70

INDIA

ruggedness. The great barrier of the Hindu Kush, from
the point where it springs from the Himalayan system to
the east buttress of that spur which hangs over the deep
channel of the Chitral torrent, will never be broken in
menace to India, unless the breaking of it is rendered
possible by the construction of roads where none at
present exist.
Near the junction of the Bashgol and Chitral rivers the
boundary of Afghanistan crosses the united streams and
follows a subsidiary, but prominent, spur from the river
banks to the water parting that hedges in the Chitral

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Fic. z2.— Routes on the Northern Frontier.

Valley on the east, and separates it from the territories
of Dir and Bajaor. Once again it finds expression in a
fine natural landmark, which, extending south-west towards
the Kabul Valley, presents all the requirements of a good
frontier line. Across this line there are passes in plenty,
and one or two of them are of historical importance, for
they are links in the chain of ancient communication
between Kabul and India. Former invaders of India
who based their operations on Kabul (and there have
been many of them, from the Greek Alexander to the
Turk Babar) preferred this line to the Khaibar, and
invariably prefaced the advance on Delhi by the pre-