The Geographical Journal (Journal of the Royal Geographical Society): Volume IX, No. 4 [‎203r] (76/172)

THE SOUTHERN BORDERLANDS OF AFGHANISTAN.
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has brought all these things to our minds by visiting the same places. The two
most interesting of his photographs were those of the Murchison falls. He has
done a great deal more than this, for he has explored countries hitherto quite
unknown, especially the highlands beyond the Victoria Nile and other upland
countries further to the eastward. We also have to thank him for his interest
ing photographs, and especially for that magnificent display, the results of his
rifle, which has been arranged in the other room—as fine a show of heads as I
have ever seen. It is a great pleasure to us all to know that the Queen has
commanded both Major Cunningham and Lieut. Vandeleur to proceed to Windsor
Castle to-morrow, to receive from her Majesty’s hands those distinctions which
they fully merit and have so nobly won.
It is for us on this occasion to return our warmest thanks for what they have
done in exploring work, and to Lieut. Vandeleur our hearty thanks for the inte
resting paper he has read to us.
Lieut. Vandeleur’s Map.— The map has been reduced from Lieut. Vandeleur’s-
original drawing. The route from Kampala to Munia is the same as the railway
route surveyed by Captain Pringle, and published by the Intelligence Department (see
Journal, vol. ii., 1893, p. 112). Other additions have been made from Dr. B. Hassen-
stein’s maps, published in 1892 and 1895 in Petermanns Mitteihingen.
THE SOUTHERN BORDERLANDS OF AFGHANISTAN.*
By Captain A. H. McMAHON, C.I.E.
I am going to take you along the southern border of Afghanistan from
the Gotnal river to the Persian frontier, and will endeavour to describe
the country which forms the southern portion of Afghanistan and the-
northern portion of what is commonly known as Baluchistan.
I purpose to confine myself chiefly to a brief geographical descrip
tion of the countries traversed by the Baluch-Afghan Boundary Com
mission, which, as one of the results of the Durand Mission to Cabul
in 1893, recently delimitated and demarcated the boundary between
the territory belonging to the Amir of Afghanistan and that under the
government of India, from Domandi, a place on the Gomal river, to
Koh-i-Malik-Siah, on the Persian border. The Koh-i-Malik-Siah
mountain marks the southernmost point of the boundary between
Afghanistan and Persia, as agreed upon by those two governments,,
after the Seistan Mission of 1872, when General Sir Frederic Goldsmid,
assisted by General Sir Richard Pollock, acted as arbitrator between
those governments.
The Baluch-Afghan Boundary Commission started in March, 1894,
and by June, 1896, succeeded in laying down the boundary-line to
Persia. The length of this line from the Gomal to Persia is over 800
miles, and it took us nearly two full years to complete it. To give a
detailed description of over 800 miles of country, or of the varied per
sonal incidents of the two years’ wanderings of the mission in that
* Paper read at the Royal Geographical Society, February 22, 1897. Map, p. 472..