Among the rivers which fall into the Indus from the west, the principal is the Kama, which, rising on the opposite side of the some peak which gives rise to the Oxus, rolls through the mountainous country of Kaueltkaur, then penes ates the barrier of Hindoo Comb, and pours down with tempestuous rapidity into the valley beneath. It here joins the river of etubul, and the united stream fells into the Indite a little above Attok. The western part of Afghatinis taun is .watered by the Helmund, which rises near Catibul, and after roiling for e00 miles through imountainous tracks, enters a fertile plain, which, however, is soon. crossed, and its subsequent course directed through a desert, when it• fal a, beyond the Afghanis frontier, into the lake of Durra or Ze reng. Its whole length is about 400 miles. It re. coves a considerable number of smaller streams from Memo parts of the chain of Parapomisus. Near Ghuznee several small streams eorreur in- forming the only lake in this country, called' Anbistaticleh.
The climate of' Afghaturistathe exhibits the most striking varieties, in consequence of the abruptness with which the mountain ranges often rise from the deep plains beneath. A few hours journey carries the traveller from a place where snow never falls, another where it never melts. In the plain of fell seabed; immediately beneath Suffaid Koh, persons are often killed by the intensity of the hot wind, while regions of eternal ice are towering above.. At Caubul, the winter, if not more severe, is more steady than in England. The inhabitants wear woollen cloths and great coats of tanned sheep skin ; they often sleep round stones, and avoid, m much as possible, leaving the house tilt the vernal equinox brings Wrier weather. Ghuznee, from its high situation, suffers more from cold than any of the other cities; and snow there often lies deep after the vernal equi nox. Ito Damaun, on the contrary, a province lying along the Indus, the heat is such that the inhabi tants are obliged to wet their- clothes before going tosleep, and to keep, during the whole nigitot Tes. sal with water sMg by the bedside. The heath' still more intense in the plain of Seweestatm, on the south western frontier; whence the .Afghatms are accustomed to make the odd exclamation, " ()Lord, when thou hadst Sewee, why needest thou to have made Hell!" The prevailing winds in Afghatmistaun are from the west and south-west. The latter begins in the middle of summer, and blows for about a hundred and twenty days without intermission. This wind, throughout all this country, is cool, while the eat wind is hot. The chief rain is in winter. When this fails in the form of snow and melts at the return of heat, it is of great importance to agriculture; but in 'the form of rain, its effect is lost, and the main dependence of the husbandman is then upon another ram, much smaller in quantity, which falls in spring. The monsoon that produces the great rains of Indh, is scarcely felt in Afghaunietaun; and the latter may be considered in general as a dry country.
The soil is nearly as various as the climate. in well weltered plains of moderate elevation, m ?eds. wee and Cendeber, it is exceedingly Attie, and produces two Hill crops in the year. Wheat sad barley, the Frain of Europe, are cultivated in pre fhrenee to nee and Indian corn. In the higher ilia tricts, only one crop can be raised in the year; and in some, the grain must be sown at the end of one autumn, that it may ripen before another. De loftier part of the mountain chains is of course = damned to perpetual ruggedness and sterility. On
the ether hand, in the level districts to the sod, bordering upon Seestaun and Beloocbistaun, eaten sive deserts are produced by the absence of inter. The empire of desolation seems, on this side, to be motinually spreading; the moving sand being Morn by the south-west wind over the bordering fettle tracts, which it gradually covers, and conversion insert.
- The itemise of the animals of Athannistatin h very imperfect. Lions are rare ; tygers and leopards Are atom common; wolves, hyaenas, foxes, and hares, everywhere abound. The agricultural labour is per by omen ; but a species of broad-taileddreqr firm the' riches of the paetond tribes. Horses occur in considerable numbers, bet not of the same excel. lent quality as these bred in the eatensise phiar north of Hindoo Coosh.
The political constitution of Coshed is by no means erthat simple strueturewhieh is meal in Asia tie monarchies. The royal powerhes been compared to that which• was exercised by the Scottish ma narchs (hiring the feudal ages. Over the-great tweet the country in their immediate vicinity, and the reign dependencies, their authority is direct, ad most supreme. The rest of the nations divided ins& clans or communities, who act nearly Wel"' dentiy of the sovereign, and front whom a condor:et of troops and money is with difficulty levied. These communities are called Ooloose. They are govern. ed by a natio, who is timidly appointed by the Xing, but always out of the ad-at family of the Ooloose. The Khaun, within his own contaresity, is quite- a limited menarche be can unthrtake so thing of importance without the cement of the Jeerga, or representative assembly of the people. The judicial power, so far as exercised, is also vest ed in the Jeerga. The principle of private revenge, however, is deeply rooted in the mind of the nation, and an the Jeerga carries with it some tier gree of reproach ; being supposed to indicate, in the individual who has recourse to such a remedy, a want either of power or courage to vindicate his own wrongs. Even the Jeerga recognises the right of retaliation, by making a formal offer to the offended party of delivering the criminal into his bands, that be may inflict his own ruthhment, though it is un derstood that he shall decline and leave the point to the determination of the Jeerga. .Alliances are foamed, and wars carried on by the Oolooss between themselves, without any concern or interference of the sovereign. This form of governmeot keeps emery part of the country in a state of tumult and ferment, and presents at first sight a very anfavour able contrast to that undisturbed tranquillity which, under an absolute government, reigns over the pester part of the plains of India. Mr Elphinatone, how ever, through this outward aspect of rudeness and turbulence, saw enough to convince him of the radi cal superiority even of this rude freedom. The powers of action, and, as it were, of vitality, lodged m each of these independent communities, enabled it to Sourish, unaffected by the personal character of the sovereign, or even by the convulsions which subverted his throne. The succession of revolutions to which the kingdom has been exposed during the last half century, have produced effects visibly inju. riots on the great cities, and the districts situated along the high roads. But the more remote and in dependent parts of the country have proceeded in an uninterrupted career of improvement; culthration has been extended, new aqueducts built, and verities public establishments undertaken.