THE CITY OF CABUL.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Volume 3, Issue 126, 28 February 1880, Page 2

THE CITY OF CABUL.

—-—♦ The Bala Ilissar of Cabul comprises two portions; one is the Bala Ilissar Bala, or upper citadel; and the Bala Hissar Pahin, or lower fortress—Pahin meaning " lower," and is a common word, as well a* Bala, combined with Afghan names of villages. The Bala Ilissar Pahin contains about a thousand houses. It is also divided into Mallas, or quarters. Oue is called the Malla Araba, from an Arabic population; another is the Malla Habashi, from its inhabitants being the descendants of negroes; and another is the Malla Armani, from its Armenian residents. These tell something of the very great variety among tho dwellers in Cabul. Timoor Shah, who began his reign in 1773, built a palace in the lower citadel, whore it forms a part of tho walls. There were also without the walls a number of structures belonging to this palace, which tho Barackzias have simply allowed to go to ruin, for they were monuments of their hereditary enemies, tho Suddozais. Among these is the Badshah Musjid, and near is au old tree, now withered, aud tho Cabuloos point to it as having become so from the number of perjuries which have taken place underneath its blanches, and they have a kind of superstitious honor iu regard to it from tho various crimes and villanios it has been tho witness of. There used to be seven gates to Cabul. These woro the Lahore Gate, tho Sirdar Gate, the Jabur Gate, the ]) u h Muzzuug Gate, tho Dch Afghan Gato, tho Guswui' Gah Gato, and the Pet Gate. Tho most of these aro now closed up. The Lahore Gato still remains. The Kohistan Gato, on the north, from which the road pnsßcs out loading to the mountains, iu the name implies, is seemingly a newer nnnie, as it is not among these older ones. It was about throe miles away from tlm city on this road that tho British oantonmouta aud Sir William Jlaciiaghten's Ru»l" doncy stood, of which them now remains

soarcely a vestage to mark the spot. % houses'were buit of mud and wood, a ,Jj such materials soon disappear wh en place is left uninhabited. * '" The Cabul river passes a gorge form,,,) by the two hill ranges on the west.alreajl mentioned, and flows through the centra !of the town. At this govge the walla and towei-s of defeuee ooiuo down on each sid* and join to a fortified bridge, with which is attached the name of Sirdar Jcha>' Khan, by whom the lines of walls over the hills were constructed. Tho principal bridge is about the centre of the town Opposite the Residency there was another bridge, and it was at a spot, on the loft bank of the river, between these two last. named bridges that Sir William Macnaghten met Akbar Khan by appoint. ment, when the former was so trechV rously murdered. Immediately after tho river passes out from the eastern wall of the city the canal of MoradKhauibciiis This runs parallel to the river, and passes along on the level ground between it anil the site of the old English cantonments Close to this, but slightly westward, are the Bemaru heights, and the eastern si.;,. of the river are the Sinh Sungh heights. Cabul is proud of its bazaars. 'J'ho principal one is called the Bazaar Du r . waza Lahori, from the street conneotin<it with the Lahore Gate. The western e id o" this is called the Char Chouk, from its four covered arcades. The construction of this bazar is attributed to Ali Mirtlan Khan, of the time of Shah Jehan, ami to whom are attributed nearly all the architectural buildings of Afghanistan. This market is described with such words is " magnificent" and " handsome," and is cmbelished with pictures, while there are wells and fountains in it where those who are thirsty may drink. The Shor 3azaar is situated nearer to the Bala Hissa, and is of considerable size and importance. In these bazaais may be got all the kinds of fruit for which Afghanistan is noted melons, grapes, cherries, apples, mulberries, &e. Dried fruits are also plentiful .Wine is still made as it was in the days of Baber, and it is also imbibed, in spite of the prohibition of the Koran. Cabul and its bazaars are also noted for their cookery. The quality and flavour of its various kinds of kabobs are spoken of by the Afghans with a gusto which make 3 one desire to taste and try. A "kabob," it may be mentioned, is any piece of meat which is cooked by being roasted before the fire. Most people who have travelled in the East limit their notions of kabobs to what they see in Turkey ; but a fowl or a leg of mutton when roasted is a kabob. Afghanistan s again noted for another splendid dishthat is a pillow. T'lis triumph of cookery should be a lamb, its inside cleaned out and filled up with rice, plums, and various spices, then sewed up again and roasted whole, without removing the wool. A Cabulee utters a. sonorous " Bisinilliah" when he extends his hand and inserts his fingers to get the first mouthful of such a dish. The wintev ; Cabul is very cold. The snow covers the ground for a considerable time, and the po.>plo shovel the snow from the tops of the flat houses into the narrow streets where it remains protected from the sun, anil these thoroughfares becuine impassible masses of mud ai d filth. The people at this season of the 3'ear do but little. It is a period of easy idleness. They live upon the dried fruits of the previous summer, and sit round a sanduli, where they eat, sleep and exist iu a hibernal state, something like the dortnousj. The sanduli is a vessel to hold fire; with the poorer people it is simply a hole in the ground, and charcoal is generally used as fuel. Oyer this is placed a table, on which food or otln r refreshment can be laid at meal times. Quilts, loonghis, or anything approaching the sizo of a sheet, is placed on the table, and extended over the knoess of those sitting round, and this the heat of tho sanduli is preserved. When they wish to sleep they do not" retire for tho night," as we put it, but simply recline where they are, anrl draw the sheets over them, and thus were they have sat all day, and eaten, and drunk, they use the samo spot for their bods. It may be remembered that the Mir Akhor died last winter from being burned one night at a fire of this sort. The population of Cabul is composed of Afghans, Kuzzlebashes, Tajiks, Hindoos, Armenians, and a very few Jew*. The Hindoos are not large in numbers; they nro mostly money-lenders. Tin) Armenians and Mohammedans seem to ugrco very well, and it is curious to find that they even intermarry, and they attend each other's weddings, and funerals. The Armenians had at one timo a Bishop, for iu their burial ground there is it tombstone with a mitre on it. There is another burial-ground, on tho side of tho Koh Assa Mahi, a tombstone of a Georgian Bishop, which is three or four centuries old. These are curious memontot"* as evidences of Christian teaching at »■ past date.