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INDIA

traversable in any direction, grass-covered in summer and
bare and wind-swept in winter. Through this western
portion northward runs the Kushk River, the Murghab,
and its affluent, the Chaharshamba, all of which streams
afford good and easy highways after leaving the mountains.
 Along the line of the Kushk River, southward
from the Russo-Afghan boundary, extends the recognised
highroad to Herat. Eastwards of this line of approach to
Western Afghanistan no other line occurs until we reach the

Fic. 18.—The Oxus Basin,

eastern limits of the Afghan Turkestan province at Mazari-Sharif.
 Between the Kushk and Mazar no practicable
route exists across the wild elevated plateau held by the
Mongol races of Afghanistan. From Mazar-i-Sharif to
Kabul there is indeed a highroad, a sort of road which is
sufficiently practicable for commercial purposes, although
it crosses the backbone of the Hindu Kush, but which
could be rendered quite impracticable for military purposes
 at many points on its devious course.
Between the Kushk River and Mazar-i-Sharif, and
facing the Russian boundary, are the following Afghan
towns : Bala Murghab, Maimana, Andkhui, Akcha, and