AFGHANISTAN

87

northern approaches to Afghanistan are entirely concentrated
 on two important lines—i.e. those of Kabul and of
Herat—we may leave that part of Afghanistan which forms
the Oxus basin and turn to its southern provinces which
form the basin of Helmund.
The three great cities of Kabul, Kandahar, and
Herat, each of which is the capital of a province and
under a distinct local government, form the points of a
triangle, of which the sides Kabul-Kandahar and Herat-{e:-






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F1G. 28.— The Relative Positions of the three Chief Cities of Afghanistan,

Kandahar are each equal to about 280 miles of direct distance,
 and Herat to Kabul about 4oo miles, the two cities
being nearly on the same parallel of latitude. But if the
direct distance is the same to Kandahar whether we start
from Kabul or Herat, there is no comparison between the
two routes in regard to the facility with which that distance
may be traversed. From Herat to Kandahar there is
indeed no direct route across the intervening wilderness
of Taimani hills occupied by the Hazara Mongols of the
Chahar Aimak. As far as the ancient capital of Ghor there
was, indeed, once in the days of long ago, a trade route
which was well known and much frequented; but it has