THE MOHMAND COUNTRY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 160, 27 June 1908, Page 3

THE MOHMAND COUNTRY.

Looking out., westward and north l'rom Peshawar town, towards tin; dun and purple hilN. and the higher dim white peak- behind them, one crest in particular catches the eye. Tiii.s is the j'atara, or Lul.e Star, the highest peak to the north ol' the Khuiber tin- Juijjlishman, j>uhjishe<l at Calcutta). On its (Te-t >tands a /aarat, or sacred shrine. !x->ide a few stunted pines. The shrine is surrounded hy the umuil low, white\va>]iei| wall, upon wiiich llutter from rude hainlM.io staves numerous little !lag>. The /iarat is one of peculiar

sauelKy in tlio eyes of the bolder folk, and the saint to .whoso memory it has beeit raided u considered to be ail especially powerful and >ucce>sful intercessor. notijrio[i.-)Iy in tlie case of those desiring sons. From the crest is a inagnilicent panoramic view oi the surroundTng country, from the llazara hiils to the ea;»l, round by the snow-clud summits of Swat to Kafiristan. Away Lo the north show portions of the plateaux of Lsajawar, and the large village of Nawagai. In the nearer mid-distance the eye spies into the valley of the Mobinimds. to which the rille shot and clainotir of tie.aghi> ha:< drawn once more the attention of India, Westward, in splendid and grim perspective the view extends across iJ,v delialabad Valley to the height-, round j,ataband and the fShut'r (•ardan. along the range of the Safed Koh, south lard lo the inaidau of Tirah, and the hills studded with the towers and wormed with the burrows of the war-wasted Afridi aud Orakzai.

Northward from the summit of Tat am loiiir >pur* fall in steep succession to the winding ot Vhe Kalml riviT, 50U0 icet below. I*hiriver serpents its way through the heart of I hi' .Uolimand eount vy, and rushes into the freedom of the Peshawar plain .at Fori Michni. li; i- hemmed in, throughout this portion of its course, by precipitous rucks, amongst, which it twists mid squirms as it in pain. Fivtful at. its impotem-e in this «rini prison of hard rock, wliieh is hut i;o yards across, it is and toaininj: al\v;\\s, and in certain >easo»s (v;i<* and dangerous to a decree. During the wiufer ni-uitiis the turbid water is not very deep, nor is the current ton rapid for ferrv boats to cross. Small rafts made of logs laced together, ami (•von smaller ones of shinaz, or inflated often pass down the length (if the river. Hut- with the molting oi' l!ie -nows the fury of tin* river grows. The water becomes deep, ami more turbid, and the stroam a sav.ijr,. | "ill m,t permit anytiii.if, to live TJiorc MM frrrl " "" U "' riv "' 01,0 .11 t>:iukii. JO the westward of 1|„. t -Uolimaml loop, wliit-1, is i.50,l bv t|„. KJiaiber trafhe; one at Shinlo r.udar anol lie]- at I lata on th,." i; ' S V'!' 1 ll( ' ml " f thl ' l»oi>- .MM another at liiina Cudar. a IV W ,„ii es Ul . sl , )f Mielmi. at tli,. |,,. il( | t |„, jVsJiuwar V allev.

Uiree caravan tracks, jmi too diilicult wander over the spurs and through the \al!e,\s of tin* Molimaml countrv. One of them, that making iu way down the Randal), or dirt\ water, valley r<, :i; ' H S the I'liiin :it Shabkndar. Ab<m«' nud-wa;,- between Peshawar ami .Jamrud the railway throws a branch northwards to Warsak, on the Kabul river, where Hie .Michni (anal intake lies. At Miehni. and at. Aba/ah where the Swat Kiver Canal head works ale. there are permanent garrisons, and detachments, now strengthened. hold Shabkadar, "2D miles trnm iV.-iiawar ami Malta, which is tiv n»ile> turther norili, upon the border edge. All tin* routes, main caravan track* and bye-p;nh* alike, are known, iib |-reparation* have been made. and. it a move into me gaunt .Molimaml country becomes necessary, a bsson will be taught to these resth»s reavers that tiny will not forget lor at least another dc-ade. Mea>ures. too. will be taken, whether the .Molunand country be invaded or not. that will make frontier hutting a game much more dangerous and much prolitable than it now is.