Defences at Herat.

Te Aroha News, Volume III, Issue 119, 12 September 1885, Page 6

Defences at Herat.

The following is from a private letter written at HeYat, on the 11th of May, by Major Holdich, R.E., when he visited that city, accompanied by Col. Stewart and Capt, Peacocke, R,E. : " The Herat defences are by no means to be despised, even aa they stand, and I hope ere long they will be really formidable. We were received with a welcome which was almost enthusiastic. The Kabulli soldiery especially expressed' their pleasure at having British officers on their side. Many of the men recognised me as having been in Cabul, and some fell out to salaam and make themselves civil. The Mullahs, too,, are undoubtedly on our side, and said it was a happy omen for Herat that [British officers had entered it ; yet when we started we hardly expected to be allowed <to approach the city even. It is a mistake to 'suppose that Herat is a ruined city. [ There is a great dilapidation of the walls [ and defences in places, but on the whole they are certainly no worse than they were when Sanders reported on them forty yeara ago. The city itself, Colonel Stewart says, is in better repair than any Persian city he has seen except Meshed, We rode through inilea of bazar, Heed with guards at intervals of every few hundred yards. These were not placed there for our security. They are always on duty. The Governor entertained us most royally, and the Com-mander-in-chief interested himself vastly in our proceedings. Nothing was kept back or hidden from us— we know att about it now, and the success of our virit is very satisfactory."—" London Daily News."