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93
Mission are likely to play an important rôle in the agricultural
development of this province. These developments will pro-
gressively result in an increase in the productive capacity of
Afghan agriculture of over 700,000 acres of improved and new
land. At the same time, the project will make a major con-
tribution to the solution of the problem of the settlement of
Afghanistan's tribal nomads.
HERAT: The province of Herat occupies the north-
western corner of Afghanistan. A traveller is struck with the
richness and fertility of its soil. It is well-watered by innumer-
able streams, the Hari-Rud being the most important of them.
Well-fortified and populous villages are scattered throughout
this valley. Around these are beautiful gardens, orchards and
vineyards.
The north-eastern parts of this province are mostly moun-
tainous, while the western and southern portions are generally
sandy and level. The Parapomisus, running roughly parallel to
the Hari-Rud, cuts off the valley of the Hari from that of
Badghisat. The north-western corner of the province is occupied
by innumerable saline deserts, known by the common name of
Namaksar (salt-deserts). These deserts are regarded by some as
the beds of dried-up seas.
The main valley of Hert, watered by the Hari-Rud, is
extremely fertile and well-watered, and is one of the richest
and best irrigated districts of the country, wherein are situated
the important towns of Herat, Obeh, Ghorian (Poshinj of old)
and Kushan.
The lovely district of Badghisat, so famous in history, lies
on the northern skirts of the Paropamisus Range. It is said
that Nassr bin Ahmad, the Samanid King of Bokhara (913—942
Roughly two thirds of characters agree with a modern printed edition of the same text. Much of the disagreement is editorial, not misreading. Treat the transcription as a finding aid and read the page image before quoting. How this was measured.