Seistan province was formerly a separate do minion. In recent times it has been claimed by rulers of Persia, Afghanistan, Kandahar, and Herat. It is situated between lat. 30° 30' to 32° N., and long. 60° 30' to 64° E. ; and at present it has the four districts of Lash, Shaikh-Nasur, Sehkuha, and Kandahar-Seistan, under four chiefs. In Lash are the Ishaqzai Daurani Afghans ; in Sehkuha are Kayani and Towki Baluch; in Shaikh Nasur are Sarbandi Baluch; and the Garm-sel has Baluch and Afghans mixed,—the total population being about 127,000. Numerous rivers from the N. and N.E. enter it, and at one period of the year overflow their banks. The most important of them are the Helmand, Farrah-Bud, Ilarut-Rud, and Khash-Rud. The Seistau lake is more a marsh than a lake, and wild hogs abound in its reedy parts, with clouds of insects, wasps, mosquitos, fleas, and flies. The bite of one of the flies is painful, and horses suffer much from them.
Afghan-Turkestan is a name that has been applied to all the Afghan dominions of North Hindu Kush and Koh-i-Baba. It comprises the Uzbak states of Maemana, Andkhui, Sar-i-Pul, Shibbar gham, Balkh, Khulm, Kunduz, and Badakhshan.
Kunduz is the name of a district, a river, and a town. The town is wretched, and is on the right bank of the river just before it joins the Farkhan river. It is 650 miles from Yarkand, 370 miles S.S.E. from Samarcand, 390 miles S.E. from Bokhara. The other fortified towns in the district are Hazrat Imam, Talikhan, and Rustak.
lllaemana is a walled town 172 miles N.E. from Herat, and 28 miles S. of Bokhara. The inhabit ants are Uzbak, with some Tajak, Herati, and a few Jews, Hindus, and Afghans. They are the bravest of all the Uzbak, and are renowned throughout Central Asia for their fearless and determined disposition. The district is 18 miles broad and 20 miles long, and the population is estimated at 40,000 families.
Khuhn is the name of a river, a district, and a town. The town is 307 miles N.N.W. of Kabul, and 310 miles S.E. of Bokhara. The population of the district is estimated at 700,000 souls. Since the early part of the 19th century, Khulm has been visited by Moorcroft, Burnes, Lord, and Ferrier.
Shibbargltam, 60 miles W. of Balkh, lias 12,000 souls of the Uzbak and Parsivan races.
Shag/man district is on the left bank of the Amu Darya, between Vakhan and Ilashan.
Vakkan is a district of Badakhshan-Afghauistan, which consists of the portion of the valley of the Amu Darya from Kala Khojah upwards, and in cludes the valleys of Sarhad and Sar-i-Kol, the last being a dreary, uninhabitable waste for the greater part of the year. The population is about 1000. The Mir claims descent from Alexander. It pro duces shawl wool, Of these races and tribes, it may be mentione( that, physically, the Afghan people are anion/ the finest on the earth, with a broad, robust ruddy, manly look, and they are hardy and bold They have a pleasant, frank, simple, unaffecte( way. About Kabul they are fair, many with re(
hair and blue eyes, but some of the tribes in tin lower and hotter hills and valleys near India hay( rather dark skins. The majority are astute, in triguing, ambitious, and faithless; avaricious, fickle uncertain, and crafty ; and in bold, unblushing lying a Hindu is a mere child to an Afghan But, since the middle of the 19th century, till eastern Independent and British tribes have bees largely, and in increasing numbers, employed in tin native army of British India. General Ferric describes their black eyes as full of fire ; the lid are tinged with antimony, for this, in thei opinion, gives force and adds beauty and dazzling brilliancy to them ; their black beard ii worn short ; and their hair, of the same colour, i, shaved off from the front to the top of the head the remainder at the sides being allowed to fal in large curls over the shoulders. Their stet is full of resolution, their bearing proud, bu rough.
Every Afghan, writes Colonel MacGregor, born a soldier ; and their army, though in miserable and confused state, moves with great rapidity, and over immense distances.
The mass of the army is cavalry. This form it adopted from the national character, and the nature of the climate and soil. Their love of war exceeds that of all other eastern nations ; they are excellent skirmishers, and experienced foragers, When lie wrote (1876), the Afghan army, 71,000, was in three divisions: item. Infantry. Total.
Kabul, 21,000 10,000 31,000 Kandahar, 12,000 0,000 18,000 Herat, 12,000 1,000 22,000 The borne was composed of Afghans, Kazzilbash, and Ilazara; their infantry of mountaineers, Uzbak, Parsivan, }lazara, and Baluch. There were, be lea, many Jazailchi and matchlockmen, all excel t skirmishers.
North of the Hindu Kush is the country of e Uzbak, which includes Maemana, Andkhui, diet), Sar-i-Pul, Balkh, and Kunduz.
The Aitnak and Hamra occupy the upper por tions of the valleys of the Murghab, Bari-Bud, and Arghandab, known as the Hazarajat. The country of the Daurani extends for 30 'les north and south of a line drawn from Ilerat ough Kandahar to Shal-kot (Quetta). The Baraich Afghans are great camel breeders. y occupy Shorabak, due east of Seistan, on the nks of the Lora. Seistan lies on the rivers Hel mand and Farrah-Rud, and the Seistan people occupy the lower portion of all the rivers running to the Seistan lake. They eat wheat and maize, and mutton, fowls, and hares. Their women are t pretty ; their language is Persian mixed with er words.