Skeleton map showing the routes and passes in Afghanistan and the North West Frontier.

This sketch map, first published by James Wyld, in 1848, shows an overview of the principal roads and mountain passes, used by the British army in and around Afghanistan during the latter half of the nineteenth century, when the region was key in the cold war between Britain and Russia, what would become known as "The Great Game".

The map was published in response to the calamity of the First Anglo-Afghan War (1838-1842), when British Forces' initial success led to almost total massacre for the retreating forces from Kabul. Suitable routes for heavy artillery are highlighted in red, with distances marked in miles from major towns or cities, five of which are marked by a red flag, and all of which are listed in a table to the lower-right:

1. Ferozpoor (Firozpur)
2. Bander Vikker (Keti Bandar)
3. Kurrachee (Karachi)
4. Larkhana (Larkana)
5. Sukkur (Sukkur)
6. Dadur
7. Kandahar (Kandahar)
8. Kelat (Kalat)

Although the map was originally published by James Wyld Junior in 1848, the present example is a lithographic copy of the original copper plate, most likely produced for the Second Anglo-Afghan War of 1878-1880. There are manuscript annotations by Lieutenant Colonel Leech (who possibly served during the campaign), who appears to have taken artillery though the Gumul Pass, and records the distance from Karrott (the western entrance to the pass) to Ghuznee (Ghazni).

Rare: we are unable to trace an example appearing at auction. We are only able to trace three institutional examples: The British Library; The Royal Geographical Society; and Yale University.