan states : " Whether Russia uses Sarakhs as a base for offensive measures against Herat or England, or as a defensive outpost to defeat any such operations, that position will be heard of again, for if England does not use Sarakhs for defence, Russia will use it for offence." These prophetic words are now realised, as Sarakhs has been made the base of Russia's future operations against the Afghans,, which means both Herat and England.

The river Hari-rud, which forms the western' boundary of Afghanistan, rises very nearly in the heart of that country, and iiowu from the southern slopea of the Paropamisus range of mountains; it passes Herat, and on reaching Kusan, the Afghan Persian frontier town, it turns at right angles to the north, cutting through the various mountains it meets on its course, passes by Sarakhs, and is finally lost in the sands of the desert. The distance from Herat to Sarakhs is 152 miles, and the road follows the course of the river the entire distance. The details are as follows : Herat to Kasan, 68 miles, road very good; Kusan to Chasma Laoz, 24 miles, road good; Chasma Laoz to Pul-i-Kh atun, 28 miles, crossing the latakhanchil Pass, and crossing to the right bank oJ: the Hari-rud near Pul-i-Khatun, bad road, but practical for guns, and could be easily improved ; Pul-i-Khatun to Sarakhs, 32 miles, road very good. The distance from Sarakhs to Kraanovodsk, on the Caspian Sea, is about 380 miles. Starting from Sarakhs, a very good road runs along the base of the Damon-i-koli Mountains to Askabad, about 190 miles. Abundance of water and forage for hones 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 Circassian Bakn is in direct railway communication with Batum, and a line also runs to Moscow. Circassiia is the moet important military district in the Russian Empire. In times of peace its army establishment is 150,000 etrong, which could be easily doubled, in the course of a fortnight, from Odessa and other ports in the Black Sea, aud by the Volga and Astrakhan, most of which places would be en rappori by rail with the heart of Russia. It may therefore be assumed that in the eveni; of war between England and Russia, the latter Power, to reach Herat from Europe viaKraanovodtli and Sarakhs, would at the present time have but to march acme 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 be assembled, one at Quettah, the other at Peshawar. Quettah lies at the northern extremity of the Bolan Pass in Beluchistan, and Penhawar at the eastern end of the Kyber in Hindostan, For the present our remarks will deal but with the former pass.

By the treaty of Gandamak the Piaheen 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 at Chaman, 5760 feet above the level of the sea, overlooking Kandahar, which is exactly 80 miles distant, and can be distinctly seen on fine days. Daring the past four years groat exertions have been made to render this position impregnable, and the redoubt established can accommodate 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 this being used, another redoubt has been commenoed 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 Guliiitan 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 Regiment and two Europe/in batteries being the European portion of the garrison; but since then telegrams state that an army of 30,000 men is to be assembled here, with General Roberts in command. It must be within the memory of many how destitute this position was of provisions and of forage necessary to keep life in the eattle requisite for our commissariat during the late Afghan war, and thai; thousands of them died of starvation, which prevented General Phayre from moving forward to the relief of Kandahar, when this city was beleaguered by Ayoub Khan, after tho battle of Maiwand. But since then all has been, changed; the entire Pisheen Valley in now under cultivation, and forage is iibundant right up to Mustang. It has been stated before that from Chaman 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 Giriskh on the Helmand, which is about 70 miles. From thence, two roads lead to Herat : The northern one

via Wasfair and Daulatabad, being most suitable for cavalry and horse artillery ; then the southern route, by Bakwa and Farrah, which ie 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, water at the present time of year being still plentiful, so that, with the hearty co-operation of the Afghans, no delays need be experienced. Thus it will be neen that the mileage we shall have to traverse from Chaman to Herat is 430 or 480 miles according to the route selected.

It mufit, however, be borne in mind that the base of] our army, whioh should be at Quettah, is not in communication with India by rail. The Indus Valley state railway, coming from the Punjaub in the north and from Kurrachee in the south, meet at Rohri; here the Indus has to be crossed to the Island of Bukkur, then again to Sukkur on the mainland. From Sukkur the railway runs past Shikapoor, Jacobabad, Sibi, to Nari, whioh is at present the terminus of the line, about 70 miles from Quettah, to which it will ultimately proceed, the works being now pushed forward with the utmost celerity. From Quettah to Chaman there is again abouc 60 miles, so that the army stationed L* India, and

called upon to march to Herat, will have • to traverse a distance of 560 and 610 miles respectively. : t ..y r - *>■■:; --.j Again, from Sibi a aide line nine to Dadur, the entrance of the Bolan from the Pat Desert. The ascent of : this pass in former years • was a % most laborious undertaking. From Dadar to Sir-i-Bolan is 63 miles. Dadur is 750 feet above the level of the sea, and Sir-i-Bolan 4490 feet; and it takes six days 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 pasn becomes so contracted and steep thai; numbers of camels and baggage animals usually succumbed.- This is all changed now, for during the past four years two regiment*—-Madras Pioneers and Sappers—have been engaged in cutting; a first-class road, so that artillery can ascend it without inconvenience. The healt during summer in this pass is terrific, but this route will be an auxiliary one when 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 array will march through a friendly country, and what provisions are to be bought will be offered to us freely and willingly. In my next I shall describe the other route from Peshawur through the Bamian Pasii via the Kaisar Valley to Herat. ' Sphinx.