AFGHANISTAN

81

cool summits of the Afghan hills and the open grassy
plains, where his countless flocks of sheep and camels are
scattered for the summer grazing. He leaves it to the
Pathan Kakur of the Baluch highlands to travel seawards
“0 Australia or South Africa as camel driver or contractor,
and there to make himself objectionable in out-of-the-way
settlements by his truculent behaviour. The point at which
the Afghan frontier crosses the Gomal is called Domandi,
And it is north of this, on the upper tributaries of a comparatively
 small affluent which here joins the Gomal, that
those plains of Wana are situated which have lately
tracted attention in political and military annals.
Wana commands the western slopes of Waziristan, and
overlooks the upper course of the Gomal, which is here
till confined in the narrow waterways of a mountain
region, whilst from its northern watershed one may
look down the valleys of Birmul and Shawal formed by
the head affluents of the Tochi River. The Tochi thus
ncircles the main peaks of the Waziristan mountains,
which tower above these valleys to a height of 11,500 feet
bove sea-level,
it is impossible to enter into any detailed description
of such immense variety of scenery as is to be found on
he Pathan frontier in immediate connection with those
Main routes which we have already indicated as forming
the chief highways into Northern India ; but amongst the
Minor valleys Birmul perhaps takes precedence by right
of its natural beauty. Here are stretches of park-like
*¢enery where grass-covered slopes are dotted with clumps
of deodar and pine and intersected with rivulets hidden
‘0 banks of fern ; soft green glades open out to view from
very turn in the folds of the hills, and above them the
silent watch-towers of Pirghal and Shuidar, the western
Suardians of Waziristan, look down from their snow-clad
heights across the Afghan uplands to the hills beyond
Shazni. Not even the rugged limestone cliffs of the
Kaisargarh, chief amongst the Sulimani peaks, backed by
the forest of chilgh6sa pine which clings to its crest,
And split to its foundations by waterways which intersect
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