The Sar Alang or Parwan Pass
leads directly from Kunduz and Ghori to Charikar and Kabul. It
is the direct military route between Afghan Turkestan and the
seat of the Afghan Government, but is not much used for trade.
It cannot be much over eleven thousand feet elevation, and it is
known to be an easy pass, though somewhat destitute of fuel and
forage. The next route of importance is that which leads from
Balkh, _via_ Bamian, to the Irak Pass on the Hindoo Kush, and
into the upper watercourse of the Helmund River, and thence by
the Unai over the Paghman range to Kabul. This is the great
trade route from the markets of Turkestan and Central Asia
generally to Kabul and India. The Irak, like the Parwan, is not
nearly so high as has been generally assumed, while the Unai is
a notoriously easy pass. This route is at present very much
better known to the Russians, who have lately frequently
traversed it, than to ourselves. Like the Parwan and the Khak,
it is liable to be closed for three or four months of the year
by snow. During the winter of 1879-80 they were open till late
in December, and appear to be again free from snow about the
middle of April.
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