From this city
(elsewhere described) onward as far as Gundamuck the route presents
no great difficulties; it passes through orchards, vineyards, and
cornfields to the Surkhab River; but beyond this three spurs of the
Safed Koh range, running in a northeastern direction, have to be
surmounted.
[Illustration: The Ishbola Tepe, Khaiber Pass.]
Between Jelalabad [Footnote: The heat at Jelalabad from the end of
April is tremendous--105 degrees to 110 degrees in the shade.] and
Kabul two roads can be followed: the first crosses the range over
the Karkacha Pass (7,925 feet alt.) at the right of which is Assin
Kilo, thence through the Kotul defile, and ascending the Khurd Kabul
[Footnote: The Khurd Kabul Pass is about five miles long, with
an impetuous mountain torrent which the road (1842) crossed
twenty-eight times.] (7,397 feet alt.) to the north reaches the
high plateau on which Kabul is situated; the other leads over the
short but dangerous Jagdallak Pass to Jagdallak, from which there
are three roads to Kabul--the northernmost over the Khinar and the
third over the Sokhta passes; all these, more difficult than the
Khaiber, are impassable during the winter.
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