THE Thames Advertiser. WEDNESDAY. JUNE 3, 1885.

Thames Advertiser, Volume XVI, Issue 5184, 3 June 1885, Page 2

THE Thames Advertiser. WEDNESDAY. JUNE 3, 1885.

In presenting our.readers some time back with a sketch map of the Soudan we stated our intention to shortly issue a companion to it showing the country that would in the event of hostilities be the scene of conflict with Russia. We awaited doing so till a declaration of war, which at times : seemed :very imminent was made, but peace arrangements appear more probable just now,' and these may succeed in tiding oyer present complications, although in the judgment of the best-informed a resort to arms is all but inevitable ere very long. The San Francisco mail has brought us many exchanges, and doubtless our. readers "have by .this time received their bundles of home papers, —all alike full of the Afghanistan difficulty.';' To help them to a'clearer' understanding of the position we now issue the map, and trust they will find it of considerable service in aiding comprehension of what they now read, and of a country in which the ordinary atlases are sadly deficient. It will be noted that the mountain chains are clearly shown, and' that is really the most important feature—at least,as regards military operations. It may be of interest, 100, to add the acoount given by the correspondent of the 'Standard' so far as it relates to the position of Herat—the "Key",of India.- He says;— ,

Not the least interesting portion of the information gained by _ us bears.... on the range—the mountain chain-to the north of Herat Valley; this range has many names, and it has been found to be passable, for camels; and passes that are passable to the laden camel are easy to any animal j they cannot present many difficulties,-nor have serious obstructions or dangerous slopes. Prom the valleys to the north are more than ten ways or p'asses orossing the chain and debouching on to the Herat Valley, and it is possible that other depressions, tracklike may be discovered, and that they may be made more easy and less steep than any of the passes now generally used; the formation of the range does not render the improvement of any pass in it very difficult. In appraising the force of approaohing political events, it is of supreme political importance and moment to. clearly,understand that if an easy.way exists.from Quettah to Herat, easy passes also lead from the north across the range guarding the Herat Valley to the north. This range rises to the east, and probably the easiest path across is the Erdiwan, and the'most difficult the Zermustj.the height of the Irdiwan, Pass is about 4700 feet, and it is doubtful whether it is ever closed ; orossing the pass above Chesmeh. Sebz, my aneroid stood at 24.45 at I,p.m. on the; summit of the ascent, and at the bottom of the. descent on the north side it registered 2G.15 at 5 p.m. (November 27, .1884); These heights will be more suggestive < when' the elevation of KUa-Kau—through,.which Vambery passed on his great journey—and of Herat is remembered. Kila-kau stands at an elevation of about 2400 feet, and Herat is about 2500 feet.. I have already referred to the fertility of these, valleys.;. .The people say the soil of !"Bagis "is gold,; The Herat Valley must now/.be. much less populous than when a Persian army of 100,000 men lived and subsisted in it for nearly two years. The population of the city is not more than 16,000—80 terrible has been its fall and decadence, although, the valley of Herat is fertilised by,numerous streams from the Heri. Rud, and its rich blaok soil has abundant fertility. It has few indications of prosperous vitality;' the winter may cast over it a look of cheerless poverty, of decadence; it had as we looked on it an aspect of desolation, of decay, if the disintegration of the oity walls has not seriously advanoed it oannot be said that they are perfect, or. that- the defences are complete. On the villages a lifeless blank appears to have fallen; the less attention paid to their defences may be due to peace, to the senso of security that has arisen, but the energies that were engaged and strained in tho preservation of existence do not now appear to' be directed to any peaceful production, In many respects the position of the City of Herat is disappointing; it can scarcely be considered to be a strong poaition. The oity is not strong for defence, although a mud-walled oity of mud houses may offer more resistance than more formidable looking stone defences. There are in the valley many positions from whioh to strike tho city, and the Afghans appear to be sensible of this. I have no doubt that tho Government of Abdul Rahman, which has clone so much to paoify and organise Afghanistan, has not overlooked, and will not neglect, the defence of Herat; still, a town girdled by villages cannot be considered to be strong. There are not many strong positions in the Herat Valloy, but there aro stronger positions than the city, and possibly tho numerous streams might be used for dofence. The Paropamisus mountains shown on the maps to the east of j Kusan and north of Herat do not exißt; whore they are shown is merely undulating (mortor-liko covered) ground. I

The eleotors of the Thames are invited by their representative, W. Fraser, Esq, to meet him in the Academy of Musio this evening at 8 o'clock,

The contractor for carrying 'the mails between Thames and Paeroa complains very bitterly of the state of the road between Corbett's Hotel and the north end of the Komata swamp. He says that with a little of the necessary attention there is no occasion for the road to have been anything like as bad as it is at present. It has been out .up into deep holes : by the carting of the road metal, and no attention has been given to the effeot of this kind of traffio; hence the holes are fall of water, rendering it absolutely dangerous to drive the coaoh over them. Perhaps the County Counoil \vill see to this, or if rit is the duty.of the road contractor to put this part of the road in repair, call his attention to it, so that passengers by the coach may not have their lives jeopardised.,; * v •

. Special attention is called to Mr James Marshall's new advertisement; ■

: Mr James Craig, auctioneer;-; offered' 9927 shares in the Oriental companjr yesterday, which found purchasers at id per share, :

.The sections of the Thames Borough Recreation Ground were submitted for sale at the Academy of Music yesterday afternoon, by Mr James Craig, auctioneer. The attendance was not large, neither was there much speculative spirit exhibited. Four small allotments, with frontage to the Kauaeranga river, were disposed of as follows:—No. X, 2 roods 14 perches, £7, A. J. Allom; No. XI, 2 roods 15 perches, £6, G. Harcourt j No. XII, 2 roods 22 perohes, £8, It. Coombes; No. XIII, 1 acre 1 rood, £21, E, Coombes. The remainder of the block was withdrawn for private negotia* tion,

At a speoial meeting of the County Council, held last evening, there .were present:—Crs Brodie (County Chairman), Coutts, McCombie, Moore, Pitkethley, Greenville, Steedman, and Townsend. The annual statement ol the financial affairs, which appeared recently in our advertising columns, was presented, and, after .some little disoussion,,was adopted. ,' : ~,/:. ~;•

, The District Court was formally opened yesterday, and adjourned until the 16th inst, The business already appointed for transaction is of an unimportant nature, -

A' meeting of the Thames and Star Football Clubs is called for this evening at Mr 0. MoLiver's on very important business, A full attendance is desired.."..

A serious difficulty,which was experienced in the liquidation of the Hobson company has,.we learn, been arranged in a manner highlv advantageous to the shareholders, It appears that when the company.was floated, the mine and battery stood in the name, of Mr E, Comer, but. ;owing to some hitch in the arrangements, the title was never transferred to, the directors. The company' wa3 therefore in the- awkward position of having incurred liability while working a property belonging to a private individual. The liquidator through his,, solicitor (Mr Lush) has, however, prevailed npon'Mr Comer to transfer the property •to him (Mr Melhose) in the interest of the shareholders, subject to a lien of £100 to ensure the payment of the balance of the purchase money and. the recoupment of sundry expenses incurred since the formation of the company. The liquidator will take steps .to, realise upon the property to the best advantage, so that it is not improbable that a small dividend may yet be forthcoming.

, The Cambria mine was visited yesterday by Mr Prince, an eleotrioian, with, a view to the lighting of-the surface and underground works by means of electricity. The system which he proposes to introduce, is a speoial adaptation of the Swan inoandescenfc light to mining purposes, It has been used successfully in Australian goldfields, where 18 mines are.at.present illuminated with,it, and-'also at the Kaitangata coal mine, and in the Port Chalmers graving dook, ,The dynamo. will necessarily be worked at the surface; and the wires conducting the electricity through the mine, will be oonveyed down'the shaft in galvanised iron tubes, and .distributed through' the ' workings. Stationary lights' cau be placed 'in • the ohambers and tunnels,'; and portable lamps can be employed in the different faces. .Mr Prince states that if the company adopt, his proposal, they will be enabled to effect a saving of; £20 per month in the oost of lighting the mine. He is also confident that when once the. light receives', a trial, its, obvious advantages will commend it favour-, ably to the-owners of all the mines in the district,