From the June number of the Royal Geographical Society's new monthly periodic cal we cull the following description of the route from the ferry over the Oxus at Patta-Kissar to Herat (from Col. Grodekoff's survey in 1878), which is slightly abridged from a comnmmnication received from the India Office This route passes first through a locality which is frequently submerged by the overflows of the Ainu-Dana, and is covered with rushes and brushwood; this is succeeded by a waterless sandy plain with a sprinkling of saxabl. At a distance of 23 miles from Patta-Kissir are visible the ruins of the ancient town' of Siahgird; these ruins extend for 8 miles, and terminate at the village of Siahgird,' which crusists of 50 dwellings. Twelve miles beyond this village Ties Mazar-i-Sharif, the chief town of Afghan Turkistan, which has' population of 25,000 Uzbegs and Afghans, 'The country around. this place of residence of the Governor-General' is carefully cultivated, and abounds with orchards. At a distance of 2 miles from here is the fort, of Takhtapul, with gun factories and cannon foundries, as also manufactories of swords, knives, and felt helmets: Beyond this the road passes over a level ground, cut up by aryks, through Didaadi village' to Mazar-Zainal-Obedin-Baimar (82} miles.) At a distance of 7} miles from Didaadi the road is intersected by the River Balkh, which is copious stream, and is known by the name of Band-i-Barbari (Band, a dam, and Barbari signifying a wild people dwelling on the northern slopes of the Paropamisus and Hindu Kush); beyond this river stretches a wide extent of cultivated Jand, here and there broken by the remains of ancient Bactria, which, in the shape of hillocks composed of yellow and red glazed bricks, are seen froma distance.
From Mazar-Zainal-Obedin-Baimar, passing through Salmon village, between a shepherd's hut and the Mogol dam (erected for the concentration of the different rills) the road ($4 miles) runs in a south westerly direction to Salimazar village, neither presenting great difiicultics for the march of troops nor any drawback as regards supplies of fresh water.
At Salmazar, in the wide Shjbarghdn valley, the rond leads across the Saripul River, turning from thence: direct south to Saripul town (25 miles.) Near the village of Seid-Abad, which contains about 1 dwellings; and is situated on a high hill, and within 10 milles of Saripul town, the River Saripul was for the first time found to separate into two branches running between very steep banks; from Seid-Abad to the south this river runs in one bed'with very sloping banks; it is very' thickly fringed with rushes, which afford food to animals and fuel to the Uzbegs, who mostly dwell in tents. The valley of the Seripul River is considered very unhealthy, very commonly producing fevers, eye disease, and skin eruptions. The town of Saripul is surrounded by gardens; it occupies a wide extent on both sides of the river, and has a citadel in the centre; the population consists of 3,000 Uzbegs.
Emerging from Saripnl, the road leads for 2 miles along the embouchure.of the 'Mirza-Aulang stream, which falls into Saripul River near the town; it then pa into a defile walled in by high mountains, over which, at a height of 70 feet above the stream, a road has been constructed for Afghan troops marching' to, Maimenah. The width of this road is exactly the breadth of a gun-carriage, so that not, even a single horseman could pass a detachment on its way. Beyond Turghan-teke. village the undulating. heights on either side of the defile give place to precipitous rocks. The entrance into the rocky defile is commanded by a fort built of local rock by the Maimenah troops against the Afghans, The length of the defile is 8 miles when it opens out, und the road almost imperceptibly enters a wide hollow surrounded on all sides by high mountains, Descending from various sides, several streams run through this hollow, forming by their union the Mirza-Aulang River. In the beginning of November the valley of this river was covered with verdure, thus justifying its appellation, which means the green meadow of the Mirza, A village of the same name is situated at a great height on one side of the road. A very steep Bottom of the hollow over'a high range of ass, nearly 3 miles long, leads from the
mountains forming the water-parting between the Saripul and Sangalak river
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.