the fact that Russia is to remain in possession of Penjdeh, in spite of all the geographical, historical, and ethnical arguments speaking against her, and that only her position on the Heri-Rud still remains open to discussion. Referring to this part of the question, we hear that the Czar has been kind enough to give up the Zulfikar Pass, that he is ready to fix the most southerly point of his frontier in the north of the last-named place, and that this frontier line is now to run from the Heri-Rud, skirting the ElbirinKir in the south, and including the Er-Oilan salt lakes; it will cross the Murghab south of Penjdeh, and thence to the Oxus. The details of this delimitation, being hitherto unknown, and requiring a good deal of time until they will be finally settled, we may now well consider the results which Russia has obtained in this protracted contest, by stating at once that the unheard of short-sightedness of British statesmen has handed over to her the very keys with which she can now open, at her leisure, the gate of India; for she is in full possession of all the ways which can bring her to Herat in a comparatively short time and without any difficulty whatever.

CHAPTER VII.

IMPORTANCE OF HERAT.

IN full accordance with our opinion are also the views expressed, quite recently, by competent military authorities of Great Britain. Amongst others we shall quote the following portion extracted from a paper published in The Times, (May 26, 1885), under the title "Our Strategical Position in Asia with regard to Russia," from the pen of a writer whose modesty in remaining anonymous, is only equalled by the rare ability with which he handles his subject.

"But it is unnecessary to dilate on the importance of Herat and the danger to us of its falling into hostile hands. On that importance and danger, all military experts, with few exceptions, are unanimous and positive. Indeed, the measure of its value is afforded by the eager desire of Russia to obtain it. With the frontier line conceded to her, she not only has the town itself within her grasp, but even without it she is practically the master of the whole of the vast resources of the district; and it is the district, rather

to

than the mere fortress, which it is her object to seize, and which will be valuable to her. Even, however, if she contents herself for the moment with a line, the extremities of which, as regards the Badghis, are points a few miles to the north of Maruchak and Zulficar, she will still possess a large district, part of which is already cultivated, most of the remainder being capable of being shortly rendered very productive. She will possess a substantial slice of the place d'assemblée which she covets, and can in the course of a fortnight seize the whole of the remainder; for we may assume that in the course of the next twelve months the railway from the Caspian will be completed as far as the Murghab, if not up the Oxus. Then she will be in a position to reinforce the troops occupying the line Zulficar-Penjdeh by troops from the Caucasus at the rate of a division a week. It is idle to talk about leaving to the Afghans this or that pass in the Borkhut or Paropamisus ranges, if the Russians possess all the roads. which lead to them. The passes are numerous, but most of them are easy to force, and probably there numerous by-paths by which they could be turned. The so-called impassable ranges are not impassable at all, and can be crossed, according to Lessar, at a height of 900 feet above the plain. A few distances will enable the reader to appreciate the

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position. From Sarakhs, via the Valley of the HeriRud to Herat is 202 miles; from Zulficar to Herat, about 142 miles by the same road; from Zulficar to Kuhsan is 86 miles; from Kuhsan to Herat is 62 miles; from Sarakhs to Penjdeh, 100 miles; from Zulficar to Penjdeh, 90 miles; from Akrobat to Herat, 80 miles; from Penjdeh and from Bala Murghab about 140 miles; from Penjdeh to Maruchak, 28 miles; from Maruchak to Bala Murghab, 28 miles. Thus it will be seen that at the rate of twelve miles a day-a low average, considering the shortness of the whole distance and that the Russians are good marchers-a Russian division could reach Herat in twelve days from Penjdeh, from Akrobat in seven days, and from Zulficar in eight days. Sir Edward Hamley estimates the time required at fourteen days from Penjdeh, and from Zulficar at ten or eleven days. I have reason to believe that the distances are not accurately stated in either maps or itineraries; but it is safe to assert that a Russian division of all arms could, by forced marches, reach Herat from the nearest point of what will probably be the new Russian frontier in eight days, and that cavalry and Cossack batteries could do so in four days. When the railway shall have been completed to Sarakhs, the distance by marching from thence will be three weeks at the most."

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Having spoken in our previous remarks, at some length, on the district of Herat, we shall now turn our attention to the town itself, and try to prove truth of the old saying that Herat really is the gate of India, an object in view which I hope to attain by publishing here the largest portion of my own paper bearing on the subject, which I read before the "Society of Arts" in London on the 1st of May, 1885, where I was glad to see a distinguished audience, including leading statesmen and ministers :

"To speak to-day about Herat, in the face of the numerous and important literary manifestations called forth by the keen interest felt in the subject, is, to say the least of it, an undertaking as hazardous as a visit to that city would have proved a few years ago. I cannot, therefore, offer you much that is novel; and if, nevertheless, I come before you with a lecture on Herat, I do so actuated by the hope of being able to find, after all, a thing or two in my experience, derived from personal observation, which may claim your interest under the present circumstances. In Herat I passed six weeks, and sad weeks they were. Without money or sympathy, and without any hope of speedy relief, I spent many, many hours in my cell in the dilapidated caravansary, pondering on the importance of that city and its past