The Globe. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1878.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1490, 25 November 1878, Page 2

The Globe. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1878.

The first Wow of tlio third BritishAfglian war lias boon struck. By a telegram dated Calcutta, 22ud instant, we aro informed that Ali-Musjid has been assaulted and captured, the advance of the troops has not been stayed thereby, and there can ho no doubt that Shero Ali will soon find out that the covert support ho has received and is receiving from Russia will prove ouly a lure to his ruin. It is premature to discuss the complications which have led to the war, if indeed it is in the power of any not behind the scenes to give a correct explanation of them, but to render intelligible to some extent the movements of and difficulties our forces have to meet, it will not be unprofitable, briefly, to attempt some description of the country, and its inhabitants. The materials for this aro very meagre; the Afghans, like the Chinese, are jealous in the extreme of their privacy, but what we do know is that Afghanistan is in extent about 430 miles from east to west, and 400 miles from north to south. It is hounded on the north by the Oxus, on the east by Oaffristan and Kashgar, on the south by Khelat, and on the west by Persia. It is traversed from east to west by a mountain chain called the Hindoo Koosh, the highest peak of Avhich 18,000 ft, high is covered with perpetual snow. There aro two parallel chains, the Safed Koh is the northernmost it terminates near Herat, and the south range, the Siah Koh, running up close to the city of Cahul then goes away in a S.W. by S. direction. These inferior ranges aro of no great height. Northward of the Safed Koh is a high plateau, cut up

by confused groups of hills and ravines; it is called the Huzarch district. Still another range strikes off in a south-west direction from Cahul past Kandahar to Girishk. Really, the whole of Afghanistan is a mass of hills and precipitous valleys, hut as far as regularity prevails over the general confusion it is as above described. The chief rivers are the Balkh, the Hari-Rood, the Cahul, the Helmund, and the Murghah. The country is well watered and the fertility of the low-lying valleys is unsurpassed in India. The climate and soil, as might he expected, is very variable. In the valleys it is very hot in summer, and fruit and grain are abundant, the lower terraces of the mountains are also extensively cultivated. In the north the country is principally a rocky desert, where no attempt at cultivation has been made or would succeed. Southward, in the lowlying ground, sugar-cane, indigo, and most tropical fruits thrive while the higher valleys arc clothed with dense pine forests. In Cahul and the northern part, near Herat, are high forest-clad mountains and extensive plains in the highest degree fertile, hut south of Kandahar the mountains aro sterile and the plains sandy and arid; and water is obtained from a series of wells connected by subterranean canals. Agriculture is in its most primitive state, a crooked log of wood shod with iron being the only plough in use; irrigation is extensively resorted to. The seasons, however, being regular and the land that is tilled extremely rich, the harvests aro generally abundant. The horse, camel, and sheep thrives, the latter aro of the fat-tailed variety; their wool is coarse and of a brown color. Wild animals are found in the mountainous districts, such as the tiger, leopard, hyena, lynx, boar, jackal, wolf, and monkey, hut no great inconvenience seems to exist from the presence of these animals. The inhabitants are described by Mr. Elphinstoue and other travellers as being “ revengeful, envious, avaricious, rapacious, and obstinate, hut they are fond of liberty, faithful to their friends, kind to their dependents, hospitable, brave, hardy, frugal, laborious, and prudent, and aro loss disposed than the nations in their neighborhood to falsehood, intrigue, and deceit.” They never trade or work at any kind of mechanical handicraft, and the few who engage in mercantile pursuits leave the actual transaction of their business to Persians and Hindoos. There is a wandering and a fixed population, the former is composed of simply robbers divided into tribes whoso chiefs pay tribute to the Ameer, and besides furnishing a contingent to the regular army yield themselves and their followers when called upon, to serve in the militia of the country, and when not thus engaged are not averse to little private feuds between themselves. The Ameer has a standing army consisting of twenty regiments of infantry, seven of cavalry, and a small force of artillery, and the militia consists of nearly every man in the kindom. The infantry are armed with flint-lock guns, modern rifles—not a few of which are said to be presents from the British Government —crooked swords and “ kind- “ jals;” the cavalry with pikes, matchlocks, kindjals and crooked swords. The natural defences of the country are very strong, and the approaches are by narrow passes flanked by precipitous hills, and defended by numerous forts on the surrounding heights. Every town and village in the country is walled, and the predatory habits of the inhabitants account for the existence of the numerous smaller forts or towers that are found in every direction. None of the fortresses of even the first class seem to he in themselves of any consequence hut the positions they occupy compensates for their want of defences and armament. Ali Mnsjid (Temple of Ali) is situated at the entrance of the famous Khyber Pass. It is perched 300 feet above the level of the road, which is there only the bed of a river less than 300 yards in width, and is completely commanded by the guns of the fort. The approach to the fort and the heights is described as resembling a winding staircase open at all points to a vertical fire from above. This place being occupied, the next stops must he to raze to the ground Peshawar and Jellalahad, and Cahul once more in the possession of the invaders leisure may bo taken if it is found necessary to reduce Ghuzue on the south and Khulm on the north. Operations from Quetta via Bolan Pass will give a good account of Kandahar, Girishk and even Herat. The war must at all events he a costly war, it is to bo hoped that it may not he prolonged by any attention to the wily overtures that are sure to he made by the crafty and utterly unscrupulous enemy wo are again called upon to chastise.

The matter of the misappropriation of the city funds in the formation of Carter’s lane, was first brought under public notice by us on the 13th inst. It was then said that some explanation might be expected from the Council as to where the blame of it should lie. A strong effort has been made in some quarters to put it on to the shoulders of the chairman of the works committee. Under the circumstances, however, this proceeding is open to the suspicion of being an electioneering dodge, practised for the express purpose of injuring him in his candidature for the Mayoral chair. After careful consideration of what has been said at the meetings of the Council, we think it is open to very great doubt whether that gentleman should, for this at any rate, he blamed at all. A letter in our morning contemporary from “ A Ratepayer,” one who is evidently acquainted with the internal working of the Corporation, assists us in forming this conclusion. As he pertinently puts its, the executive officer of any Corporation who neglects to perform the duties for which he is paid is solely and wholly responsible for any damage that may ensue from his neglect. Everybody must agree that if a person takes up the duties of an office it is his place if ignorant, to learn those duties and —perform them. In the course of his daily routine, we maintain it is the duty of the Town Clerk to know thoroughly all the forms of procedure necessary to the carrying out of the directions of the various committees with which he has to deal. It would bo unreasonable to expect members of Council to get out the books and fill up the printed forms which bear the signature of the Town Clerk. If this is granted, the Town Clerk is now landed on the horns of a dilemma; cilher he did not know his work, or, knowing it, did not perform it. We aro sorry fo offer him such a bad choice, but we could not stand by and quietly see an unwarrantable attack made where it is not in the least deserved.

Akaeoa Mayoral Election —The present Mayor, Mr 11. G. Watkins, has withdrawn from the contest for the Mayoralty of Akaroa. The choice of the burgesses now lies between Councillors Meech and Wackerfie. The _ canvass is being prosecuted with great spirit.