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SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 IN 
 
 A FFG HANI STAN,' 
 
 BY 
 
 WILLIAM 'IJAYLOR 
 
 Troop Serjeant-Majok or the Fourth Light Dragoons. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 T. C. NEWBY, 65, MORTIMER St., CAVENDISH Sq. 
 
 AND 
 
 T. & W. BOONE, 29, NEW BOND STREET. 
 
 1842. 
 
 ■v^ 
 

 T.C .Newbt, Printer, 65, Mortimer Street, Cavendish Square. 
 
 ^i^rtCei* 
 
TO 
 
 FLORENTINE LADY SALE, 
 
 THE FOLLOWING PAGES ARE INSCRIBED 
 
 AS A 
 
 TRIBUTE OF RESPECT AND ADMIRATION 
 
 FOR THE 
 
 HEROISM BY HER DISPLAYED 
 
 DURING THE LATE 
 
 CAMPAIGN IN AFFGHANISTAN. 
 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 Page. 
 
 preface. -..---•-- 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 Proclamat'iBii of Lord Auckland. The Ghauts. 
 Fatal Practical Joke. Embarkation at Bombay. 3Iis- 
 hap at Sea. Landing at Bominacote. Review of 
 the troops by Sir John Keane. Suicide of Lieutenant 
 Fyers. Advance upon Scinde. Tattah. The Bloslems 
 and Hindoos. Tombs of Tattah. Hindoo Supersti- 
 tion. Adventure of a Dak, or Native Postman. 
 Death of a Smuggler. Jurruk. Belochee Thefts. 
 Feat of a Native Trooper. . - - . - 
 
 CHAPTER 11. 
 
 Singular fate of Three Officers of the Queen's 
 Royals. Evacuation of Jurruk by the Inhabitants. 
 Desertion of Camel Drivers. Preparations for the 
 attack and defence of Hyderabad. Submission of the 
 Ameers. Consternation of the Natives at the arrival 
 of a Steamer in the Indus. Baida. Accident to a 
 Dragoon. The Lukkee Pass. Kotiali. Loss of Two 
 Soldiers of the 17th Foot. Sehwan. Arrival of Sir 
 Henry Fane. Asiatic Jugglers. Conversion of a 
 European Soldier to the Mahommedan Faith. 
 
11 CONTENTS. 
 
 .CHAPTEK III. 
 
 Larkhana. Departure of the Commander-in-Chief 
 for Candahah. Capture of Belochee Thieves. Ludi- 
 crous scene in the Bazaar. Tremendous Hurricane. 
 An Irish Colonel's appeal to his men. Murder of 
 Cooks belonging to the Army. A Native Funeral. 
 The Bholun Pass. Massacre *of Camp Followers. 
 Ill-timed Merriment. Animal Instinct. - - - 42 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Skirmish with the Enemy. Belochee Waggery. 
 Cleverly planned Capture of a Bruhee. Sufferings 
 from want of water. Valley of Shawle. Quettah. 
 Belochee Cruelties. Adventures in a Stone Quan-y. 
 Treachery of the Khan of Khelet. Murder of another 
 Cook. Poisoning of the Wells. Fortunate Discovery. 61 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 The Khojuck Pass. Descent of the Troops. Shock- 
 ing Death of a Camel Driver. Detection and Escape 
 of an Affghan Thief. Loss of Cavalry Horses. Can- 
 dahar. Arrival of Shah Soojah. Condition of the 
 Troops. Attempt of the Natives to cut off a Convoy 
 of Provisions. Asiatic iNIendicants. The Mosque at 
 Candahar. Arrival of Affghan Auxiliaries. - - 7 7 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Installation of Shah Soojah. Attack on the Camel 
 Guards. Heroism of an Affghan Youth. Murder of 
 Cornet Inverarity of the 16th Lancers. Departure 
 from Candahar. The Ghiljie Hills. Locusts. Arrival 
 of new AuxiUaries. Camjl Batteries. Hyder Khail. 
 Arrival at Ghuznee. Tomb of JIahommed. Remains 
 of the Old Town of Ghuzneo. - - - - - 92 
 
CONTENTS. Ul 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 Recoiiiiaisance of the Fortress. Skirmish with the 
 Enemy. Rejoicing of the Garrison at our Supposed 
 Defeat. Preparation for a Coup de Main. Engineer 
 Operations. Storming and Taking of the Fortress. 108 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 An AfFghan Heroine. Capture of Hyder Khan the 
 Commandant of Ghuznee, Escape of Ghool Mahommed 
 Khan. Singular Discovery of a Map on the person 
 of an Affghan Chief. Description of the Affghan 
 Women. The Ruling Passion. Treasuretrove. The 
 Golden Shield. Chase of the Enemy. Just Retribution. 130 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 Attempt to Assassinate the Shah. Court Martial 
 on an Affghan Chief. Visit to the Hospital at 
 Ghuznee. Hatred of the Affghans towards the Native 
 Troops. Departure from Ghuznee. Capture of a 
 Battery. Fatal Accident. Summary Punishment. 
 Arrival at Cabul. Pursuit of Dost Mahommed and 
 Treachery of a Native Chief. Description of Cabul. 
 The Balar Hissar. Mosque of the Emperor Baber. 
 The Bazaar. 145 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 Triumphant Entry of Shah Soojah into Cabul. The 
 Cabul Races. Death of Brigadier General Arnold. 
 Sale of the General's effects. Arrival of Prince Timour. 
 The Sikhs. Murder of Colonel Herring. Arrival of 
 money and supplies from the Upper Provinces. - - 159 
 
IV CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 Institution of the Order of the Doorannee Empire. 
 Murder of a Pris'ate of the 13th Light Infantry. 
 Departure from Cabul. Return to Ghuznee. Accident 
 to the Revd. ]Mr. Pigot. Discovery of the Skeletons 
 of British Soldiers. Ilorse-steaks. Treachery of 
 some Ghiljie Chiefs and destruction of their Fort. 
 Adventure of a Dragoon. Loss of a Cook. - - 173 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 Arrival at Quettah, Storming of the Fortress of 
 Khelat. Suicide of a Trooper belonging to the Horse 
 Artillery. Departure from Quettah. The Bholun 
 Pass. Dadur. Bagh. Breaking out of the Cholera. 
 Death of Doctor Forbes. Shikarpoor. Death of 
 Captain Ogle. Sukkur-Bukkur. Death of Lieutenant 
 Janvrin. Wedding Ceremonies of the Natives. Break- 
 ing up of the Bombay Column. Departure of Brigadier 
 Cott. Boar Hunt. Lai-khana. Sehwan. Kurrachee. 
 Feast of the Mohurrum. Embarkation and Arrival 
 at Bombay. - 188 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 The following narrative is put forth with all 
 the diffidence and apprehension that a mind 
 unaccustomed to literary pursuits, and limited 
 in its opportunities of improvement, naturally 
 feels on presenting itself for the first time to 
 the notice of the public. The doubts I enter- 
 tain, regarding the prudence of the step I have 
 taken, are in no small degree increased by the 
 circumstances under which the work has been 
 executed, the details having been entirely fur- 
 nished from memory, and without the aid of 
 any sort of data or memoranda. I should never 
 have dreamt of undertaking such a task, had 
 not the partiality of good natured, though per- 
 haps misjudging friends, overcame the scruples 
 
11 PREFACE. 
 
 which a consciousness of my own deficiencies 
 excited, and induced me to commit to paper 
 the scenes with which they professed them- 
 selves to have been amused. 
 
 Having candidly admitted the demerits 
 of the work, I may now be allowed to say a 
 few words in its favour. Should it be taken up 
 in the expectation of supplying materials for 
 the defence of an erroneous policy, or the 
 gratification of party spleen, it will fall short of 
 the hopes of the reader, for I have endeavoured 
 to steer clear of every thing like political allu- 
 sion in the fear of adding to diflficulties, which 
 already appeared sufficiently formidable, and of 
 wrecking my little bark on a stormy and 
 troubled sea. Mine is the simple, straightfor- 
 ward narrative of a soldier, more accustomed to 
 wield the sword than the pen, and caring little 
 for the conflicting interests or animosities of 
 party. With such a small amount of profes- 
 sion, it is not unreasonable to hope that the 
 public will extend towards it some portion of 
 that o-encrous indulg:ence with Avhich it is ever 
 wont to regard the literary efforts of the hum- 
 bler classes. 
 
 London^ December \Oth^ 1842. 
 
AFFGIIANISTAN. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 Proclamation of Lord Auckland. — The Ghauts. — Fatal 
 Practical Joke. — Embarkation at Bombay. — Mishap at Sea. 
 Landing at Bominacote. — RevicAv of the troops by Sir John 
 Keane. — Suicide of Lieutenant Fyers. — Advance upon Scinde. 
 Tattah. — The Moslems and Hindoos. — Tombs of Tattah. 
 Hindoo Superstition.— Adventure of a Dak, or native Post- 
 man. — Death of a Smuggler. — Jurruk — Belochee Thefts. — 
 Feat of a Native Trooper. 
 
 Towards the latter end of August 1838, ru- 
 mours reached Bombay and the various military 
 stations in the Deccan, that the troops were 
 about to be called into active service, and that 
 the scene of operations was to be at a distance 
 from our Indian territories. The extensive 
 
 B 
 

 2 SCENES AND ADVENTUKES 
 
 preparations soon after set on foot, and the 
 unusual activity observable in the various 
 arsenals of the Presidency, left no doubt as to 
 the truth of these reports, and the only subject 
 of speculation that remained was, the precise 
 destination _ of the forces. Public curiosity was 
 at length set at rest, by the arrival of a pro- 
 clamation from the Governor General, directing 
 the assemblage of an army for service across 
 the Indus, and explaining at length the inten- 
 tions of Government. It will not be necessary 
 for the purposes of this narrative that I should 
 canvass the merits of this remarkable document, 
 or enter upon a discussion of the policy on 
 which it was founded. Sufficient is it for me 
 to say that the objects wliich it professed, were 
 the protection of our commerce, and the safety 
 of our Indian frontiers, both of which were 
 menaced by the intrigues and aggressions of 
 Persia. Having detailed the stej)s taken by 
 Dost Mahommed in furthei'ance of the views 
 of tliat power, and expressed its conviction. 
 
IN AFFGIIANISTAN. 3 
 
 that as long as Cabul remained under his govern- 
 ment there was no hope that the interests of 
 our Indian empire would be preserved inviolate, 
 the proclamation proceeded to state, that press- 
 ing necessity, as well as every consideration of 
 policy and justice, justified us in replacing on 
 the throne of AfFghanistan, Shah Soojah-Ool- 
 Moolk, a monarch who, when in power, had 
 cordially acceded to the measures of joint re- 
 sistance to external affgression which were at 
 that time judged necessary by the British 
 government ; and who on his empire being 
 usurped by its present rulers had found an 
 honorable asylum in the British dominions. 
 Such in a few words were the objects set forth 
 in Lord Auckland's proclamation and never 
 has unfortunate state paper been assailed with 
 such hostility and bitterness. Whether the 
 censures with which it has been visited are 
 deserved or not I will leave to others to 
 decide, contenting myself with the observation, 
 that failure and success are but too apt to sway 
 
4 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 men's judgments and to give a character to the 
 circumstances that have led to them. 
 
 The Bombay troops ordered to form part of 
 the army of the Indus consisted of her Ma- 
 jesty's 2nd, or Queen's Royals, the 17th 
 regiment of Foot, 307 of her Majesty's 4th 
 Light Dragoons, the 1st regiment of Bombay 
 Light Cavalry, two troops of the Honorable 
 Company's Horse Artillery, one company of 
 Foot Artillery, the 19th regiment of Native 
 Infantry, the Poona Irregular Horse, with the 
 Sappers and Miners, the whole constituting an 
 effective force of about 6,000 men, under the 
 command of Lieutenant-General Sir John 
 Keane. 
 
 The 4th Light Dragoons were stationed at 
 Kirkee, about 70 miles from Bombay, when 
 orders arrived that the detachment should pro- 
 ceed to the Presidency, for the purpose of 
 embarking for its destination. We left our 
 cantonments early in November, and overtook 
 the Artillery, which had preceded us from 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. O 
 
 Poona, at the Ghauts. We halted here two 
 days, and were joined by her Majesty's 17th 
 regiment of Foot, shortly after our arrival. 
 Short as was our stay, it was signalised by one 
 of those practical jokes which so often terminate 
 in fatal results, but which, unfortunately, seem 
 to have no effect in rendering people cautious. 
 Some artillerymen having been out shooting 
 game, one of them brought home a loaded gun 
 and carelessly left it in his tent. Several 
 of his comrades came in, in the afternoon, and 
 in the course of a carousal one of them took the 
 loaded piece, and presenting it at the nearest 
 soldier, jestingly threatened to shoot him. He 
 had scarcely uttered the word when the gun 
 went off and stretched his unfortunate comrade 
 dead at his feet. Nothing could equal the 
 distress and remorse of the homicide at the 
 thoughtless act by which he had deprived a 
 fellow creature of life, and it had a marked effect 
 on his future character and conduct. 
 
 The passage through the Ghauts is romantic 
 
6 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 and picturesque in the extreme, the road lying 
 over stupendous mountains and through deep 
 ravines for the length of about seven or eight 
 miles. Some beautiful country houses have 
 been lately erected here by a wealthy Parsee 
 of Bombay, on sites which command the 
 finest and most extensive views in the 
 neighbourhood. These delightful summer re- 
 treats are surrounded by every luxurious acces- 
 sory that wealth and taste can supply, and 
 the Governor is occasionally glad to fly to them 
 for a short respite from the cares of office. 
 
 We arrived at Bombay on the loth of 
 November, and found it a scene of busy ex- 
 citement. The streets were filled with troops 
 and artillery proceeding to the place of em- 
 barkation, and the inhabitants flocked in 
 thousands to the Bunder Head, to witness 
 their departure. The harbour was literally 
 alive with the numerous small craft employed 
 in conveying the troops to the different 
 transports, while the blue Peter flying at the 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 7 
 
 mast head of the latter announced that we had 
 very little time for delay. We accordingly 
 hurried down to the beach, and were imme- 
 diately put on board the Cambridge. We 
 found it so crowded that Major Daly, 
 our commanding officer, was compelled 
 to remonstrate with the authorities on the sub- 
 ject, and after some trouble, he succeeded in 
 getting from seventy to eighty men removed 
 to the other vessels. This did not sufficiently 
 lessen the inconvenience to prevent sickness 
 breaking out amongst us, and we lost one of 
 the Horse Artillery before we were many 
 days at sea. 
 
 The passage was short, but not unattended 
 with danger. The Cambridge struck on a 
 sand bank, off the Gulf of Cutch, and it was 
 with considerable difficulty that she was re- 
 lieved from her perilous position. We were 
 kept on the bank about four hours, and it may 
 easily be conceived that no small degree of 
 alarm and uneasiness prevailed amongst the 
 
8 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 landsmen, who were unaccustomed to dangers 
 of this description. The night was pitch dark, 
 and the breakers sounded unpleasantly near us. 
 Captain Douglass the commander of the vessel, 
 appeared however all confidence, and after try- 
 ing a variety of experiments to get her off, he 
 hit upon one which luckily proved successful. 
 The whole of the troops on board having been 
 ordered upon deck, the Captain directed them 
 to jump three times simultaneously. This was 
 done by our fellows with a hearty good will, 
 and had the instant effect of loosening the 
 vessel from the bank, and enabling her to float 
 again into deep water. 
 
 We arrived off the mouth of the Indus in 
 about fourteen days after our departure from 
 Bombay. The troops were immediately dis- 
 embarked in pattemars, small and clumsy coast- 
 ing vessels peculiar to the country. "We 
 reached Bominacote the next evenings without 
 any other accident than the sinking of three 
 boats, two containing artillery horses, and the 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 9 
 
 other officers' supplies, to the value it was said 
 of £10,000 which had been sent on speculation 
 with the army by an eminent Parsee firm at 
 Bombay. 
 
 Bominacote forms a sort of harbour of refuge 
 for the vessels which carry on a trade along 
 this line of coast. The village itself consists 
 of a few filthy huts, and its inhabitants spend 
 their lives in huntino; and fishing. Both males 
 and females are in a state of almost savage 
 nature little covering being used by them 
 beyond the loin goity or covering for the loins 
 common to the natives of these parts. The 
 proverbial vanity of the weaker sex was, how- 
 ever, displayed in the eagerness with which 
 they bartered their most precious articles for a 
 few handkerchiefs of Manchester make that we 
 happened to have with us. 
 
 As soon as the horses belonging to the 
 
 cavalry, and the military stores had been landed, 
 
 it was decided that we should advance upon 
 
 Scinde in two divisions ; the infantry under 
 
 B 5 
 
10 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 the command of Brigadier Sir Thomas Wilt- 
 shire, and the Cavahy under Brigadier Scott. 
 Previous to our departure the troops were re- 
 viewed by Lieutenant-General Sir John Keane, 
 who had followed us from Bombay in the 
 Victoria steamer. Sir John expressed himself 
 in terms of warm satisfaction at the high state 
 of discipline and ardour of the men, who were 
 eager to be led against the enemy. The usual 
 precautions on entering hostile territories were 
 now taken, the Cavalry being ordered to 
 sharpen their sabres, and the Infantry served 
 with sixty rounds of ball cartridge. 
 
 Before we took our departure from Bomina- 
 cote, a melancholy circumstance occurred, 
 which threw a temporary gloom over us. As 
 the men were sitting down to dinner the report 
 of a pistol was heard In the officers' lines. 
 Suspecting some accident I ran to the spot, 
 accompanied by two of my comrades, and dis- 
 covered Lieutenant Fyers, one of the officers of 
 my own regiment, lying dead in his tent, with 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN, 11 
 
 a freshly discharged pistol in his right hand. 
 The unfortunate gentleman had placed the 
 muzzle of it to his mouth, and the ball, taking 
 a slanting direction, had passed out over the 
 left ear. For several days previous he had 
 been observed to labour under great depression 
 of spirits, but no immediate cause could be 
 assigned for the fatal act. His loss was gene- 
 rally lamented, for he Avas both a good officer 
 and an estimable member of society. 
 
 Our route lay through a country barren in 
 
 the extreme, scarcely a vestige of vegetation 
 
 being any where to be met with. Of the 
 
 natives we saw or heard nothing, for as we 
 
 advanced they fell back, deserting the villages 
 
 and betaking themselves to their mountain 
 
 fastnesses. It being now near Christmas the 
 
 men suffered some inconvenience from the 
 
 sudden transitions of temperature, the days 
 
 being sultry and the nights extremely cold. 
 
 The consequence was that the dysentery broke 
 
12 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 out amongst us, and several fatal cases occurred. 
 
 At the close of the third days' march reports 
 became current through the camp that we 
 should soon see the enemy. It was said that 
 a force of ten thousand horse and foot was 
 about to take the field against us, and Captain 
 Outram was despatched towards Hyderabad, 
 to ascertain the truth of the story. He brought 
 back information that the enemy were en- 
 sconced within the walls of that town, and 
 appeared to have little disposition to leave them. 
 "We now began to find the difference between 
 quarters and camp, for the General thought it 
 necessary to send out frequent reconnoitering 
 parties and pickets, in order to guard against 
 surprise. 
 
 Early on the morning of the fifth day, we 
 arrived at Tattah, a place of considerable an- 
 tiquity, and, I believe, mentioned in Holy 
 Writ. The Indus formerly washed the walls 
 of this town, but owing to some natural or 
 
IN AFFGIIANISTAN. 13 
 
 artificial iDgrcdient the course of the river has 
 been completely changed, and it now runs at 
 about four miles distance. 
 
 Emerging from one of the most barren and 
 desolate tracts of country that it is possible to 
 imagine, even the tombs of Tattah, or City of 
 the Dead, as it is called in the language of the 
 natives, proved an agreeable distraction to us. 
 Tattah itself is a small, wretchedly built town, 
 containing little more than a thousand inhabi- 
 tants, who are for the most part of the Moslem 
 religion. The few Hindoos who reside here 
 constitute the wealthier part of the trading 
 community, but influential as this fact would 
 pre-suppose them, they are a persecuted and 
 oppressed race, the privilege of erecting places 
 of worship within the precincts of the town 
 being not only denied them, but even the free 
 exercise of their religious rites. Aggressions 
 of the most wanton and tyrannical nature, and 
 murders committed under circumstances of the 
 most shocking barbarity, and having their origin 
 c 
 
14 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 solely in religious jealousy, are matters of no 
 unfrequent occurrence here. 
 
 The Hindoos are consequently obliged to 
 
   
 
 resort to the caves of the neighbouring moun- 
 tains, to practise their religious ceremonies, but 
 the relentless intolerance of their persecutors 
 pursues them even there. During our short 
 stay we saw the bodies of two of the proscribed 
 race, who had been found murdered in one of 
 their concealed temples. 
 
 The tombs of Tattah stand on a gentle 
 eminence, at a short distance from the town : 
 they are of circular construction, and are, as 
 nearly as I could judge, from seventy to eighty 
 feet in circumference, and from thirty to forty 
 feet in height. They are capped with domes, 
 but their external appearance presents nothing 
 graceful or ornamental to the eye. The interior 
 is gained by a staircase, which ascends to an 
 aperture forming the entrance, about midway 
 in the building, and a rudely constructed ladder 
 conducts the visitor downward to the basement, 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 15 
 
 where the bodies lie. The interior of the dome 
 is lined with blue tiles richly ornamented with 
 arabesques and inscriptions from the Koran. 
 There are about a dozen of these remarkable 
 monuments and they are clustered together, 
 without arrangement or regard for effect. Of 
 the many sketches taken at the time I have not 
 seen one which conveys a correct idea of their 
 details. Although visited by nearly the whole 
 of the troops, it is a fact highly creditable to 
 their good taste and feeling that no mischief or 
 desecration of any sort was committed. Sir 
 John Keane, in a general order issued before 
 our departure, took occasion expressly to allude 
 to this circumstance, in terms alike honourable 
 to himself and to us. 
 
 A curious, and I must say revolting, instance 
 of the gross superstition of the Hindoos fell 
 under my observation whilst at Tattah. At 
 the northern extremity of the bazaar I was 
 shown some of the most miserable specimens of 
 humanity that can well be imagined. In a 
 
16 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 filthy mud hut, the very aspect of which 
 threatened contagion, sat two living skeletons 
 rocking themselves to and fro. They were with- 
 out covering of any sort, except the old blanket 
 on which they sat, and their deep sunk eyes 
 and contracted features told a tale of long but 
 patiently endured privation. I was informed 
 that these poor wretches Avere undergoing a 
 self-inflicted penance, for the non-performance 
 of some religious rite. They had condemned 
 themselves for a period of seven years to a 
 daily allowance of rice and water, barely sufli- 
 cient to prevent the extinction of the vital 
 powers. We offered them food, but they 
 sternly rejected it. This lamentable fanaticism 
 on the part of a simple and inoffensive people 
 is, after all, but another and more harmless 
 phase of the fierce bigotry, which still continues 
 to exist amongst European nations. 
 
 A dak, or native postman, who had crossed 
 the river from Bhooj with letters for the camp, 
 was waylaid by two Bclochces as he was 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 17 
 
 descending towards it, by the left bank, and the 
 letter bag taken from him. His captors, having 
 brought him to their retreat in the liills, secured 
 his hands behind his back, and lay down to 
 sleep, one of them using the letter bag as a 
 pillow. The dcik remained quiet, until their 
 snoring satisfied him they v/ere sound 
 asleep, and then slipping his hands out of the 
 ligatures, he stole over to the fellow who had 
 the post-bag under him, and placing his knee 
 on his breast, cut his throat from ear to ear 
 with a knife, which he took from the 
 mountaineer's person, and made off vrith the 
 bag. In about ten minutes after, he heard the 
 Belochee close upon his heels, and, redoubling 
 hi:s speed, a chase of nearly ten miles ensued, 
 in the course of which, the poor fellow had 
 two or three times nearly yielded from fatigue. 
 The dreadful fate which awaited him, should 
 he fall into his pursuer's hands, flashed how- 
 ever across his mind, and plucking up 
 fresh strength and courage, he at length sue- 
 
18 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 ceeded in reaching the camp, but in so weak 
 and exhausted a state that nature was near 
 sinking under the effort. 
 
 On the eve of our departure, a circumstance 
 occurred which created a very angry feeling 
 between the inhabitants and the troops, and 
 occasioned much regret to the Commander-in- 
 Chief, who was desirous that our advance should 
 not be marked by any thing which savoured of 
 cruelty. In consequence of the great increase 
 of drunkenness amongst the European troops, 
 owing to the cheapness and abundance of 
 liquor, strict orders were issued against its 
 being allowed into camp. One of the inhabi- 
 tants of Tattah, who was engaged in smuggling 
 the prohibited article, was stopped about dusk 
 by a Serjeant, who happened to be going his 
 rounds. The fellow took to his heels, and a 
 sepoy, who was stationed as sentry in the staff 
 lines, mistaking him for a thief, and seeing him 
 pass at a speed which rendered capture out of 
 the question, levelled his musket, and shot him 
 
IN AFFGIIANISTAN. 19 
 
 dead on the spot. He was a fine muscular 
 fellow, about two or three and twenty, and 
 belonged to a respectable family in the town. 
 His friends immediately repaired to the scene 
 in a numerous body, and carried him off amidst 
 the wailing and lamentation of the women 
 After this it was considered dangerous for any 
 of us to venture into the town when nightfall 
 had set in. 
 
 The army was now ordered to advance upon 
 Jurruk, a town situated on the banks of the 
 Indus, at about a day's march from Tattah. It 
 is better built and cleaner than the latter place, 
 and some of the streets are covered over with 
 thatched roofs, forming a series of rude arcades, 
 illuminated by oil lamps. Opthalmia is a 
 common disease amongst the natives, and several 
 of the troops were attacked by it. Some of us 
 also suffered severely from the guinea worm, 
 a malady, common in some parts of Ilindostan, 
 and which, although not considered dangerous, 
 is attended with great pain. It generally 
 
20 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 attacks the feet, and has the effect of eifectually 
 crippling the patient for the time. I have had 
 one drawn out of my right foot, which measured 
 nearly half a yard in length, and I have known 
 others to have had no less than from seven 
 to eight of them at once. It being im- 
 possible for persons thus affected to march on 
 foot or even to mount on horseback, they were 
 usually carried along with the army in kajar- 
 vees, a sort of double-chair strung across the 
 back of a camel, and swinging with a see-saw 
 movement that occasioned no small additional 
 suffering to the unfortunate occupant. 
 
 The spot selected for the encampment was 
 extremely lovely, being encircled by hills, and 
 having the River Indus running on its right. 
 As the different regiments wound their way 
 round the heights, and descended into the plain 
 where the tents were to be pitched, the scene 
 would have made a beautiful subject for a 
 sketch. How often during a progress through 
 this wild and romantic country have I regretted 
 
IN AFFGIIANISTAN. 21 
 
 the want of a suflicicnt acquaintance with the 
 art of design, to enable me to convey to paper 
 some of its more striking and characteristic 
 features. 
 
 In consequence of the numerous thefts com- 
 mitted by the Belochees, who daily carried oft' 
 numbers of our camels, it became necessary to 
 provide them with guards whilst at pasturage. 
 This, however, did not prevent the plunderers 
 from continuing their descents, and they be- 
 came so hardy that they sometimes even 
 ventured to attack or carry off the guards 
 themselves. One day, whilst a party of the 
 Poona Auxiliary Horse were in charge of some 
 camels about two miles from camp, the Belo- 
 chees came suddenly upon them. There 
 were only six of our men, whilst the enemy 
 numbered twelve or fifteen. Nothing daunted, 
 however, a gallant fellow dashed out from 
 amongst our men, and cut down three or four 
 of the marauders. Being quickly seconded by the 
 others, the Belochees took to flight, and the 
 
22 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 black hero dismounted, and cutting off the 
 head of one of his dead antagonists, strung it 
 by the hair to his crupper, and triumphantly rode 
 into camp with it, amidst the acclamations of 
 his comrades. A more substantial reward was 
 conferred upon him for this daring exploit a 
 few days afterwards by his promotion to the 
 rank of havildar or scrjeant. This may be 
 said to have been the first occasion on which 
 any of our troops came into actual collision 
 with the enemy, but the example which was 
 made had little or no effect in restraining the 
 thefts of the Belochees who appeared to have 
 an incorrigible taste for this sort of adventure. 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 23 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 Singular fate of three Officers of tbe Queen's Royals. — 
 Evacuation of Jurruk by the Inhabitants. — Desertions of 
 Camel Drivers.^Preparations for the attack and defence of 
 Hyderabad. — Submission of the Ameers. — Consternation of 
 the Natives at tlie arrival of a Steamer in the Indus. — Baida.— 
 Accident to a Dragoon.— The Lukkee Pass. — Kotiah. — Loss 
 of two Soldiers of the 17th Foot.— Sehwan. — Arrival of Sir 
 Henry Fane. — Asiatic Jugglers. — Conversion of a European 
 Soldier to the ^lahommedan faith. 
 
 A melancholy incident occurred at Jurruk, 
 but whether it was occasioned by accident or 
 treachery we never could satisfactorily trace. 
 Some officers belonging to the Queen's Royals 
 applied for leave to go hunting in the preserves 
 of the Ameers of Scinde, and having obtained 
 
24 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 it, Lieutenant Sparkes Lieutenant Nixon and 
 Dr. Hibbert, who constituted the party, left the 
 camp on foot at an early hour of the morning. 
 Their leave of absence expired at six o'clock 
 the same evening, but none of them had made 
 their appearance at that hour. About half 
 past eight a dog belonging to Dr. Hibbert was 
 observed returning into camp witliout his 
 master, which gave rise to gloomy apprehen- 
 sions amongst his brother officers, and the non 
 return of any of the party by next morning, 
 confirmed their Avorst fears. It was immedi- 
 ately determined to send out a troop of native 
 cavalry to scour the country in search of them, 
 and the preserves were of course the first spot to 
 which they directed their horses. Part of the 
 force dismounted at the Shirkagh or Royal 
 Preserves, and proceeded on foot for a consi- 
 derable distance. Observing smoke ascending 
 in dense volumes to the right they made their 
 way towards it, and on gaining the spot a 
 shocking sight presented itself. A large area 
 
IN AFFGIIANISTAN, 25 
 
 had been cleared by the flames, and not a blade 
 of grass or brushwood had been left. The body 
 of Lieutenant Sparkes lay, dreadfully scorched 
 and mutilated, upon the ground, while tha*^ of 
 Dr. Hibbert was found in a tree, into which he 
 had evidently climbed to escape the devouring ele- 
 ment. A little further on lay Lieutenant. Nixon 
 whose features were so withered and defaced, 
 that it was almost impossible to recognize him, 
 and from the contracted and distorted position 
 in which his limbs were found it was evident 
 that he had suffered a more agonizinff death 
 than th© others. The remains of the three 
 unfortunate officers were borne back to the 
 camp and interred with military honours. 
 They were all talented and spirited young men 
 and their untimely fate was a source of univer- 
 sal regret and discussion. By some it was 
 contended that the natives had observed them 
 entering the preserves, and inspired by hate had 
 fired the woods in different places, so as effec- 
 tua lly to surround them and cut off all chance 
 P 
 
26 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 of escajje. To such a degree did this suppo- 
 sition obtain credence, that the soldiers of the 
 Queen's Royals loudly demanded to be allowed 
 to take revenge on the inhabitants of the 
 district. This of course could not be per- 
 mitted, and the clamour that had been raised 
 about the matter soon died away. 
 
 Shortly after our arrival an order came down 
 from the Ameers of Scinde, that the inhabitants 
 of Jurruk should vacate the town and retreat 
 to Hyderabad. It was obeyed with great 
 reluctance, the love of home being stronger 
 with these poor people than their fear of the 
 British. Their removal was one of the most 
 distressing and painful scenes I have ever 
 witnessed, both men and women giving way 
 to wild bursts of passionate grief, and casting 
 back long and lingering regards at the habita- 
 tions they had abandoned. They left in bodies 
 of between two and three hundred, carrying 
 with them all their portable effects, and at 
 night the town was completely deserted. We 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 27 
 
 neither interfered with, nor molested them 
 during their preparations for departure, but 
 immediately on their quitting, a strong picket 
 was posted in some of the empty houses. 
 
 Provisions became extremely scarce in the 
 camp, and owing to the remissness of the Com- 
 missariat in forwarding the stores from Tattah, 
 our sros was reduced from two drams 
 daily, to one dram on halting days. This was 
 attended with the worst possible effects, for it 
 encouraged the troops to search after the liquor 
 of the country ; which proved not only in- 
 jurious to the constitution of the soldier, but to 
 the discipline of the service. Desertion became 
 of frequent occurrence, and from one hundred 
 to one hundred and fifty camel drivers from 
 India, together with some Ghorra Wallars, or 
 native horsekecpers, succeeded in making their 
 way across the river to Cutch Bhooj. A few 
 were causcht, and from six to twelve dozen 
 lashes each were inflicted on the delinquents. 
 Captain Outram was again sent forward to 
 
28 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 Hyderabad on a mission to the Ameers of 
 Scinde, but they received him in the haughtiest 
 manner and refused to come to any sort of 
 terms. The Captain found them fortifying the 
 hills round the city, under the superintendence 
 of an European officer, and he observed a 
 battery of twenty pieces of cannon, posted on 
 the banks of the river. Twenty thousand 
 Belochees armed with talwar, shield, and 
 matchlock, and two thirds of whom were dis- 
 mounted, occupied a position on the right bank, 
 so as to protect the battery. Half of this force 
 subsequently moved across the river and took 
 up a strong position on the western bank, 
 where we lay. The city was reported to be 
 full of armed men, and the idea of attackins; it 
 previous to our junction with the Bengal army 
 was regarded as worse than folly, the river 
 being eighteen hundred feet wide and our pon- 
 toons of insufficient length to traverse it. The 
 enemy, triumpliing in our seeming inaction, sent 
 vaunting and threatening messages to us. The 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 29 
 
 Commander-in-Chief took no notice of their 
 bravadoes, but silently made all the necessary 
 preparations for attacking the city as soon as he 
 was joined by the Bengal army. Strong 
 cavalry pickets were thrown out on the hills to 
 the right, which commanded an extensive view 
 of the surrounding country, and the sound of 
 drums and otlier military instruments was 
 strictly prohibited in camp. 
 
 On the 25th, Sir Henry Pottingcr came into 
 camp from Hyderaljad, the Ameers not only 
 refusing to pay the arrears of tribute that were 
 due, but treating the Envoy with every sort 
 of indignity. The Bengal army having come 
 through the Punjaub, and crossed the Indus at 
 Roree was now ready to act in conjunction 
 with us on the right bank of the river, and the 
 Connnander-in-Chief resolved to lose no further 
 time in investing the city. He accordingly 
 commenced operations by planting a battery on 
 some heights which connnanded its walls, but 
 which were at too great a distance for the guns 
 
 C3 
 
 D 5 
 
30 » SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 to do much damage. To the great disappoint- 
 ment of both officers and men, who already 
 revelled in the anticipation of prize money, 
 the Ameers became alarmed at these demonstra- 
 tions and came to terms. An envoy, whose 
 appearance created no small amusement in the 
 camp, was despatched from Hyderabad to adjust 
 the necessary preliminaries. He was a short, 
 thick set old fellow, with a merry twinkling 
 eye, and as little as possible of what is called 
 official dignity about him. He brought with 
 him from twenty to thirty lacs of rupees, but 
 the reception which he met with from Sir John 
 Keane was not calculated to elevate the worthy 
 functionary in his own estimation. 
 
 Positive orders havius; been issued that 
 neither officers nor men should be allowed to 
 enter Hyderabad on any pretence whatsoever, 
 I am unable to give n)y readers a description 
 of the town. It appeared to be of considera- 
 ble extent, but of such little strength, that had 
 the Ameers driven matters to extremities, I 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 31 
 
 have no doubt we should have carried the place 
 in an hour. 
 
 ' We were exceedingly amused at the surprise 
 and consternation displayed by the inhabitants 
 of Hyderabad at the arrival of one of the iron 
 steamers in the Indus, with suppKes for the 
 troops from Bombay. Nearly the whole of 
 the population flocked down to the banks of 
 the river to behold this surprising phenomenon ; 
 they threw their arms in the air, and flung 
 themselves prostrate on the earth in perfect 
 ecstacies of wonder at every movement of the 
 mysterious power which propelled the vessel. 
 The scene was nearly as ridiculous as that 
 which greeted Columbus when the first notions 
 of European power and civilisation burst upon 
 the astonished minds of the simple aborigines 
 of America. 
 
 After remaining a few days at Hyderabad 
 the army resumed its march, and an'lved next 
 cvenins: at Baida. An accident occurred here, 
 by which a trooper of the 4th Light Dragoons 
 
32 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 lost his life. The banks of the river were ex- • 
 tremely steep, and as we were watering our 
 horses the pressure from behind forced a man 
 named Helm into the river. He was instantly 
 carried away by the current, and was soon lost 
 to view, although we strained every eifort to 
 save him. His body floated down to Hyder- 
 abad, and was recovered by the natives, who 
 restored it to his commanding officer, together 
 with a belt full of rupees, which was found 
 round his waist. 
 
 Continuing our route we arrived at the 
 Lukkee Pass, where we found some thermal 
 springs, from which the sick derived considera- 
 ble benefit. A noble lake at the further 
 extremity of the defile afforded our officers 
 several days shooting and fishing, while the 
 beautiful scenery, by which it was surrounded 
 on every side, furnished such of them as were 
 artists with fine subjects for the exerc'se of 
 their pencil. Precipitous heights, assuming 
 every variety of fantastic form, stretched down- 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 33 
 
 ward to the water's edge, some in graceful 
 sweeps, and others in bold and threatening 
 attitudes, whilst their bases were hid in rich 
 woods or washed by the waters of the lake. 
 
 Leaving this romantic spot with regret, we 
 proceeded to Kotiah, where we lost two soldiers 
 belonging to her Majesty's 17 th regiment of 
 Foot. They went out in search of some camels 
 which were at pasturage and were never after- 
 wards seen or heard of. A party which was 
 sent in search of them found the marks of foot- 
 steps and some traces of blood on the spot 
 where tlie camels had been grazing, and from 
 the torn up appearance which the ground pre- 
 sented there was little doubt that they had 
 made a desperate struggle for their lives. 
 
 Not satisfied with carrying off our camels, the 
 Belochees frequently ventured within the lines 
 after nightfall, and made off with any thing 
 they could lay their hands upon. Sir Keith 
 Jackson, the Captain of my own troop, detected 
 a fellow with a bridle in his hand, which he 
 
34 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 was watching an opportunity to slip off with 
 unperceived, and taking his hand whip he 
 inflicted a most unmerciful castigation upon 
 him. The rascal whined and moaned like a 
 corrected child during the progress of the 
 punishment, but as soon as he was let loose he 
 stuck his tongue in his cheek, and went laugh- 
 ing out of camp. 
 
 Our next destination was Sehwan, a thickly 
 populated village, about seventy English miles 
 from Hyderabad. Here we were joined by the 
 ever to be lamented Sir Henry Fane, who was 
 to have assumed the command of the combined 
 forces at their junction at Candahar, but who 
 declined it in disgust at the wretchedly organised 
 state of the commissariat, and the neglect which 
 had been shown in providing for the contin- 
 gencies of the route. Sir Henry foresaw, and 
 subsequent events justified his views, that 
 although supplies might be regularly forwarded 
 from time to time, it was extremely doubtful, 
 nay almost next to impossible, that they could 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 35 
 
 reach an army always on the advance, through 
 distant and mountainous regions, and having 
 enemies hanging on its rear who were but too 
 deeply interested in preventing their safe 
 arrival. 
 
 Before Sir Henry left us he inspected the 
 troops, and appeared satisfied with the condi- 
 tion of the men, who had not as yet encountered 
 hardships sufficient to affect their appearance. 
 There have been few men in command whose 
 personal qualities have more endeared him to 
 those who served under him than Sir Henry 
 Fane. He was between sixty and seventy 
 years of age, at the time I speak of, and his 
 venerable countenance, beaming with the 
 kindliest and most benevolent feelings, and 
 manners that had a parental touch about them, 
 combined to render him one of the most 
 respected and popular officers in the army. 
 We viewed his departure from amongst us with 
 the deepest regret, for though we felt the fullest 
 confidence in our then leader, this gallant 
 
36 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 veteran had so won upon our affections that a 
 comparison with him must have proved invidi- 
 ous to any one. 
 
 The ingenuity of the Asiatic jugglers is well 
 known, and I believe our European exhibitors 
 derive their proficiency, in a great measure, 
 from them, our soldiery carrying back with 
 them the rudiments of this respectable branch 
 of knowledge, and turning their swords, if not 
 into ploughshares, at least into as peaceable and 
 innocent a mode of gaining a livelihood. An 
 exhibition which took place during our short 
 stay at Schwan made many of the " green- 
 horns" amongst us gape, and impressed them 
 with a very high notion of the favour in which 
 the professors of the art are held by his 
 Satanic Majesty. Returning one day from 
 the bazaar, I observed a crowd of soldiers and 
 natives assembled near the lines of the Artillery. 
 Elbowing ray way through them I found a 
 conjuror at his tricks, and from the expensive 
 jind elaborate nature of the paraphernalia by 
 
IN AFFGUANISTAN. 37 
 
 which he was surrounded, at once perceived 
 that his pretensions were of the highest order. 
 He was attired in loose flowing robes, covered 
 with mystic characters ; and a long white beard 
 descended to his waist, contrasting oddly with his 
 jet black locks and piercing hazel eyes. Sur- 
 rounded by the various emblems and accessories 
 of his art, he looked a very imposing figure, and 
 every movement which he made was regarded 
 with as much interest as if destiny really rested 
 on his fiat. His only assistants were a man 
 who beat a tom-tom, or drum, to collect 
 an audience, and a beautifully formed girl 
 about five or six years of age, whose supple und 
 graceful movements excited general admiration. 
 Having made a clear space of about thirty feet 
 in diameter, the conjuror took an oblong basket, 
 about two feet in length, and one in breadth, 
 the interior of which he exhibited to the spec- 
 tators, in order to convince them that nothing 
 was concealed in it. After performing a variety 
 of common-place tricks, such as balancing a 
 
 E 
 
38 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 sword upon a pipe and then swallowing the blade^ 
 he suddenly turned towards the child and address- 
 ed her in an angry tone of voice. She made some 
 reply which appeared to make him still more 
 choleric, for his features became swollen with 
 rage, and his eyes shot glances of fire. The 
 discussion continuing in the same violent strain 
 he appeared no longer able to control his fury, 
 and suddenly seizing the child by the waist, he 
 opened the basket and crammed her into it. 
 The half stifled cries of the girl were distinctly 
 heard, but they only appeared to enrage him 
 the more. Snatching a sword, which lay near 
 him, he plunged it to the hilt in the basket, 
 twice or thrice, and every time he drew it out it 
 was reeking with gore. The half smothered 
 groans and sobs of the dying child at length 
 convinced several of the spectators that a 
 murder had been committed, and two or three 
 soldiers rushed into the circle for the purpose of 
 seizing the criminal. Triumphantly smiling at 
 the success of the cheat, he held them at bay 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 39 
 
 with the sword for a few minutes, when, to our 
 great surprise, the child bounded into tlie circle, 
 unscathed, from amidst the crowd, though we 
 had kept our eyes attentively fixed on the 
 basket all the time. Suspecting; that two 
 chilJren had been employed, I examined the 
 basket, but found no trace of an occupant, and 
 saw nothing in its construction which could 
 have aided the deception. This clever trick 
 was loudly applauded, and brought its author a 
 plentiful harvest of pice and cowries, while 
 many there were who went away with the firm 
 conviction that it could only have been efi'ected 
 through the agency of the devil himself. 
 
 We had left a number of sick behind us at 
 Tattah, with instructions that they should be 
 conveyed in pattemars up the river Indus, and 
 I'cjoin us at Sehwan. A boat containing a 
 corporal and five men was stranded on the 
 banks of the river, and was with some difficulty 
 got off. The soldiers were so prostrated with 
 fever that they could scarcely move, and in this 
 
40 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 state they arrived at Sehwan. To their great 
 distress they found that the army had pro- 
 ceeded on its route, and one of their companions 
 expired immediately after their arrival. The 
 heat of the sun was intolerable, and the corpse 
 began to putrify. In vain they implored the 
 native boatmen to inter it or cast it in the river, 
 but they preferred running the risk of infection 
 to touching the dead body of an infidel. The 
 corporal, who was well acquainted with the lan- 
 guage of the country, entreated some of the 
 natives who crowded to the banks to remove 
 the body, but they remained deaf to his prayers. 
 Resorting to a stratagem which he thought 
 would have the effect of removing their religi- 
 ous scruples, he asserted that the deceased had 
 died in the Mahommedan faith, and commanded 
 them on pain of the displeasure of the Prophet, 
 to give him decent interment. At first they 
 looked incredulous, but the corporal swore loud 
 and fast, and they were at length convinced. 
 They removed the body, and placing it on a 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 41 
 
 sort of bier, somewhat similar to a sailor's ham- 
 mock, carried it on shore. Having swathed it 
 in cotton cloths, and laid it with the feet to- 
 wards the setting sun, they decked the head 
 and breast with flowers, and bore it in pro- 
 cession to the place of interment, which was 
 situated in a romantic spot on the banks of 
 the Indus. The companions of the deceased 
 proceeded on their route, rejoicing in the suc- 
 cess of the corporal's trick, and rejoined the 
 main body without further accident, 
 
42 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 Larkhana. — Departure of the Commander-in-Chief for Can- 
 dahah. — Capture of Belochee Thieves. — Ludicrous scene in 
 the Bazaar.— Tremendous Hurricane.— An Irish Colonel's 
 appeal to his men. — INIurder of cooks belonging to the Army. 
 — A native funeral. — The Bholuii Pass. — Massacre of Camp 
 Followers. — Ill-timed Merriment. — Animal Instinct. 
 
 Leaving Sehwan we crossed the Indus in pon- 
 toons, and entered a fertile tract of country. 
 Our route lay through rich pasturage and 
 waving fields of corn, occasionally diversified 
 by rivers and lakes, the latter of which we 
 found well stocked with fish and game. The 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 43 
 
 natives did not exhibit any symptoms of fear at 
 our approach, but continued peaceably tilling 
 and cultivating their lands. Proceeding by 
 rapid marches we at length reached Larkhana, 
 the boundary which divides Upper and Lower 
 Scinde. It is a place of considerable impor- 
 tance, and contains from seven to eight thousand 
 inhabitants. Long cloths are manufactured 
 here in considerable quantities, and a brisk 
 trade is carried on, in various otlier articles with 
 the mountain tribes. Sir John Keane now quit- 
 ted us to proceed to Candahar, where he was 
 to assume the command of the Grand Army of 
 the Indus. He was accompanied by two 
 squadrons of Native Cavalry, one resselah of 
 Local Horse, a regiment of Native Infantry, 
 and two pieces of artillery. The command of 
 this division consequently devolved upon Major 
 General Wiltshire. 
 
 The Belochees again favoured us with a 
 visit and carried away about a dozen camels 
 
44 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 from the encampment. A troop of cavalry was 
 ordered out in pursuit, and after a hot chase 
 succeeded in coming up with the marauders. 
 They immediately abandoned their prey and 
 made off to the hills, but not before they had 
 left three or four of their party in our hands. 
 Resolved to make an example which would 
 deter them from repeating the offence, General 
 Wiltshire ordered the cat to be liberally ad- 
 ministered to them in the Bazaar. The senior of 
 the party was first tied up, and it was evident, 
 from the trepidation he was in, that he expected 
 no less than the punishment of death. He 
 begged and implored for mercy, and finding 
 that no attention was paid to his supplications, 
 he took leave of one o<f the other culprits, who 
 turned out to be his eon, and resigned himself 
 to die. Tied up, as "he was, and unable to 
 observe the expressioi i of our countenances, 
 which were convulsed \^'ith laughter, in antici- 
 pation of the scene th; vt w^as about to follow. 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 45 
 
 he every moment expected to hear the'report of 
 the musket, or feel the blow of the sabre that 
 was to deal out his doom. The moment, how- 
 ever, the cat descended on his shoulders, 
 the terrified expression of his face changed into 
 that of the most extravagant joy. He smiled 
 and nodded at his son, and bore his four dozen 
 lashes with the joyful patience of a martyr, 
 suffering in the vindication of some holy 
 cause. 
 
 On being set loose the culprits were informed 
 that if they were ever again detected in the 
 commission of similar offences they would be 
 shot, without mercy, and they were ordered to 
 disseminate this useful piece of information 
 amonfTst their comrades of the hills. 
 
 Pursuing our route from Larkhana we en- 
 camped the same evening at Dooson, and were 
 visited during the night by a terrific hurricane. 
 Arising without any previous indication, the 
 tempest* came suddenly upon us in our sleep. 
 
46 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 sweeping the tents before it, and enveloping 
 us in whirlwinds of white sand. The night 
 being pitch dark we were soon in the greatest 
 distress and confusion, and to add to our em- 
 barrassments the horses broke loose and ran 
 wild amongst us. They killed two of the 
 camp followers, and injured several others by- 
 treading them under foot, and the alarm which 
 they created was as great as if the enemy had 
 made a sudden irruption amongst us. To this 
 succeeded a scene of rioting and squabbling, one 
 having lost a shaco, another a jacket, and another 
 his shoes. Accusations and denials, oaths, 
 vociferations, and complaints of injuries re- 
 ceived, formed altogether a pleasant medley ; 
 and glad enough we were when the first streak 
 of dawn threw some light on this scene of hor- 
 rible confusion. After lasting about two 
 hours, heavy drops of rain announced the ap- 
 proaching cessation of the tempest, but we 
 only exchanged one discomfort for another, 
 being soon drenched to the skin. 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 47 
 
 m 
 
 After two days further marcli we arrived at 
 a wretched village, which separates Upper 
 Scinde from Belochistan, and which is only 
 entitled to notice as forming the boundary of 
 a desert plain, about fifty miles in extent, and 
 completely divested of vegetation, the white 
 soil lying exposed to, and reflecting back with 
 intensity, the scorching rays of the sun. There 
 were only two wells at the village, and there 
 was a fierce contest for precedence at them, it 
 being known that there was neither spring nor 
 stream of any kind in the desert which we 
 were about to traverse. The Infantry entered 
 on this cheerless waste about three in the 
 afternoon and the Cavalry followed about five. 
 The former were fully accoutred, and carried 
 sixty rounds |of ball cartridge each. At two 
 o'clock the following morning the cavalry over- 
 took them and the general halt sounded. So 
 great was the fatigue of the infantry that 
 number? threw themselves upon the ground 
 
48 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 in despair, declaring, it was impossible for 
 human nature to sustain more, and they could 
 proceed no further. It must be borne in mind 
 that our rations had, for two months previous, 
 consisted of only half a pound of flour and an 
 equal quantity of red rice, with about four 
 ounces of meat, and the latter was in some 
 instances of no use to us, from the difficulty of 
 procuring fuel to cook it. The order of march 
 having been again given, several refused to 
 move from sheer exhaustion, and their situation 
 became one of great embarrassment to their 
 colonel, who was aware that if he left them 
 behind, they would be instantly sabred by 
 the enemy, who were always hovering on our 
 rear. Kecollecting it was St. Patrick's Day, 
 and that most of the recusants were Irishmen, 
 he ordered, as a last resource, that the band of 
 the regiment should strike up their national 
 anthem. The eifect was electrical, the poor 
 devils, whose limbs, a short time previous, had 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 49 
 
 refused to perform their accustomed office, 
 and whose countenances wore the aspect of 
 the most abject despondency, seemed at once 
 to have new life and energy infused into 
 them. They felt that this was an appeal to 
 their proverbial bravery and powers of en- 
 durance, and gratified vanity did that which 
 thi'eats and remonstrances had failed to 
 effect. A faint smile lit up their features, and 
 slowly rising from the ground they tottered 
 on their way. Had they adhered to their 
 first determination they would have fallen 
 victims to the most savage cruelties, as the 
 following circumstance will soon convince 
 the reader: — 
 
 Three of the cooks belonging to our division, 
 who followed with the camp kettles at a short 
 distance in its wake, lost their way in the dark- 
 ness of the night, and as chance would have it, 
 stumbled upon a party of the enemy. They 
 were immediately seized, and each man was 
 bound by the wrist to the saddle of a Belochee 
 
 F 
 
50 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 horseman. The cries of the unfortunate men 
 having reached the rear-guard, which consisted 
 of the Native AuxiUary Horse, they turned 
 in pursuit, and soon came in sight of the 
 enemy, whose figures w^ere dimly visible in the 
 obscurity which prevailed. As soon as they 
 heard them galloping up the Belochees spurred 
 their horses to their utmost speed, dragging 
 their prisoners along with them at a terrific 
 pace. Finding their pursuers gained upon 
 them they stooped down, and with their broad 
 knives ripped up two of their victiAis from the 
 abdomen to the throat, and then cast them 
 loose. The third, more fortunate, escaped with 
 life, the Belochee to whose saddle he was 
 attached having freed him by cutting off his 
 left arm with a blow of his sabre : then wheel- 
 ing round on our horse, who were now almost 
 up with them, the enemy took deliberate aim at 
 the advancing troopers, and having killed two, 
 and severely wounded another, they plunged into 
 the darkness and succeeded in baffling pursuit. 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 51 
 
 We reached the extremity of this barren 
 waste by seven o'clock next morning, and en- 
 camped at the bottom of a steep hill where there 
 was abundance of excellent water. The cupi- 
 dity of the inhabitants of the neighbouring 
 villages, having got the better of their appre- 
 hensions, several of them ventured into the 
 camp with supplies of flour, which was 
 eagerly purchased from them by the soldiery, 
 at the rate of about half a crown the lb. The 
 risk which they ran Avas great, for if the 
 fact had been discovered, they would, in all 
 probability, have been massacred by the moun- 
 tain chief. The profits which they realised by 
 the adventure, must however, have well repaid 
 them for the hazard. 
 
 Descending the hills to our right, we 
 one day observed a funeral procession ; and 
 curious to witness the ceremonies performed on 
 those occasions I followed at a little distance. 
 The corpse was swathed in cotton bandages like 
 a mummy, the head only being let> exposed, 
 F 3 
 
52 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 and it was borne on a bamboo bier, or stretcher, 
 on the shoulders of four men. The relations 
 and friends of the deceased gave vent to their 
 grief in the bitterest lamentations, and there 
 appeared a depth and sincerity in their woe 
 which is but too often wanting at our European 
 rites. The procession was headed by a Faquir 
 or priest, whose rolling eyes, and long dis- 
 hevelled locks, gave him a wild and unearthly 
 appearance. His costume was no less singular 
 than his looks, for it consisted of a motley sort 
 of garment, composed of patches of almost 
 every colored cloth, with a cap or rather a 
 crown of peacock's feathers. Arrived at the 
 place of interment, which was situated in the 
 valley, the procession halted at a freshly dug 
 grave, and the bier was laid beside it. The 
 crowd formed themselves into a circle round it, 
 and the Faquir holding up a small idol, com- 
 menced an oration in whicli he expatiated on 
 the merits of the deceased. The crowd having 
 I)rostratcd themselves, the Faquir took a 
 
IN AFPGHANISTAN. 53 
 
 reddish sort of powder, and made a large mark 
 with it on the forehead of the dead man ; then 
 taking a basket of freshly pulled flowers and 
 herbs he scattered them over the body and into 
 the grave. The mourners rising from the 
 ground, and walking in single files round the 
 bier made a respectful salaam towards it, after 
 which the corpse was lowered perpendicularly 
 into the earth, and the grave filled up. At the 
 conclusion, the Faquir sat himself on a stone 
 at a short distance from the grave, and re- 
 mained there quietly smoking hie hookah, and 
 philosophising, as all good Faquirs should do, 
 on the uncertainty of mundane things. 
 
 Our next destination was Dadur, where we 
 were to form a junction with a portion of the 
 Bengal forces. The distance is only a day's 
 march, and nothing of interest occurred 
 on the route. On approaching the en- 
 campment of the Bengal troops, I could not 
 help being struck with their superior appear- 
 ance. It was evident that their commissariat 
 
54 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 . was better organized than ours, for their camp 
 equipage and other appointments were in all 
 respects complete, and they were abundantly 
 supplied Avith necessaries of every kind. This 
 disparity was, in some degree, removed before 
 we left Dadur, by the arrival of additional 
 supplies from Bombay. 
 
 A few days having been passed in recruiting 
 our strength after these fatiguing marches, we 
 at length received orders to advance on the 
 celebrated Bholun Pass. Nothing could be 
 more calculated to awaken us to the difficulties 
 of our position, or to impress us with the un- 
 certainty of the fate that awaited us, than the 
 imposing grandeur of the scenery on which we 
 now entered. Let the reader picture to him- 
 self a gloomy looking gorge winding through 
 two ranges of stupendous hills, whose rugged 
 masses of rock and hanging declivities impend 
 over the narrow route as if about to choke it 
 up, or recede a short distance to some fortress- 
 like looking freak of nature from whose imagi- 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 55 
 
 nary bastions and parapets it seemed easy to 
 Iiurl down destruction and death on the passen- 
 ger, and he may easily imagine that our 
 feelings were not of the liveliest or most com- 
 fortable nature. A handful of men could have 
 effectually stopped our progress had there been 
 but another Leonidas amongst the wild inhabi- 
 tants of this magnificent defile, whose military skill 
 and resolution would have enabled him to seize 
 upon, and maintain its many points of defence. 
 We could aot conceal from ourselves difficulties 
 so apparent, and a general and undefined feel- 
 ing of uneasiness pervaded us all. "We felt that 
 if the enemy had any intention of resisting us 
 they would not lose opportunities which nature 
 herself appeared to indicate; and it was but 
 too ubvious that if they only knew how to 
 avail themselves of the formidable barriers 
 which she had placed against invasion, our situ- 
 ation would become critical in the extreme. 
 Once involved in the intricacies of the Pass, the 
 superior knowledge of the country possessed by 
 
5Q SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 the natives, and their familiarity with mountain 
 warfare would enable them to harrass us at every 
 step, and a well planned and daring attack 
 might at once overwhelm us. Such were the 
 reflections that suggested themselves to almost 
 every man's mind, and many there were, I dare 
 say y who just then thought of home, and speculal ed 
 whether it would ever be his lot to revisit its 
 peaceful fireside, and recount the dangers of 
 which he had been the hero. 
 
 The Bengal troops who precedec^is through 
 the Pass left behind them sad proofs of the 
 justice of some of these conclusions. We 
 found from five and twenty to thirty camp 
 followers lying dead upon their track, the 
 throats of several having been cut, and the 
 others bearing on their mutilated persons the 
 unequivocal evidence of a desperate hand to 
 hand struggle. As we advanced through the 
 gorge we could observe the Belochees peering 
 at us over the jutting points of the precipices^ 
 and the sharp report of their gingalls and 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 57 
 
 matchlocks, which, hickily for us, were not 
 very sure in their aim, usually followed the 
 brief inspection by which we were favoured. 
 Observing a camp follower leading a camel at 
 some distance in the rear, three of the 
 mountaineers suddenly darted from a fissure 
 in the rock in which they had lain concealed, 
 and having cut the poor fellow down, led the 
 animal up the ascent by one of those diverging 
 tracks like sheep walks, with which these hills 
 abound. A Serjeant belonging to the Horse 
 Artillery, who happened to witness the circum- 
 stance. Instantly galloped back, and gallantly 
 dashing his horse up the mountain succeeded in 
 sabreing the nearest of the thieves, and brought 
 l)ack the camel amidst a shower of balls from 
 tlie neighbouring heights. 
 
 Within a few miles of the Aifghanistan 
 boundary the gorge is traversed by a stream 
 which winds like a snake through the sinuosities 
 of the Pass, and crosses it no less than sixteen 
 times. AlUiough it presents for the most j^art, 
 F 5 
 
58 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 the appearance of an insignificant mountain 
 rivulet, it is, in many places studded with 
 deep and dangerous holes, into which the 
 cavalry often plunged, and got a good sousing 
 before they were aware of it. Shouts of laughter 
 usually escaped the comrades of the luck- 
 less wight who became thus involved, and on 
 one occasion a tragedy had nearly resulted from 
 their ill-timed merriment. An Irish trooper, 
 named Dwyer, a brave, but hot-blooded fellow, 
 like most of his countrymen, was feeling his 
 way cautiously through the stream, when both 
 horse and rider stumbled, and became instantly 
 lost to view. Some alarm was at first experi- 
 enced for their safety, but it gave way to a 
 roar of laughter when we beheld them again 
 emerging from the water. After several sue- 
 cessive attempts to disengage himself, the horse 
 at length obtained a secure footing, and Dwyer, 
 wheeling him suddenly round upon us with a 
 countenance furious with rage, drew a pistol 
 from his holster and fired at a group of seven or 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 59 
 
 eight men, who stood close to the spot, but fortu- 
 nately without effect. The nuidman was im- 
 mediately placed under arrest, but was released 
 after a few days' confinement. 
 
 On approaching Bcebenaunce towards the 
 close of the fourth day's march, we found 
 another stream where the Cavalry dismounted, 
 for the purpose of filling their canteens with 
 water, while the Infantry were distributed so 
 as to protect them. We had been marching for 
 several hours under a scorching sun, and over a 
 stony and rugged road, which rendered constant 
 watchfulness and exertion necessary to prevent 
 the horses from falling on their knees. Tor- 
 mented by an insatiable thirst, we were about 
 to slake it, when it was discovered that the 
 stream was polluted by the putrifyiug bodies 
 of several of dead Affghans, and followers of 
 the Bengal Army ; the spot having been the 
 scene of a deadly contest wliich had occurred 
 some days previous. The struggle between 
 the loathing which this circumstance created 
 
60 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 and the pressing calls of nature was however of 
 short duration. Not a man of us hesitated to 
 drink from the contaminated liquid, but the 
 horse which I rode, being imbued with keener 
 senses than his master, positively refused to 
 partake of it, though almost di'opping with 
 fatigue and thirst. I took him lower down 
 the stream, where his fastidiousness being no 
 longer offended he indulged in a long and 
 copious draught. 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 61 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Skirmish with the Enemy. — Beloclice Waggery. — 
 Cleverly planned Capture of a Bruhee. — Sufierings from want 
 of water. — Valley of Shawle. — Quettah. — Belochee cruelties. — 
 Adventure in a Stone Quarry. — Treachery of the Khan of 
 Khelat. — Murder of another Cook. — Poisoning of the Well?. — 
 Fortunate Discovery. 
 
 We were about to quit the Pass at the close of 
 the eighth day's march, when the enemy made 
 another and more successful attempt at plunder. 
 Emboldened by the absence of the Infantry, 
 which was at a considerable distance in the 
 rear, they descended the heights in greater 
 
62 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 numbers than usual, and attacked the camp 
 followers in charge of the officers' baggage. 
 The latter took to flight, and the Belochees 
 commenced pillaging the trunks and cases. 
 Amongst the property carried off was a camel 
 belonging to Brigadier Scott, which was laden 
 with the whole of the general's kit. A party 
 of the 4th Dragoons, under the command of 
 Lieutenant Gillespie, at length galloped up 
 and put the enemy to flight. There Avere only 
 three men wounded and three horses killed on 
 our side, whilst the Belochees left great num- 
 bers of dead on the ground. 
 
 During the heat of the firing a mistake oc- 
 curred, which at first occasioned some alarm, 
 but was soon converted into a burst of uncon- 
 trollable merriment. Our men had driven the 
 last of the enemy up the hill, the latter pepper- 
 ing away at them from every rock or crevice 
 where they could find shelter, when our atten- 
 tion was arrested by the appearance of a general 
 officer on the heights to our left, who appeared 
 
IN AFFGUANISTAN. 63 
 
 to be makinpj signs to us. It was at first sup- 
 posed that one of our leaders had fallen into 
 the hands of the enemy, and universal conster- 
 nation prevailed. The General at length took 
 off his shaco, and advancing to the very 
 edge of the precipice, waved it in the air as if 
 to cheer us on to his rescue, when to our 
 infinite amusement we discovered it was the 
 fellow who had made oif with the Brigadier's 
 kit, and who, after examining the contents of 
 it, had rigged himself out in full uniform. The 
 rocks echoed with laughter, and the pseudo 
 general appeared to enjoy the fun as much as 
 any of us, for he capered about in a perfect 
 ecstacy of delight, and gave expression to his con- 
 tentment in the most delectable yells. A shower 
 of balls was at length directed against him, and 
 the Brigadier's swarthy representative came 
 tumbling down the precipice to render himself 
 and his briefly enjoyed honours into our hands. 
 Amongst the booty carried off upon this 
 occasion were the wind instruments belonging 
 
64 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 to the 1st Bombay Cavalry, and a bullock, car- 
 rying two packages of ball ammunition, which 
 contained 500 rounds each. Some amusement 
 was created amongst us by speculations as to 
 the probable use that would be made of the 
 former, the humour displayed in the appropria- 
 tion of General Scott's kit having given us a 
 high idea of the waggish propensities of 
 the enemy. Our fun was however turned into 
 mortification when we beheld them cutting our 
 ball ammunition into slugs to fit the bore of 
 their gingalls, and sending it back to us from 
 the heights in as wholesale quantities as they 
 had taken it. 
 
 In the course of the skirmish a feat was per- 
 formed by two of the native troops, which was 
 watched with the most intense interest. A 
 Bruhee (a fierce and warlike tribe, distinguished 
 by their inveterate hostility towards the black 
 trooi:is in our service,) had taken shelter behind 
 a rock, about midway up the mountain, and 
 kept up a constant fire on some native cavalry 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 65 
 
 beneath. Two of the Sepoys belonging to the 
 Bombay Native Infantry observing the circum- 
 stance, determined on effecting his capture, 
 and laying down their muskets at the foot of 
 the hill, they crept stealthily up. Whenever 
 the fellow's flashing eyes were observed on a 
 line with the rock, searching for an object for 
 his aim, they crouched under covsr until the 
 discharge of his gingall satisfied them he 
 was about to reload. They then rapidly ad- 
 vanced to his lurking place, and pouncing 
 suddenly upon him conveyed him down the 
 hill. The prisoner had such a horror of falling 
 Into our hands that he several times implored 
 his captors to put an end to him on the spot. 
 They took no notice of his entreaties until they 
 had reached the bottom of the hill, where they 
 had laid their arms, when a havlldar meeting 
 them inquired If they had not heard of the 
 orders, that no prisoners should be brought 
 into camp. " I knew nothing about it," re- 
 plied one of the soldiers ; " but this I do know 
 
Q6 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 that he is a stout-hearted fellow, and deserves 
 -a better fate." " /understand you," exclaimed 
 the other Sepoy, and taking his musket he 
 placed the muzzle of it to the prisoner's head, 
 and literally covered the serjeant with his 
 brains. 
 
 The quantity of carrion which we every 
 where left upon our route attracted num- 
 bers of the ravening beasts of prey with 
 which these hills abound, and we could not rest 
 at night from the dismal howling which sur- 
 rounded us. Even the new made graves of our 
 comrades did not escape the keen and hunger- 
 ing scent of the jackall, their remains being 
 scarcely interred before we found them again 
 torn up, their whitening bones alone attesting 
 the nature of the visitation. Amono-st the 
 greatest of our annoyances, however, was the 
 intolerable stench which proceeded from the 
 putrefying bodies of the camels, that lay 
 scattered every where upon our track, and 
 which was enough to breed a mortality. 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 67 
 
 As we emerged from the Pass into the open 
 country, the heights became literally alive with 
 Belochees, wlio gave expression to their rage 
 and disappointment in the most absurd and 
 violent gesticulations. We bivouacked late at 
 night in the open plain, after a fatiguing and 
 harassing march of twelve hours, during which 
 we had been unable to procure a drop of water. 
 The same privation awaited us in the place 
 where we passed the night, and the sufferings 
 of both men and cattle were dreadful. It was 
 not until six o'clock next day that we fell in 
 with a stream that traversed the road to Quettah, 
 and were able to satisfy the thirst which con- 
 sumed us. We were now in the valley of 
 Shawle, which presented a most agreeable con- 
 trast to the barren hills through which we had 
 j ust passed : hci*e we found a succession of vast 
 orchards, whose fruit trees bursting into blossom 
 and gladdening the wearied eye with a variety 
 of tlicnfeost beautiful tints recalled to most of 
 us the pleasant scenery of dear old England. 
 
68 SCENES AND ADVENTtJRES 
 
 On our arrival at Quettali the troops underwent 
 a medical inspection, and it was determined 
 that the sick should be left behind. A depot 
 was accordingly established here, consisting of 
 one regiment of Bengal Infantr}'-, one company 
 of European Foot Artillery, some heavy 
 ordnance, and some Gikwar, or native horse- 
 men, the whole under the command of 
 Brigadier-General Nott. This arrangement 
 was rejjorted to have given rise to some angry 
 altercation between the latter officer and Sir 
 John Keane previous to the departure of the 
 Commander-in-Chief for Caudahar, General 
 Nott being indignant at being thus invalided 
 and debarred his share in the dano-er and fflories 
 of the campaign. We remained at Quettah 
 about a week, the condition of both men and 
 horses being such as to render rest necessary. 
 The supplies which we obtained from the Ben- 
 gal column and the rich pasturage of the 
 surrounding country soon refreshed ancf re-in- 
 vigorated us, and we pursued our route in 
 renewed health and spirits. 
 
IN AFFGUANISTAN. 69 
 
 Leaving Qucttah, we again entered a barren 
 and mountainous district which presented few 
 traces of cuhivation, and which afforded little or 
 no pasturage for our cattle. In order to embar- 
 rass us the more the Belochees lay on the watch 
 for the parties who were sent out to cut grass, 
 and maimed and mutilated them in the most 
 shocking manner. One poor fellow had his ears 
 slit, and another received injuries which ren- 
 dered the amputation of an arm necessary. The 
 thefts of cattle, however, became less numerous, 
 the cutting oiF the supplies of forage being 
 deemed a less hazardous and equally eifectual 
 mode of impeding our progress. 
 
 So serious became this change in the tactics 
 of the enemy that it was resolved to increase 
 the number of men sent out on the foraging 
 expeditions. This did not, however, deter the 
 Belochees from repeating their attacks, and on 
 one occasion they drove in a party consisting 
 of a considerable number of native soldiers, and 
 succeeded in making three or four of the firrass- 
 
70 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 cutters prisoners. A squadron of her Majesty's 
 4th Light Dragoons was immediately ordered 
 out in pursuit under the command of Major 
 Daly. We proceeded towards the hills at full 
 gallop, and at length came in sight of the enemy 
 who were in a close body of from three to four 
 hundred. They suddenly disappeared from 
 view, although the country was still a perfect 
 level, and presented no apparent means of con- 
 cealment. On reaching the spot we found 
 they had ensconced themselves in a large stone 
 pit or quarry, into which it was impossible for 
 cavalry to penetrate, and a sharp and well 
 directed fire from all the salient points of the 
 rocks affording the least shelter, indicated to us 
 their different lurking places. Patiently watch- 
 ing our opportunities we sent a volley into 
 every recess or cavity where a rag was to be 
 seen fluttering, and Major Daly observing a 
 party of about ten or twelve clustered in some 
 bushes which lay almost within a bound of his 
 horse gallantly dashed the animal down the 
 
IN AFFGIIANISTAN. 71 
 
 descent, followed by Lieutenant Janvrin, 
 the quarter-master of the regunent, and with a 
 couple of hog spears, which they happened to 
 have with them they dispatched several of the 
 party. The others made their escape by 
 plunging deeper into the recesses of the 
 quarry. 
 
 The night now setting in, the Belochees 
 took advantage of the obscurity to steal out of 
 their lair and creep through our lines one by 
 one. They did not get off, however, without 
 further loss. Hearing a rustlino; noise within a 
 few feet of me, whilst on the watch, I listened 
 attentively and felt convinced that some of 
 them were endeavouring to effect their escape 
 by crawling along the ground on their hands 
 and knees. I plunged my spurs In my horse 
 and clearing the distance at a bound, just as I 
 observed two men rising from the ground, 
 I cut them both down, notwithstanding a most 
 determined resistance, In the course of which 
 they fired twice at me. Several others were 
 
72 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 disposed of in like manner, but no prisoners 
 were made. We returned to camp about nine 
 o'clock, well satisfied with the issue of our ad- 
 Tenture. 
 
 The grass cutters who had been made 
 prisoners, and who were abandoned when it was 
 found that our pursuit was likely to prove 
 successfid, had received no other injury at the 
 hands of the enemy, than a severe thrashing with 
 a bamboo. The poor fellows were terribly fright- 
 ened, and felt most grateful for their deliverance. 
 
 Major Daly and two privates were severely 
 wounded in this affair. Beside a thrust of a 
 sabre in the chest the Major received a musket 
 ball in the left foot, which disabled him for 
 some time from active service. We also found 
 that several of the horses had been injured, it 
 being a favourite trick of the enemy to ham- 
 string them, or rip their bellies oj^en, whenever 
 they could get within reach of the animals. 
 
 A treacherous trick played us by one of the 
 neighbouring chiefs, the Klian of Khelat, added 
 
IN AFFGUANISTAN. 73 
 
 in no small degree to the difficulties we had to 
 encounter. The Khan had promised allegiance 
 to Shah Soojali, and undertook to facilitate the 
 progress of the British troops through his 
 territories. Instead of fulfilling the friendly- 
 professions he had made towards us, he inter- 
 dicted the villagers from bringing supplies 
 to the camp, and cut off almost all the mountain 
 streams. Several of the camp followers who 
 ventured out in search of water, were either 
 carried off or murdered, and our situation 
 became distressing in the extreme. In one 
 day's march of fifteen miles, we left upon our 
 track the bodies of nearly one hundred men, 
 who died from sheer physical exhaustion. 
 
 Continuing our progress towards the Khojuck 
 heights, where we expected to meet with deter- 
 mined opposition, we lost a number of men on the 
 route from their own imprudence in venturing 
 at a distance from the camp after dusk. One 
 of them, a Portuguese cook, belonging to my 
 own regiment, lost his way in proceeding to the 
 
 G 
 
74 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 bazaar for necessaries, and fell into the hands 
 of the Belochees, who were always hanging on 
 our rear. His cries being heard by some 
 soldiers returning from the bazaar, they ran 
 towards the spot from whence the noise pro- 
 ceeded, and were received with a volley of 
 bullets. They did not of course venture farther, 
 being ignorant of the number of the enemy, 
 but on procuring assistance from the camp, 
 they discovered the cook with his throat 
 cut, the head being nearly severed from the 
 shoulders. 
 
 Sickness now increased alarmingly amongst 
 us, owing to the bad quality of the attar or 
 flour, as well as the reduction in our usual 
 quantity of rations. The cattle were little 
 better oif, and the difficulties of the route in- 
 creased at almost every step. Water continued 
 as scarce as ever, for the natives filled up or 
 concealed part of the wells and poisoned the 
 reinninder. Of the latter fact, we received 
 intimation in time to prevent accidents, and 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 75 
 
 chance befriended us as regarded the former. 
 After a harassing day's march some soldiers of 
 the 17 th Infantry, who had set out in search 
 of water, were unsuccessful and were bewail- 
 ing their hard fate, when the unusual moistness 
 of the place where they had pitched their tent 
 attracted their notice. They sounded the 
 ground and finding it hollow, immediately 
 ai'rived at the conclusion that it was a w^ that 
 had been freshly covered over. Further ex- 
 amination confirmed this supposition, and about 
 half an hour's work revealed a deep hole to 
 their sight, in which they found a spring of 
 excellent water. This discovery created such 
 joy and frantic eagerness in the camp that the 
 authorities were obliged to place a strong guard 
 with loaded muskets over it in order to keep 
 back the pressure of the crowds who flocked 
 to it. 
 
 In the course of the next day's march we 
 came upon a part of the road which was liter- 
 allv strewn with huaian skeletons and broken 
 G 3 
 
76 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 matchlocks. Of the various surmises current 
 amongst us as to the occasion of this wholesale 
 butchery, the most probable was, that one of 
 the caravans travelling to Candahar had been 
 attacked and overpowered by one of the ma- 
 rauding tribes of the district. 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN, 77 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 The Khojuck Va^i. — Descent of the Troops. — Shocking 
 Death of a Camel Driver.^Detection and Escape of an 
 Affghan Thief. — Loss of Cavalry Horses. — Candahar. — Ar- 
 rival of Shah Soojah. — Condition of the Troops. — Attempt of 
 the Natives to cut off a Convoy of Provisions.— Asiatic 
 Mendicants. — The Mosque at Candahar. — Arrival of Aftghar. 
 Auxiliaries. 
 
 We reached the Khojuck Pass in the exjjecta- 
 tion of finding it occupied by the forces of Dost 
 Mahommed, but contrary to general anticipation 
 it was aljandoncd. Wc learned that the Dost 
 had visited the place a few days before, in com- 
 pany with several of his chiefs, when the 
 
78 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 prudence of disputing our passage was dis- 
 cussed. Owing to some violent differences of 
 opinion amongst the subordinate chiefs, the 
 idea was abandoned, and the enemy fell back 
 towards Candahar. How different might have 
 been the fate of the expedition but for this 
 impolitic and cowardly st^p. To enable the 
 reader to judge of its importance a brief descrip- 
 tion of the Pass will be necessary. 
 
 Ascending an eminence of no great height 
 a platform of rock is gained, from which a 
 glorious view bursts upon the sight. Immedi- 
 ately beneath is a steep declivity, along whose 
 rugged sides winds the narrow road, while a 
 chasm of immense depth yawns beneath, and 
 threatens to engulph the luckless passenger 
 should he chance to slip as he treads his way 
 down the difficult and dangerous descent. 
 Receding into the far distance lie long ranges 
 of blue mountains broken at intervals into open 
 plains and valleys, whose calm and smiling 
 
rN AFFGHANISTAN. 79 
 
 aspect contrasts well with the frowning nitijesty 
 of the neio-hbourlno; heights. 
 
 Nothinof could be finer than the view which 
 presented itself as our troops wound round the 
 brow of this tremendous precipice, their arms 
 glittei'ing in the sun, and their uniforms im- 
 parting a gay and dazzling variety to the sober 
 hues of the stunted herbage with which its sides 
 were clad. The Infantry, consisting of several 
 companies of the Queen's Royals and a party 
 of the 17tli regiment were ordered to line the 
 heights in order to protect the desoent of the 
 Artillery and Cavalry, together with the heavy 
 baggage. So steep was the road (if road it 
 could be called) that the Cavalry were obliged 
 to dismount and lead their horses, bridle in 
 hand, and the Artillery to unlimber their guns 
 and drag them down the precipice, a task, as 
 the reader may conceive, of no small labour and 
 difficulty. About half way down, a eamel, 
 laden with camp equipage, missed its footing 
 and was precipitated into the abyss with its 
 
80 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 conductor, and both were of course, immedi- 
 ately dashed to pieces. We reached the plain 
 without any further mishap about six o'clock the 
 same evening, and had every reason to con- 
 gratulate ourselves that the cowardice or 
 negligence of the enemy had prevented them 
 from disputing our passage. 
 
 Haviuo; halted at the bottom of the Pass 
 two days so as to enable the remainder of the 
 heavy ordnance and baggage to descend we 
 proceeded towards Candahar. The enemy 
 occasionally made their appearance, and though 
 not caring to face us in the field, continued to 
 harass us severely by hanging on our rear, and 
 cutting off the stragglers. Nor did they abate in 
 the least in their love of thieving, robberies 
 being just as frequent, and characterised by as 
 much ingenuity and daring as ever. Late 
 one night I was on sentry before the tent of 
 Lieutenant Kemp when a rustling noise at- 
 tracted my notice ; on looking attentively 
 towards the spot from whence it proceeded, I 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 81 
 
 perceived an Atfghan crawling towards the tent 
 on liis hands and knees, and suffering him to 
 enter, in order the more 'easily to secure him, I 
 surprised him as he was in the act of plunder- 
 ing it. The fellow was completely naked, and 
 on my attemj)ting to lay hold of him he slipped 
 through my fingers like an eel, owing to the 
 quantity of grease with which his person was 
 smeared, and succeeded in clearing the lines in 
 safety. I did not shoot him because positive 
 orders had been issued against shots being fired 
 in camp, which had before given rise to many 
 groundless alarms. 
 
 The weather now became excessively hot, 
 the thermometer being 125 degrees in the 
 shade, which rendered it necessary that we 
 should prosecute our way either in the 
 cool of the morning or at night. The nights 
 were so beautiful that the latter could not be 
 deemed a hardship, and had the scenery been 
 but equal to that through which we had just 
 passed, it could not have been seen to greater 
 G 5 
 
82 SCENES AND ADVENTU3.E5^ 
 
 advantage than under these clear delicious 
 moonlights. J^o thing, however, can be more 
 flat or uninteresting than the country between 
 the Khojuck Pass and Candahar. The only 
 thing that might be said to have broken the 
 monotony of the route was an occasional shot 
 which told the fate of some poor horse, who, 
 having been broken down by fatigue and pri- 
 vation, and rendered incapable of further exer- 
 tion, was mercifully put out of pain by its 
 rider. There were nearly fift}' head of cattle 
 disposed of in this way between the Pass and 
 Candahar, a pretty item in the exj^enses of the 
 campaign, when it is borne in mind that each 
 of them liad cost from fifty to sixty pounds in 
 India. Had we come in contact with the 
 enemy at Candahar as we expected, I have no 
 doubt the Cavalry would have been found 
 wholly ineffective from the jaded and worn-out 
 condition of their horses. 
 
 AVe arrived at Candahar on the 4th. of ^lay, 
 and effected a junction with the remainder of 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 83 
 
 die Bengal forces under Sir Willoughby 
 Cotton. Here we were also joined by Shah 
 Soojah in company with Sir William ]Mc 
 Naghten and Sir Alexander Burnes. The 
 dethroned monarch immediately took possession 
 t)f his ancestral palace, which had just been 
 evacuated by the enemy. The reverses of 
 fortune to which these Asiatic sovereigns are 
 subject have so steeled them against adversity, 
 that I doubt if his Majesty was agitated, even 
 by a passing emotion, at this important event. 
 If he felt at all, it was perhaps more a sensation 
 of fear than joy, for he could not conceal from 
 himself the fact, that the opinions of his sub- 
 jects were arraigned to a man against him, and 
 that under such circumstances his tenure of 
 sovereignty would in all probability be termi- 
 nated by a bloody death. 
 
 Tired as we were of the harassing mountain 
 warfare in which we had been engaged, and 
 anxious to strike a blow which would decide 
 the fate of the Campaign, we were yet agree- 
 
84 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 ably disappointed at the evacuation of Candaliai* 
 by the enemy. We were greatly in need of 
 rest after the long and fatiguing marches, 
 Avhich we had made ; and the deplorable condition 
 in which we found ourselves, as regarded sup- 
 plies, rendered it highly impolitic to bring us 
 just then in face of the enemy. Sickness had 
 increased alarmingly amongst us, but in this 
 respect we did not find our position improved, for 
 the excessive heat which prevailed during our 
 stay here carried off great numbers of the 
 men.. 
 
 Altht ugh the bazaar was plentifully sup- 
 plied Avith meat and fruit, flour was dlflfi- 
 cult to Ic obtained, the stock on hand having 
 been eagerly bought up by the troops on their 
 arrival. The traders turned the scarcity of this 
 necessary article to profitable account, for they 
 only gave 2lt). to the rupee instead of 40fb., 
 the usual proportion. We had been living on 
 half rations, and these not of the best quality, 
 for nearly ■;, month previous, and had looked 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 85 
 
 forward to our arrival at Candahar i'or some 
 addition to the quantity, but so far was this 
 from being the case, that it was found necessary 
 to put the camp followers on the same allow- 
 ance, and it was not until three weeks after our 
 arrival that an increase and that not the full 
 one, was served out to us. 
 
 We were in daily expectation of the arrival 
 of a convov of six hundred camels laden with 
 provisions and grain, but intelligence having 
 been brought us that tlie Affghans lay in way 
 to intercept it, it was thought advisable to send 
 out a force consisting of two squadrons of 
 native cavalry, a party of her ^Majesty's 13th 
 Light Infantry and two field pieces for its 
 protection. The enemy being informed by 
 their spies of this movement, fell back to the 
 hills, and the supplies were brought in safety to 
 the camp. The native contractor who furnished 
 them, was oftered a bribe of 10,000 rupees by 
 Dost Mahommed to direct his camels another 
 way, but much to his credit refused it. 
 
86 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 Candabar is a place of considerable impor- 
 tance in a commercial point of view, but its 
 military advantages are scarcely deserving of 
 notice. It is surrounded by an old wall and 
 ditch, some efforts to strengthen which liad 
 been made by throwing up a few parapets, but 
 they were abandoned at the first news of our 
 approach. The principal entrance faces the 
 south and leads directly into the bazaar, which 
 presents rather an animated scene to the eyes 
 of the stranger, in consequence of the varied 
 and picturesque costumes of the multitudes 
 who resort to it, and who are composed of 
 Asiatics of almost every race. The merchan- 
 dize exposed for sale is no less heterogeneous 
 in its character than its vendors, and much to 
 our surprise and gratification it included good 
 broad-cloths and Whitechapel needles, articles 
 which, in the dilapidated and transparent 
 state of our clothing, proved of no small service 
 to us. 
 
 Common and disgusting as mendicancy has 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 87 
 
 become through all parts of Asia, I have never 
 seen it carried to such an annoying extent as 
 here. ()ur ears were assailed on all sides ])y 
 whining [)etitions, and our eyes oft'ended by 
 tlie exhibition of festering sores or simulated 
 deformities. The ingenuity displayed in twist- 
 ing a straight and well made limb into some 
 hideous distortion, or in painting up an ugly 
 case of cancer, would have excited the admira- 
 tion and envy of the importunate cripples who 
 beset the chapels of Catholic countries. 
 
 At the further extremity of the bazaar 
 >tands a noble mosque, in which are interred 
 the remains of Shah Soojah's father and grand- 
 father. A lofty gilt dome and graceful mina- 
 rets distinguish it above the other buildings of 
 the town, and the effect, as it is approached 
 from the distance, is extremely imposing. On 
 entering this beautiful temple the visitor is 
 conducted up a flight of marble steps to a 
 platform within the dome, where the remains 
 
88 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 of the deceased princes lie. The tombs are 
 covered with palls of blue velvet, fringed with 
 gold, and illuminated by about two hundred 
 lamps, which are kept burning night and day," 
 while forty Faquirs, or priests, watch per- 
 petually over them. Two magnificent folio 
 editions of the Koran, bound in velvet and 
 ornamented with characters of gold, were also 
 shown to us with a degree of reverence that 
 proved the estimation in which they were held. 
 A few pigeons which were flying round the 
 interior of the building appeared to divide with 
 these costly exemplars of the Book of Life 
 
 ^ the regard and veneration of the votaries of 
 the temple, this bird being held sacred, and 
 any invasion of its privileges visited by the 
 punishment of deatli. 
 
 Several of the Affghan Chiefs who were 
 known to be devoted to the interests of Dost 
 Mahommed becoming alarmed at the turn 
 
 affairs were taking, or, as some said, being dis- 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 89 
 
 satisfied with that prince for refusing to gua- 
 rantee tlie safety of their women, now came 
 into camp and tendered their allegiance to 
 Shah Soojah. These reluctant auxiliaries were 
 warmly received by the Politicals, who hailed 
 their adhesion as an omen of the success of the 
 expedition ; and I observed Sir Alexander 
 Burnes carry his joy so far as cordially to em- 
 brace one of them. The Chief smiled grimly, 
 but said but little. I had an opportunity how- 
 ever of ascertaining his real feelings, on get- 
 ting amongst his followers a few days after- 
 wards. They openly expressed their regret at 
 being comj)elled to join the invaders of their 
 country, and stated, that they could not have 
 a braver leader, or a better prince, than Dost 
 Mahommed. They described him as being of 
 a just and generous nature, whilst they 
 represented the Shah as being cruel and un- 
 principled. 
 
 These Affghan horsemen were a fine ath- 
 
90 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 letic set of men, and capitally mounted, their 
 breed of cattle being much superior to ours, 
 and exhibiting proofs of the most careful 
 grooming. The riders wore coats of mail with 
 steel gauntlets, and their arms consisted of a 
 sabre, heavier and longer than ours, a dagger, 
 and in some instances shields and matchlocks. 
 I have no hesitation in saying that the Aff- 
 ghan Cavalry, if these were a fair sample of 
 them, are a most effective body of men. They 
 may not be equal to ours in the field, but for 
 a harassing system of mountain warfare where 
 they are required to make sudden descents 
 upon Infantry, hemmed in between defiles, and 
 embarrassed by ignorance of the country, no 
 body of troops can be better adapted. Their 
 horses aie light limbed, but strong and wiry, 
 and capable of undergoing incredible fatigue 
 while the trooper himself, practised from in- 
 fancy in the management of the animal, can 
 ride him over places where no European horse- 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 91 
 
 man would venture. Had these wild moun- 
 taineers but the advantages of discipline and 
 proper organization their country would be 
 inaccessible to any troops in the world. 
 
&2 SCENKS AND ADVENTURES 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Installation of Shah Soojah.— Attack on the camel guards. 
 — Heroism of an Affghan Youth. — Murder of Cornet 
 Inverarity of the 1 6th Lancers. — Departure from Candahar. — 
 The Ghiljie Hills.— Locusts. — Arrival of new Auxiliaries. — 
 Camel Batteries.— Hyder Khail. — Arrival at Ghuznee. — 
 Tomb of Mahommed. — Remains of the Old Town of 
 Ghuznee. 
 
 In order to give a sort of political eclat to the 
 stejDS taken to reinstate Shah Soojah on the 
 throne of his ancestors, it was resolved that he 
 should be solemnly inaugurated at Candahar, 
 and nothing was omitted that could possibly 
 tend to render the ceremony imposing. On 
 
IN AFFGUANISTAN. 93 
 
 the morning fixed for its celebration, the whole 
 of the British forces were paraded in review 
 order on a large plain to the north of the city, 
 whilst the Shah's troops were drawn up at a 
 little distance. In the centre of the field stood 
 a plattorm canopied wdth crimson silk, and 
 ornamented with numerous banners and devices, 
 the seat reserved for the Shah being ascended 
 by a broad flight of tapestried steps, and covered 
 with cushions of crimson and gold. The other 
 accessories of the pageant were got up in similar 
 costly style, but the eflfect, on the whole, con- 
 veyed to the mind rather the unsatisfied feeling 
 which attends the hollow show and glitter of 
 the theatre, than the idea of substantial power. 
 The weather was beautiful, the sun shedding its 
 gorgeous rays full upon us, and finding in- 
 numerable reflections in the military panoply 
 beneath. The heat was however excessive, and 
 the majority of us would have willingly ex- 
 changed our places in the ceremonial for the 
 shade and repose of our tents. 
 
94 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 As early as six o'clock the Commander-in- 
 Chief took up his position in front of the line, 
 and was received with a general salute. The 
 Shah was soon after observed leaving the gates 
 of the city on an elephant, the howdah of which 
 was of solid silver. His Majesty appeared to 
 me to be between fifty and sixty years of age ; 
 of middle stature, and somewhat inclined to 
 corpulency. His features were large, but re- 
 gular, and the expression which played about 
 them was not calculated to leave a favourable 
 impression on the physiognomist. It had a 
 mingled character of vaccillation and cruelty 
 about it, which impressed one with the notion 
 that the possessor could sink with ease from 
 tlie extreme of tyrannical self-will to the 
 abject and fawning humility of the slave. 
 His Majesty was accompanied by his Vizier, 
 a tall, spare looking man of a thoughtful and 
 rather melancholy cast of features, and some- 
 what older than his master. Immediately be- 
 hind the Shah rode Sir "William Mc Xafjhten, 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 95 
 
 in full court dress, such as Is usually worn by 
 officials at her Majesty's levees in England, 
 and he was followed by Sir Alexander Burnes, 
 in a plain suit, and surrounded by the AfFghan 
 chiefs, with whom he appeared to be in close 
 and friendly converse. The winning smile and 
 frank and courteous manner of the latter gentle- 
 man appeared to have gained for him a degree 
 of consideration amongst the natives, which no 
 other European could boast of, and which was 
 principally attributable to the talismanic influ- 
 ence of qualities that have a never failing 
 effect in softening down and subduing even the 
 most rugged and intractable natures. Nothing 
 could exceed the splendour of the costumes in 
 which these chiefs were clad, their turbans and 
 weapons being studded with diamonds and 
 other precious stones; whilst the horses on 
 which they were mounted were perfect models 
 of animal beauty. 
 
 As soon as the Shah arrived on the ground 
 the bands of the different regiments struck up 
 
96 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 " God save the King," and his Majesty was 
 conducted to his throne by the Politicals. The 
 troops then marched past the platform in slow 
 and quick time each regiment lowering its 
 colors as it arrived before it. A proclamation 
 was afterwards read, declaring and confirming the 
 Shah's title to the throne, and all persons sub- 
 ject to his authority having been required to 
 yield him fealty, the Affghan Chiefs present 
 tendered their homage. The troops were 
 marched back to their lines inimediately after, 
 and a Durbar concluded the ceremonies of the 
 day. 
 
 It must not be imagined that during all this 
 time our ever watcliful enemies had abated 
 their vigilance or lost any opportunity of an- 
 noying us. They did not dare to attack the 
 camp, itself, precautionary measures having 
 been adopted to j^revent their near approach, 
 by stationing inlying and outlying pickets 
 round it. We were compelled, however, to 
 send our camels to graze at some distance from 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 97 
 
 the encampment, and the soldiers in charge of 
 them were frequently surprised and diiven in. 
 On one occasion a party of the 13th Light 
 Infantry, consisting of a serjeant and six pri- 
 vates, who had been entrusted with the care of 
 from fifteen to eighteen camels, fell asleep on 
 their posts, being overcome by the excessive 
 heat, and the Affghans, stealing upon them 
 whilst in this state, put one man to death, and 
 severely wounded two others, the whole of the 
 camels of course falling into their hands. The 
 Serjeant escaped but was broken for neglect of 
 duty. 
 
 Shortly after this occurrence, two of the 
 marauders fell into our hands. In order to put 
 an end to, or diminish these vexatious losses it 
 was determined to make a terrible example of 
 the prisoners, in the hope that it would have 
 some effect upon their companions. They were 
 accordingly tried by a court martial, composed 
 of native officers, and sentenced ta be blown 
 
 H 
 
98 SCENES AND ADTENTURES 
 
 from the mouth of a gun. Having been led 
 into the market-place at Candahar, they were 
 ordered to draw lots as to who should first 
 undergo this dreadful doom. The younger of 
 the prisoners, a stripling of about nineteen 
 years of age, whose firm and gallant bearing 
 excited universal sympathy and admiration, re- 
 sponded to this command by at once embracing 
 the mouth of the gun from which he was 
 instantly blown to atoms. His companion, a 
 grey-headed man, upwards of sixty years of 
 age, sat looking on, unmoved at this terrible 
 scene, and coolly smoking his hookah. On 
 being ordered to take his place at the gun he 
 did not exhibit the least appearance of fear, and 
 just as the match was about being applied, the 
 oflScer in command arrested it and directed the 
 prisoner to be taken aAvay, the Shah influenced, 
 it is said, by the entreaties of Sir Alexander 
 Burnes, having granted his pardon. This un- 
 expected release from the very jaws of death 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 99 
 
 produced as little emotion on the part of this 
 stout old man, as its near approach or the fate 
 of his youthful companion had elicited. 
 
 The mysterious and premature death of 
 Cornet Inverarlty, of the 16th Lancers, formed, 
 whilst here, the universal tOj[)ic of discussion in 
 the military circles. The circumstances, as 
 far as I could collect them, were these : — A 
 pic-nic party had been given by the officers of 
 the regiment at a pleasant rural retreat, within 
 a few miles of Candahar, and the Cornet, 
 being fond of fishing, took his rod and 
 strayed a short distance from his companions in 
 search of sport. His prolonged absence having 
 given rise to remark, some of the party went 
 in search of him, and found the unfortunate 
 gentleman lying dead on the banks of a neigh- 
 bouring stream. The wounds he had received 
 were of such a nature as to preclude the idea 
 that they were self-inflicted, and there can be 
 but little doubt that he was murdered by the 
 AfFghans. The deceased was an officer of con- 
 H 3 
 
100 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 siclerable acquirements, and was regretted by 
 all who had the honour of his acquaintance. 
 He was only in his 26tli year, and had been 
 about five in the service. 
 
 I gladly avail myself of the opportunity 
 which presents itself of paying a tribute to the 
 good conduct and friendlv feeling of the native 
 troops, who testified on all occasions the utmost 
 willinscness, and indeed the most anxious desire 
 to render all the aid and service in their power 
 to their European comrades. Their knowledge 
 of the language of the country, and their ac- 
 quaintance with the value of its produce, proved 
 of no small advantage to us in our daily traffic 
 with the cunning and thievish traders of the 
 bazaar. Let me add that the general feeling 
 amongst us was that, in privation or danger, 
 we might always count with certainty on the 
 generosity and bravery of the Sepoy. 
 
 Having passed nearly seven weeks at Canda- 
 har, it was determined that Ave should next 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 101 
 
 proceed to Ghuznee, where It was reported that 
 Dost Mahommed and his followers had resolved 
 on making a stand. The army quitted the 
 encampment on the 27th of June, preceded by 
 a squadron of European cavalry, two squadrons 
 of the native troops, and two field pieces loaded 
 with canister and grape shot. The route from 
 Candahar to Ghuznee lies through a wild and 
 mountainous country, and over roads extremely 
 difficult, and at times almost impasr^ahle. The 
 Ghiljies fled on our approach to the numerous 
 mud forts with which these hills abound, and 
 seldom ventured on our track. In the 
 dwellings they had abandoned we found only 
 a few old crones and hungry dogs, both of 
 whom received us with a sort of howling 
 welcome. The Ghiljic huts are constructed 
 somewhat like a bee hive, being of circular and 
 conical form, with interior accommodations of 
 the most wretched description. The few males 
 whom we caught a glimpse of were clad in the 
 
102 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 same substitute for broad cloth that served the 
 famous Bryan O'Lynn, who having — 
 
 " No breeches to wear, 
 
 Cut up a sheepskin to make him a pair.' 
 
 We were lucky enough to discover the stores 
 of corn and bussorah (a sort of provender for 
 cattle) which the natives had buried at the 
 first news of our approach. "We were also well 
 supplied with water the country being traversed 
 in all directions by rivers and streams. To 
 counterbalance these advantages we were an- 
 noyed with shoals of locusts, which literally 
 darkened the atmosphere and kept up a per- 
 petual buzzing and humming in our ears. The 
 locust appears to be a favorite article of food 
 with the natives, who roast it on a slow fire and 
 devour it with eagerness. We could not bring 
 ourselves to relish this equivocal dainty, 
 although our rations were not of the best or 
 most varied description. 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 103 
 
 As we advanced on Khelat-I-Gliiljie scarcely 
 a day passed without some Chief coming into 
 camp from Cabul, with a retinue of from one 
 to two hundred men, in order to tender his 
 allegiance to the Shah. They were immediately 
 sent to the rear and incorporated with his 
 Majesty's levies. Many of these new auxili- 
 aries brought camel batteries, which created a 
 good deal of curiosity and amusement amongst 
 the European troops, to whom they were a 
 novelty. Each camel carried a sort of rampart 
 on his back, which mounted from four to six 
 swivel guns of small calibre, the conductor both 
 driving the animal and serving the guns. We 
 were surprised at the rapidity and accuracy 
 with which these portable batteries were served 
 and brought to bear, the animal dropping on its 
 knees wherever it became necessary to bring 
 the guns within range, and rising the moment 
 they were discharged. 
 
 At Hyder Khail we were plundered of several 
 camels laden with bedding, belonging to her 
 
104 SCENES AKD ADVENTURES 
 
 Majesty's 2nd, or Queen's Royals, and the party 
 in charge of them disappeared and was not 
 again heard of before we left. As we passed 
 Khelat-i-Giljie the country began to improve in 
 its character, and large tracts, covered with 
 corn and beans, betokened the presence of a 
 more civilized tribe than that through whose 
 inhospitable territories we had just passed. The 
 villagers came daily into camp with fruit and 
 vegetables, which they parted with at reason- 
 able prices, and their conduct to us on the 
 whole was civil and peaceable. 
 
 On the 21st. of July we arrived in sight of 
 Ghuznee, the strength of which we found 
 underrated rather than exaggerated. Ghuznee 
 may be said to form the key to Cabul since it 
 commands the only direct route to that place. 
 The citadel is of great extent, and includes 
 within its precints, three or four bazaars and 
 several streets. It is surrounded on every side 
 by strong bastions and substantial walls, the 
 whole of which had been recently put in repair, 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 105 
 
 and it mounted nine guns (one ii 48 pounder) 
 besides innumerable wall pieces, gingals, and 
 matchlocks. The principal entrance is at the 
 North side, on the road to Caljul, and is ap- 
 proached by a bridge of slight construction, 
 thrown across a deep ditch or moat. To 
 tjie right and left stretch long chains of lofty 
 hills, which approach the walls so closely on 
 the North side, as to command a view of the 
 interior of the citadel. The enemy, sensible of 
 the importance of these heights, had lined 
 them with troops in order to prevent our 
 planting batteries on them. At the distance 
 of about three quarters of a mile from the fort, 
 and situated in an amphitheatre of hills, lies 
 the town of Ghuznee, which consists of only a 
 few narrow, straggling streets. A narrow, but 
 deep and rapid river, whose banks are studded 
 with rich corn fields, winds its devious route 
 through the pleasant valley in which the town 
 is situate, and half encircles its walls. Nearly 
 H 5 
 
106 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 equidistant from the town and the fort, and 
 surrounded by luxuriant orchards and vine- 
 yards, stands the famous tomb of Mahommed 
 of Ghuznee. It consists of an oblons; buildino- 
 36 ft. by 18, and about 30 feet in height, and 
 is crowned by a mud cupola. The gates are 
 said to be of sandal-wood, and were taken froui 
 the temple of Somnatli by the conqueror, whose 
 remains lie entombed here. The grave stone 
 in the interior is made of the finest white 
 marble, but its once rich sculpture is now 
 nearly defaced, and it presents but few traces 
 of the Arabic characters with which it was 
 formerly inscribed. Over the last resting 
 place of the hero, and in a sadly decayed state, 
 are suspended the banner of green silk, and the 
 enormous mace which he had so often borne in 
 battle. 
 
 In the plain to the south of the hills stand 
 two i^illars, or obelisks, of brickv/ork, about 
 one hundred feet in height, and twelve in 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 107 
 
 iliameter at the base, which are said to have 
 marked the limits of the bazaar of ancient 
 Ghuznee, and which at present form serve only 
 as conspicuous landmarks for the traveller. 
 
108 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 Reconnaisance of {the Fortress. — Skirmish with the Enemy. 
 — Rejoicings of the Garrison at our Supposed Defeat. — Pre- 
 paration for a Coup de Main. — Engineer Operations. — 
 Storming and Taking of the Fortress. 
 
 We debouched on the plain in front of the 
 fort about eight o'clock in the morning, and 
 advanced upon it in three columns — the Cavalry 
 on the right, the Artillery in the centre, and 
 the Infantry on the left. The Commander-in- 
 Chief determined to reconnoitre the place in 
 force, and make the enemy show their strength. 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 109 
 
 Ou approaching the orchards and walled gar- 
 dens before described, we found them occupied 
 by the enemy, and the 1st Brigade having 
 been immediately thrown into them, drove the 
 Affghans out of the enclosures in capital style, 
 and forced them to take shelter behind the 
 defences, with a comparatively trifling loss 
 on our side. Our guns were now brought 
 to bear upon the fortress, which had kept up 
 a sharp fire on us from the moment of our 
 appearance, but owing to our having left our 
 heavy battering train behind us at Candahar 
 we did but little or no damage. About eleven 
 o'clock we drew off, and jiitched our camp out 
 of range of the fire of the foot. On our 
 skirmishers retiring from the gardens they were 
 immediately occupied by the enemy, who com- 
 menced cheering our retreating parties, in the 
 conviction that they had obtained a victory. 
 Under this impression they instantly sent off 
 expresses to Cabul, to announce the fact, and 
 state that if the whole of the surrounding 
 
110 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 country could be raised, they had little doubt 
 of being able to cut us off to a man. The gar- 
 rison spent the night in rejoicings, and blue 
 lights were constantly sent up as signals to 
 their friends on the neighbouring hills. 
 
 Next morning the Shah's camp was threatened 
 on the left by large bodies of horse and 
 foot who were driven off" by the Cavalry and 
 and some of his Highness's troops; whilst 
 another force, consisting chiefly of horse, under 
 the command of one of Dost Mahommed's 
 sons ; and at a short distance from him a 
 Ghiljie Chief, with about fifteen hundred 
 Cavalry, who had hung upon our flank all the 
 way from Khelat-i-Ghiljie, menaced us to the 
 right. This determined the Commander-in- 
 Chief to expedite matters, and the engineers 
 having made a careful inspection of the fortress, 
 he resolved on carrying it by storm. The 
 whole of the 22nd was consumed in making 
 the necessary preparations, the field hospital 
 being got ready while strong detachments of 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. Ill 
 
 Cavalry scoured the country around, in order 
 to keep the enemy from our Imcs. 
 
 In order to give my readers a correct idea 
 of the strength of the fortifications, and the 
 difficulties overcome by the intelligence and 
 courage of the officers and men of the British 
 Army, I cannot do better than to copy the 
 official reports made by the principal Engineer 
 officers on the subject. They contain a full 
 detail of the operations up to the moment when 
 the citadel fell into our possession. 
 
 Memorandum of the Engineers' operations 
 before Ghuznee^ in Julij^ 1839, hg Captain George 
 Thompson, Bengal Engineers, Chief Engineer 
 Army of the Tndus. 
 
 The accounts of tlie Fortress of Ghuznee, 
 received from those who had seen it, were such 
 as to induce his Excellency the Commander- 
 in-Chief to leave in Candahar the very small 
 battering train tlien with the Army, there being 
 
112 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 a scarcity of transport cattle. The place was 
 described as very weak, and completely com- 
 manded from a range of hills to the north. 
 
 When we came before it on the morning of 
 the 21st of July we were very much surprised 
 to find a rampart, in good repair, built on a 
 scarped mound about thirty-five feet high, 
 flanked by numerous towers, and surrounded 
 by a faussebraye and wet ditch. The irregular 
 figure of the " enceinte" gave a good flanking 
 fire, whilst the height of the citadel covered 
 the interior from the commanding fire of the 
 hills to the north, rendering it nugatory. In 
 addition to this, the towers, at the angles, had 
 been enlarged, screen walls had been built be- 
 fore the gates, the ditch cleared out and filled 
 with water, stated to be unfordable, and an out- 
 work built on the right bank of the river so as 
 to command the bed of it. 
 
 The garrison was variously stated from three 
 to four thousand strong, including five hundred 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 113 
 
 Cavalry, and from subsequent information we 
 found that it bad not been overrated. 
 
 On the approach of the army, a fire of artil- 
 lery was opened from the body of the place, 
 and of musketry from the neighbouring gar- 
 dens. A detachment of Infant ly cleared the 
 latter, and the former was silenced for a sliort 
 time by shrapnells from the Horse Artillery, 
 but the fire from the netv outwork on the bank 
 of the river was in no way checked. A nearer 
 view of the works was, however, obtained from 
 the gardens which had been cleared. This was 
 not at all satisfactory. The works were evi- 
 dently much stronger than we had been led to 
 expect, and such as our army could not venture 
 to attack in a regular manner. We had no 
 battering train, and to besiege Ghuznee in 
 form, a much larger one would be required 
 than the array ever possessed. The great com- 
 mand of the parapets from sixty to seventy 
 feet, with the wet ditch, were insurmountable 
 
114 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 obstacles to an attack, either by mining or 
 -escalading. 
 
 It therefore became necessary to examine 
 closely the whole contour of the place, to dis- 
 cover if any other mode of attack conld be 
 adopted. The engineers, with an escort, went 
 round the works, approaching as near as they 
 could find cover. The garrison were on the 
 alert, and kept up a hot and well regulated fire 
 vipon the officers whenever they were obliged 
 to show themselves. However, by keeping 
 the Infantry beyond nmsket range, and the 
 Cavalry at a still greater distance, only one 
 man was killed, and another wounded ; the 
 former being hit by men sent out of the place 
 to drive off the reconnoitring party. 
 
 The fortifications were found equally strong, 
 all round, the only tangible point observed 
 being the Cabul gateway, which offered the 
 following advantages for a coup-de-maln. The 
 road to the Gate was clear, the bridge over the 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 115 
 
 ditch unbroken, there were good positions for 
 the Artillery within three hundred yards of 
 the walls on both sides of the road, and we had 
 information that the Gateway was not built 
 up, a reinforcement from Cabul being ex- 
 pected. 
 
 The result of this reconnaisance was a report 
 to His Excellency the Commander-in-Chief, 
 that if he decided upon the immediate attack 
 on Ghuzuee, the only feasible mode of proceed- 
 ing, and the only one which held out a prospect 
 of success was a dash at the Cabul gateway, 
 blowing the gate open by bags of powder. 
 
 His Excellency decided upon the attempt, 
 the camp was moved that evening to the Cabnl 
 road, and the next morning, the 22nd, Sir John 
 Keane in person reconnoitred the proi)osed point 
 of attack, approved of the plan, and gave orders 
 for its execution. Preparations were made 
 accordingly, positions for the artillery were 
 carefully examined, which excited the jealousy 
 
116 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 of the garrison, who opened a smart fire upon 
 the party. 
 
 It was arranged that an explosion party, con- 
 sisting of tliree officers of Engineers, Captain 
 Peat, Lieutenants Durand and McLeod, three 
 Serjeants, and eighteen men of the Sappers in 
 working dresses, carrying 300fbs. of powder in 
 twelve sand bags, with a hose seventy-two feet 
 long, should be ready to move down to the 
 gateway at daybreak. 
 
 At midnight the first battery left camp, 
 followed by the other four, at intervals of half 
 an hour. Those to the right of the road were 
 conducted to their positions by Lieutenant 
 Stuart, those to the left by Lieutenant xVnder- 
 son. The ground for the guns was prepared 
 by the Sappers and Pioneers, taking advantage 
 of the irregularities of the ground to the right, 
 and of some old garden walls to the left. 
 
 The Artillery was all in position, and ready 
 by 3 A. M. of the 23rd, and shortly after, at 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 117 
 
 the first dawn, the party under Captain Peat 
 moved down to the gateway, accompanied by 
 six men of her Majesty's 13th Light Infantry, 
 without their belts, and supported by a detach- 
 ment of the same regiment, which extended to 
 the right and left of the road ; when they 
 arrived at the ditch, takino; advantaofe of what 
 cover they could find, and endeavouring to keep 
 down the fire from the ramparts, which became 
 heavy on the approach of the party, though it 
 had been remarkably slack during the previous 
 operations ; blue lights were shown, which ren- 
 dered surrounding objects distinctly visible, 
 but luckily they were buried on the top of the 
 parapet instead of being thrown into the passage 
 below. 
 
 The explosion party marched steadily on, 
 headed by Lieutenant Durand ; the powder 
 was placed, the hose laid, the train fired, and 
 the carrying party had retired to tolerable cover 
 in less than two minutes. The Artillery opened 
 when tlie blue lights appeared, and the mus- 
 
118 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 ketry from the covering party at the same time. 
 So quickly was the operation performed, and 
 so little was the enemy aware of the nature of 
 it, that not a man of the party was hurt. 
 
 As soon as the explosion took place, Captain 
 Peat, although hurt by the concussion, his 
 anxiety preventing him from keeping suffici- 
 ently under cover, ran up to the gate, accom- 
 panied by a small party of her Majesty's 13th 
 Light Infantry, and ascertained that it was 
 completely destroyed. There was some delay 
 in getting a bugler to sound at the advance, the 
 signal agreed on for the assaulting column to 
 push on, and this was the only mistake in the 
 operation. 
 
 The assaulting column, consisting of four 
 European Regiments (her Majesty's 2nd regi- 
 ment, Bengal European regiment, her Majesty's 
 13th Light Infantry, and her Majesty's 17th 
 regiment) commanded by Brigadier Sale, the 
 advance under Lieutenant Colonel Dennie, 
 accompanied by Lieutenant Sturt, Engineers, 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 119 
 
 moved steadily through the gateway, through a 
 passage inside the gateway, in a domed build- 
 ing, in which the opening on one side rendered 
 everything very obscure, and making it diffi- 
 cult to find the outlet into the town. They 
 met with little opposition ; but the party of 
 the enemy seeing a peak in the column, owing 
 to the difficulty in scrambling over the rubbish 
 in the gateway, made a rush, sword in hand, 
 and cut >down a good many men, wounding 
 the Brigadier and several other officers. 
 These swordsmen were repulsed, and there was 
 no more regular opposition ; the surprise and 
 alarm of the Governor aud Sirdars being so 
 great when they saw the column occupying the 
 open space inside the gate, and firing upon 
 them, that they fled, accompanied by their 
 men, even the garrison of the Citadel following 
 their example. Parties of the Afl:ghans took 
 refuge in the houses, firins; on the- column as 
 it made its way through the streets, and a jjood 
 deal of desultory fighting took place in conse- 
 quence, by which some loss was sustained. The 
 
120 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 Citadel was occupied as soon as daylight showed 
 that it had been abandoned by the enemy, and 
 the whole of the works were in our possession 
 before 5 a. m. 
 
 We lost seventeen men, six European and 
 eleven Natives killed — eighteen officers, and 
 one hundred and seventeen Europeans, and 
 thirty Natives wounded — total one hundred 
 and eio;htv-two. Of the Affo-hans more than 
 five hundred and fourteen were killed in the 
 town, that number of bodies having been 
 buried, and about one thousand outside by the 
 Cavalry, one thousand six hundred prisoners 
 were taken, but I have no means of estimating 
 the number of wounded. 
 
 There were nine guns of different calibres 
 found in the place, a large quantity of good 
 powder, considerable stores of shot, lead, &c., 
 &c., and a large supply of attar and other 
 proviv«ions. 
 
 GEO. THOMSON, Capt. Engrs. 
 
 Chief Engineer Army of the Indus. 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 121 
 
 The following report by Captain Peat, of 
 the Bombay Civil Engineers, gives a more 
 detailed account of the operations for blowing 
 up the gate, which, it will be seen, were at- 
 tended with difficulties of no ordinary nature. 
 
 " During the reconnaissance the wall pieces 
 were particularly troublesome. This weapon is 
 almost unknown in our service, but it is a very 
 efficient one, especially in the defence of works, 
 and its use should not be neglected. Every 
 fortified post should be supplied with a propor- 
 tion of them, and a certain number of men in 
 every regiment practised in firing them. 
 
 The charge recommended by Colonel Pasley, 
 for blowing open gates is from sixty to one 
 hundred and twenty pounds, and this is, doubt- 
 less, sufficient in ordinary cases; but in this 
 instance we were apprehensive that the enemy 
 might have taken alarm at our being so much 
 on that side of the place, and in consequence, 
 partially or wholly, built up the gateway. It 
 was afterwards found that some attempts of the 
 I 
 
122 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 kind had been made by propping up the gate 
 with beams. 
 
 The charge was so heavy, that it not only 
 destroyed the gate, but brought down a con- 
 siderable portion of the roof of the square 
 building in which it was placed, which proved a 
 very considerable obstacle to the assaulting 
 column, and the concussion acted as far as the 
 tower, under which an officer's party of her 
 Majesty's 13th regiment were standing at the 
 time, but without occasioning any casualties. 
 In cases of this nature it is of course the first 
 object to guard against any chance of failure ; 
 and it is impossible, even now, to say how much 
 the charge might have been reduced with 
 safety. 
 
 The enemy appeared so much on the alert, 
 and the faussebraye was so much in advance of 
 the gate that we never contemplated being able 
 to effect our object by surprise. The only 
 question was, whether it ought to be done by 
 day or night. It was argued in favor of the 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 123 
 
 former, that the Artillery would be able to 
 make so much more correct practice that the 
 defences would be in a considerable degree 
 destroyed, and the fire so completely kept under 
 as to enable the explosion party to advance with 
 but little loss, and with the advantage of being 
 able to see exactly what they were about. 
 Captain Thompson, however, adhered to the 
 latter, and we were afterwards convinced it 
 was the most judicious plan ; for although the 
 fire of the Artillery was necessarily more 
 general than it would have been in daylight, 
 still it was so well directed as to take up a good 
 deal of the attention of the besieged, and draw 
 upon their batteries a portion of the fire, which 
 in daylight would have been thrown down upon 
 the explosion party and assaulting columns. 
 It would also, even in daylight, have been 
 difficult, with our Light Artillery, to have kept 
 down the fire so completely but that a few 
 matchlock men might have kept their position 
 near the gateway ; and in that narrow space a 
 I 3 
 
124 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 smart fire from a few pieces might have obliged 
 the party to retire. The obscurity of the night, 
 to say nothing of the confusion which it must 
 occasion twiong undisciphned troops, is certainly 
 the best protection to a body of men engaged 
 in an enterprise of this nature. Blue lights 
 certainly render objects distinctly visible, but 
 their light is glaring and uncertain, especially to 
 men firing through loopholes. 
 
 The party consisted of eighteen officers, 
 twenty-eight sergeants, seven buglers, and two 
 hundred and seventy-six rank and file. 
 
 It was made of this strength, not only to keep 
 up a heavy fire upon the parapets, and thereby 
 divert attention from the party at the gateway, 
 but also because we were not aware whether 
 the faussebraye was occupied or not, and as it 
 extends so much in advance as to take the gate 
 completely in reverse, it would have been 
 necessary, had a fire opened from it, to have 
 carried it by assault before the party with the 
 bags could have advanced. The party with 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 125 
 
 Lieutenant Durand was accompanied by six 
 men of the 13th, without their belts, the better 
 to secure them from observation, to protect 
 them from any sortie that might be made from 
 the postern of the faussebraye on the right, 
 or even from the gate itself, while another 
 party under an officer, Lieutenant Jennings, 
 accompanied me as far as the tower so as to 
 check any attempts that might have [been 
 made from the faussebraye on the left, and at 
 the same time keeping up a fire on such of the 
 enemy as showed their heads above the parapet ; 
 of this party one man was killed and a few 
 wounded. 
 
 Nothing could have been more gallant than 
 the conduct of Lieutenants Durand and Mc 
 Leod, and the men under their command ; or 
 more efficient than the manner in which they 
 executed their duty. 
 
 The powder being in sand bags of a very 
 coarse open texture, a long hose and port fire 
 was thought to be the safest method of firing 
 
126 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 it. The end of the hose fortunately just 
 reached the small postern. The casualties, 
 however, during this operation were much fewer 
 than was expected, being in all one private 
 killed, two sergeants, and twenty-three rank 
 and file wounded. 
 
 The heaviest fire was certainly outside the 
 bridge, for the enemy near the gateway being 
 marked, whenever they attempted to shew their 
 heads above the parapet, were obliged to con- 
 fine themselves 'to the loop-holes, the range 
 from which is very uncertain and limited 
 against men moving about. A high loop-holed 
 wall, although imposing in appearance, is a 
 profile but ill adapted to resist attacks of this 
 nature. 
 
 The enemy were perfectly aware that we 
 were in the gateway, but appeared to have no 
 idea of the nature of our operations. Had they 
 been so they might easily have rendered it 
 impossible to place the powder bags, by 
 throwing over blue lights, of which they had a 
 
IN APFGHANISTAN. 127 
 
 large quantity in store. The powder pots and 
 other fire works so much used by the natives of 
 Hindoostan would certainly have rendered the 
 confined space leading to the gate much too hot 
 for such an operation ; but the ignorance of 
 the besieged was known and calculated upon, 
 the result shows how justly. 
 
 Their attempts at resistance were confined 
 to the fire from the loopholes and throwing 
 over large pieces of earth, some of wliich 
 appeared to be intended to knock off the port 
 fire. 
 
 I on this occasion received an excellent lesson 
 on the necessity of not allowing preconceived 
 opinions to lead to any carelessness, in accu- 
 rately ascertaining the result of any operation 
 of this nature. The gateway appeared, from 
 what I had seen from the hills to the north, to 
 lead straight into the town, and on running in 
 to examine it after the explosion I was so much 
 impressed with this idea and so much convinced 
 
128 SCENES AND ADVENTUilES 
 
 of the probability of the gateway having been 
 blocked up during the day, that I was led to 
 believe that it had actually been done, from 
 seeing, in front of the gate that had been 
 destroyed, the outline of an arch filled up with 
 brick masonry. The true entrance turned to 
 the right and would have been discovered by 
 advancing a few paces, and that in perfect 
 safety, for the interior was secure from all fire. 
 Lieutenant Durand on first going up saw from 
 through the chinks of the gate that there was 
 a light and a guard immedialely behind it, and 
 from that circumstance was convinced that no 
 interior obstacles of importance existed. 
 
 My mistake therefore was luckily immedi- 
 ately corrected without any bad consequence 
 resulting. 
 
 A party of sappers with felling axes, and 
 commanded by Lieutenant Wemyss, and two 
 scaling ladders in charge of Lieutenant Pigan, 
 accompanied the assaulting column. 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 129 
 
 Of ten Engineer Officers engaged in this 
 attack, only one, Lieutenant Harriot, was 
 slightly wounded. Captain Thompson however 
 had a very narrow escape, having been thrown 
 down by a rush of some swordsmen into the 
 gateway, and nearly sabred while upon the 
 ground." 
 
130 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 An Affghan Heroine. — Capture of Hyder Khan the Com- 
 mandant of Ghuznee,'^Escape of Ghool Mahonimed Khan. — 
 Discovery of a Map on the person of an Affghan Chief. 
 — Description of the Affghan Women. — The Ruling 
 Passion. — Treasviretrove. — The Golden Shield. — Chase of the 
 Enemy. — Just Retribution. 
 
 The Cavalry taking no part in these operations 
 I was an idle, but not the less an anxious 
 spectator of the scene. I had never before 
 witnessed eflfects so awfully grand, or so in- 
 tensely exciting in their nature as those which 
 immediately preceded and followed the ex- 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 131 
 
 plosion at the gates. The atmosphore was 
 illuminated by sudden and powerful flashes of 
 various coloured light which exposed the walls 
 and bastions of the fortress to view, and re- 
 vealed the dusky figures of the garrison, in the 
 act of pointing their guns, or endeavouring to 
 penetrate the denseness of the obscurity be- 
 neath, in order to assure themselves of the posi- 
 tion of their assailants. Then followed the din and 
 roar of artillery — the terrific explosion of the 
 gates — the crash of woodwork and masonry — 
 the hollow rumbling of the old towers as they 
 came in huge masses to the ground — the rush 
 of the storming party through the breach, and 
 the deafening cheers and shouts of besiegers 
 and besieged. It seemed as if all the elements 
 of destruction had been let loose at once, and 
 yet I panted to be in the midst of them. I 
 hardly dared to breathe from the very intense- 
 ness of my anxiety, and it was not till I saw 
 the British flag floating from the citadel, that I 
 could respire freely. To the soldier there Is 
 
132 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 nothing more trying or chafing than to be con- 
 demned to a state of inaction during the pro- 
 gress of such spirit-stirring events as these. 
 
 While the Affghans were disputing our 
 entrance into the citadel an incident occun-ed, 
 which for a moment diverted the attention of 
 the combatants and turned their fury into 
 pity. Amongst the foremost of the party who 
 signalised themselves by their desperate gal- 
 lantry was an aged Chieftain, the richness of 
 whose costume excited general attention, his 
 turban and weapons being resplendent with 
 jewels. The hope of plunder immediately 
 marked him out as an object of attack, and 
 numbers at once assailed him. He defended 
 himself like a man who knew there was no 
 chance of life, but who was resolved to sell it 
 as dearly as he could. He had killed several of 
 the Queen's Royals and severely wounded 
 Captain llobinson, when a grenadier of the 
 company to which the latter belonged, seeing 
 his officer in danger, rushed to his assistance, 
 
IN AFFGUANISTAN. 133 
 
 and with a thrust of his buyonet brought the 
 gallant old Chieftain to the ground. The 
 grenadier was about to despatch him, when a 
 beautiful girl, about seventeen, threw herself 
 into the melee and plunged a dagger in his 
 breast. She then cast herself on the body of 
 the Chieftain, for the purpose of protecting it, 
 and the Affghans, forming a sort of rampart 
 before them, maintained their 'ground until the 
 heroic girl succeeded in getting it conveyed 
 into the interior of the citadel Shortly after 
 the place was taken she was found weeping 
 over the remains of the brave old man, who, on 
 enquiry, we learned was her father. She was 
 treated with the utmost respect and tenderness 
 by our men, who neither obtruded themselves 
 on her grief nor offered any interruption to 
 the preparations which she made for his 
 interment. 
 
 Amongst the prisoners who fell into our 
 hands was Ilyder Khan, a son of Dost 
 Muhomined, and late commandant of the for- 
 
134 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 tress. This Chief was discovered hiding in a 
 privy by a soldier of the Queen's Royals, who 
 would have bayonetted him but for the timely 
 interference of one of his officers, who chanced 
 to be near the spot. The AfFghan leader was 
 immediately brought before Sir John Keane, 
 and the Shah being present rated him soundly 
 for his treachery. He replied only by a 
 haughty look of defiance, and was consigned to 
 a tent closely guarded by Sepoys. The sword 
 found upon this Chief, and which is at present 
 in the possession of Sir John Keane, was 
 valued at 14,000 rupees. 
 
 Of the many prisoners we had taken, the 
 capture of none afforded such gratification as 
 that of Ghool ]Mahommed Khan, to whose bad 
 faith some of our past privations had been 
 owing. This Chief had entered into a contract 
 with Sir Alexander Burnes, to establish maga- 
 zines of provisions and corn at Quettah, for 
 the use of the British troops, and five thousand 
 rupees were paid over to him for the purpose. 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 135 
 
 He purchased up all the corn of the surrounding 
 districts, but instead of fulfillin'r his aci;recment 
 he forwarded it to Ghuznee for the use 
 of the garrison, and was amongst the most 
 conspicuous defenders of the fortress. On 
 being brought before the Shah his Majesty 
 ordered him to be bowstringed, but before the 
 sentence could be carried into effect he man- 
 aged to escape. His treachery failed in its ob- 
 ject, for the greater portion of the flour and 
 grain which he had supplied now fell into our 
 liands. We also found from five to six hundred 
 horses in the stables of the fortress, all of which 
 were in excellent condition, and ranging in 
 value from seventy to a hundred pounds 
 each. 
 
 I entered the fort shortly after it sun-en- 
 dered and at every step spectacles of the most 
 shocking and revolting nature met the eye. 
 Kound a long twenty pounder, which was 
 planted to the right of the entrance, lay heaps 
 of dead Affghans, who appeared to have at- 
 
136 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 tached the greatest importance to the service 
 of this piece from the numbers who crowded 
 to perform the duty whenever our fire killed 
 those engaged in it. The agonising cries and 
 groans of the wounded wretches who lay- 
 stretched at every side, and who craved drink 
 to sate their burning thirst, struck those who 
 had not been engaged in the fearful excitement 
 of the scene with horror and pity, whilst at 
 every turning a horse, wild with the injuries he 
 had received, was to be met galloping furiously 
 along the narrow streets, and treading the 
 bodies of the dying and dead under foot. 
 Advancing Ihrough the bazaar, my attention 
 was drawn towards a venerable looking Aflfghan, 
 who was seated on the ground with his back 
 propped against a wall, and whose richly orna- 
 mented muslin robes were stained with blood, 
 which flowed profusely from a wound in his 
 breast. A fine looking youth of about fourteen 
 years of age was attempting to stanch it, and 
 I hastened to profiler my assistance. The old 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 137 
 
 man, however, pushed me back, and would not 
 let me approach him, plainly indicating by his 
 gestures that he held me and my countrymen 
 in abhorrence. Whilst standing at a short 
 distance from him, a straggling ball came 
 whizzing past me, whether intentionally or ac- 
 cidentally I cannot say, and put an end to his 
 sufferings. Some soldiers, who afterwards ex- 
 amined the person of this old chief, for such 
 from his attire I took him to be, discovered 
 amongst other things an extremely well exe- 
 cuted map, on which the whole of the route of 
 our troops from the point at which we had 
 disembarked to our arrival at Ghuznee was 
 plainly indicated. 
 
 Some of the Affghan women were occasion- 
 ally to be met turning over the bodies of the 
 dead, in the hope of being able to discover 
 their relations or friends, and giving way to 
 their grief in the most heart-rending lamenta- 
 tions. They were the most superior class of 
 women I had as yet seen amongst the Asiatics, 
 
138 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 their features being regular, and finely formed, 
 and their eyes piercing, but at the same time 
 soft in their expression. Although nothing 
 like violence was used towards them, they did 
 not escape some incivilities at the hands of our 
 men, owing to the fact that a number of AfF- 
 ghan soldiers had attempted to escape in female 
 disguise. 
 
 Various were the adventures related amongst 
 us, as having occurred on the first entrance of 
 our troops into the fortress. A Scotchman, 
 belonging to my own regiment, named James 
 Hamilton, who was known to be an inveterate 
 snuflF-taker was discovered in a tobacconist's 
 shop in the bazaar literally covered from head to 
 foot with the contents of the chatties or jars 
 with which it was filled, and testing the 
 qualities of each with an air of the most exqui- 
 site relish, his nose having been long a stranger 
 to its favourite aliment. The ruling passion 
 was exemplified in different ways in others. 
 Some sought for drink, of which there was 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 139 
 
 little to be obtained and others for gold, which 
 we had every reason to believe was plentiful, if 
 we knew but where to find it. A soldier of the 
 13th Light Infantry, more fortunate than his 
 fellows, lit unexpectedly on a jar which was 
 fiUed to the brim with gold pieces to the value 
 it is said of £600 sterling, and conveyed it 
 secretly to the camp. Becoming apprehensive 
 that this large sum would be discovered on 
 him, and that he would be obliged to give it up 
 to the prize agent, he distributed it amongst 
 several of his comrades in order that they 
 might take care of it. The possession of 
 so much wealth turning the heads of his 
 trustees they thought they might allow them- 
 selves a few indulgences at his expence, but 
 their excesses ultimately betrayed the secret 
 and they were compelled to hand over the 
 money to the common fund. 
 
 As the soldiers severally left the fortress to 
 return to the camp they were stripped of the 
 plunder which they had obtained, and a goodly 
 
140 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 heap of armour and weapons of every kind 
 was soon piled before the entrance. Amongst 
 the number of curious articles obtained in 
 this way was an old shield, which had be- 
 longed to one of the Affghan chiefs and 
 which, though remarkable for the oddness of 
 its construction, presented little else to attract 
 the eye. Its material appeared to be a com- 
 pound of copper and some white metal, and it 
 was thrown aside by the prize agent amongst 
 the most valueless of the objects which fell 
 under his care. A soldier of the Bengal Eu- 
 ropean regiment, who had been a jeweller by 
 trade, happened to observe the circumstance, 
 and carelessly taking up the shield, as if to 
 examine the devices with which it was orna- 
 mented, scrutinized it for some time, and went 
 away without making the slightest observation. 
 He immediately repaired to the Captain of his 
 company, and told him to bid for the shield 
 at the prize sale which was to take place] a few 
 days afterwards, advising him not to stop at 
 
IN AFFGIIANISTAN. 141 
 
 any reasonable price for it. The officer acted 
 on the hint, and obtained the article for about 
 thirty or forty rupees. The shield turned out 
 to be of the purest and finest gold, and the 
 fortunate possessor felt so grateful to his in- 
 formant that he made him a present sufficient 
 to purchase his discharge, and carry him home 
 to England. 
 
 Amongst the different ensigns captured from 
 
 the enemy on this occasion were two banners 
 
 of green and crimson silk, trimmed with gold 
 
 lace and inscribed with precepts from the 
 
 Koran. They were desperately defended, the 
 
 Affghans appearing to attach great importance 
 
 to their safety. They are, I believe, at present 
 
 in the possession of her Majesty's 17th Light 
 
 Infantry, and the Bengal European Regiment. 
 
 Shortly after the breach had been effected 
 
 intelligence was brought to the Commander-in 
 
 Chief, that numbers of the enemy were making 
 
 their escape through one of the back gates. 
 
 He immediately dispatched the 1st Bombay 
 
142 SCENES AND ADVENTUHES 
 
 Light Cavalry in pursuit. The Affghans 
 being daring horsemen, and better mounted than 
 our men, made at once for the hills, where 
 they knew our Cavalry could not follow. 
 Aware of this our men put their horses to their 
 utmost speed, in order to intercept them before 
 they got entangled in the defiles. The chase 
 soon assumed a character of lively interest. 
 An Affghan, worse mounted, or less skilled in 
 horsemanship then his fellows, was overtaken 
 and cut down, and the pursuers pressed hard 
 on the heels of another. The cheers of his 
 enemies, and the clatter of their horses' hoofs 
 sounding fearfully near in the ears of the pur- 
 sued he put the noble animal on which he was 
 mounted to its utmost speed, and cleared the 
 space between him and his companions at a 
 bound rather than a gallop. Again he was 
 almost within reach of the sabres of our men, 
 and again did the fleetness of his horse place 
 him for a time in safety. As he was about to 
 plunge into a deep ravine after the other fugi- 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 143 
 
 tives a shot brought his horse upon its knees, 
 and the rider was flung upon his head. All 
 now seemed over with him. Starting, how- 
 ever, to his feet, he turned upon his pursuers, 
 and single handed opposed a host of them. 
 Warding off the blows which rained on him 
 from every side, he kept rapidly retreating 
 until he gained the brow of a steep declivity 
 over which he flung himself and was instantly 
 lost to view. Disappointed in their pursuit, 
 our ^men took an unmanly revenge on some 
 peasants who were peaceably engaged in agri- 
 cultural occupations near the spot. One of 
 these wanton acts of cruelty met with a just 
 retribution. A havildar or serjeant, seeing a 
 youug Aftghan following the plough at a little 
 distance, galloped up, and made several cuts at 
 him with his sabre. The young man ran to the 
 other side of the plough, and placed the serjeant 
 at bay. The latter drew a pistol from his holster, 
 and was about to shoot him, when his horse 
 stumbled over the plough and fell on his side. 
 
144 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 breaking the leg of the havildar and pinning 
 him at the same time firmly to the ground. 
 The AfFghan seized the sword which had fallen 
 from his grasp, and dealt him a blow on the 
 head which instantly killed him. The com- 
 rades of the dead man riding up surrounded 
 and captured the peasant, and he was brought 
 into camp to abide the decision of the Com- 
 mander-in-Chief A representation having 
 been made to Sir John Keane of the wanton and 
 unprovoked attack which had been made upon the 
 prisoner, he immediately ordered him to be 
 liberated. The havildar was interred on the 
 spot where he fell and there were few in the 
 army who pitied or regretted him. 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 145 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 Attempt to Assassinate the Shah. — Court Martial on an 
 Affghan Chief. — Visit to the Hospital at Ghuznee. — Hatred 
 of the Affghans towards the Native Troops. — Departure from 
 Ghuznee. — Capture of a Battery and Fatal Accident. —Sum- 
 mary Punishment. — Arrival at Cabul. — Pursuit of Dost 
 Mahommed and Treachery of a Native Chief. — Description of 
 Cabul. — The Balar Hissar. — Mosque of the Emperor 
 Baber. — The Bazaar. 
 
 A few days after the taking of Ghuznee a 
 tragical scene occurred, which pretty [clearly 
 indicated how the tide of popular feeling ran 
 with regard to the restored monarch. There 
 is a poetical superstition that approaching 
 events are often foreshadowed, and the circuni- 
 
 K 
 
146 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 stance to which I allude seemed to impress 
 every man's mind at the time with the result 
 that has since happened. 
 
 Tlie majority of the prisoners who fell into 
 our hands were released on condition of their 
 serving in the Shah's army, but there remained 
 about thirty who refused to accept of their 
 liberty on such terms. They consisted for the 
 most part of the immediate followers of Dost 
 Mahommed's father-in-law, and were devotedly 
 attached to that prince. The Shah, on learning 
 the circumstance ordered them to be brought be- 
 fore him, and expostulated with them on the folly 
 of their conduct. A Chief of haughty bear- 
 ing stepped from amongst the j^risoners, and 
 after overwhelming his Majesty with reproaches, 
 told him that nothing should induce him to 
 enter the service of a man who had brou2;ht 
 the horrors of foreiffn invasion on his countrv. 
 Then suddenly snatcliing a dagger from one 
 of the attendants, he rushed with uplifted arm 
 towards, the Shah, and would have pierced him 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 147 
 
 to the heart had not one of his Majesty's ser- 
 vants interposed his person, and received the 
 blow intended for his master. The faithful 
 domestic fell dead at the feet of the Shah, 
 and the officers and attendants instantly rushed 
 towards the assassin with drawn swords ; but 
 he had already anticipated their intention by 
 plunging the poniard in his breast. The Shah, 
 alarmed and exasperated, ordered the whole of 
 the prisoners to be immediately executed, and 
 in a few minutes their heads were rolline in 
 the dust. This terrible scene created great 
 alarm in the camp, it being at first reported 
 that his Majesty had been assassinated, but 
 the apprehensions to which it gave rise were 
 soon dispelled, by his publicly making his 
 appearance amongst us. 
 
 A Chief, named AValla Mahommed, who 
 had persisted in firing on the troops several 
 hours after the taking of the fort, and in spite 
 of repeated summonses to surrender, was 
 brought to a court martial bv order of the 
 
 K 3 
 
148 SCENES AND AD VENTURES 
 
 Commander-in Chief, and sentenced to be shot 
 within the walls of the fortress. He had 
 killed three or four of our men, and wounded 
 one of the Native officers by his obstinate 
 follj. He met his fate with the most perfect 
 indifference, for the fear of death cannot be 
 said to be one of the weaknesses of the Affghan 
 character. 
 
 I one day paid a visit, with some of my com- 
 rades, to the hospital where the wounded Aff- 
 ghans had been carried by their friends. It 
 was situated in the old town, and consisted of 
 a mud hut, whose thatched roof was broken in 
 several places, and afforded little or no shelter 
 against the heat of the sun. The interior was 
 as filthy and disgusting as it is possible to 
 conceive. Into a space of about thirty feet by 
 twelve, were crowded from seventy to a hun- 
 dred patients, who were disabled by wounds of 
 every description, their sufferings being aggra- 
 vated tenfold, by the intolerable heat and stench 
 of the place. They were attended by two 
 
IN AFFGIIANISTAN. 149 
 
 elderly men and a youth about fifteen years 
   of age, who were busily engaged dressing their 
 wounds, whilst a Faquir was performing certain 
 charms, by which he pretented he could restore 
 them to healtli. Pitiable and disgustino; as the 
 scene was I could not help laughing at the 
 mummeries of the fellow. He first placed 
 some cow dung in the hand of the sufferer, and 
 holding it in his, saturated it with water and 
 compelled the patient to smell it. He then 
 wound up the ceremony by I'epeating some 
 prayers over the fumes of a charcoal jmn, the 
 patient repeating after him certain responses 
 which he directed him to' make. This done, 
 he covered him up with an old blanket, and 
 ordered him to lay quiet for several hours, 
 when the cure would be complete. Having of 
 course received a consideration for all this 
 trouble, he left his patients to the progress of 
 the charm, and the discovery, when too late, 
 that they had been grossly duped. 
 
 Happening to have a quantity of apples 
 
150 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 with me whicli I had just plucked from one of 
 the orchards in the vicinity, I offered them to 
 the sufferers in the hope that they would in 
 some degree refresh them. They accepted 
 them with eagerness which induced some sepoys 
 Avho were with me to follow my example. The 
 Aflghans indignantly refused to receive any- 
 thing at their hands, and so great was their hatred 
 of the native troops, that they actually spat 
 upon the men who showed them this kindness. 
 Early in August we resumed our march 
 towards Cabul, leaving the whole of our sick 
 and wounded in garrison at Ghuznee. It was 
 reported that Dost Mahommed intended to 
 dispute every inch of ground to the capital, but 
 these valiant resolutions were abandoned as 
 soon as formed. The only indication of a pre- 
 concerted plan of defence which we met with 
 on the route, was a battery of sixteen field 
 pieces which we found planted on an eminence 
 commanding the entrance to a formidable pass 
 about midway between Ghuznee and Cabul, 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 151 
 
 but wliich had been deserted by the enemy as 
 soon as our advanced columns made their aj)- 
 pearance. A party of" the Horse Artillery 
 havincc been sent to secure the s:uns and amniu- 
 uition, an accident took place which was at- 
 tended with fatal consequences. One of the 
 men having approached a tumbrel with a lighted 
 pipe a spark fell into it and tlie whole blew up 
 with a tremendous explosion, killing two of the 
 party and severely injuring another. 
 
 The conduct of the inhabitants of the 
 diftei'ent villaires alono; this route, whether 
 influenced by good will or fear, I cannot take upon 
 myself to say, was friendly and well disposed 
 towards us. This did not however prevent some 
 excesses on the part of the native troops, which 
 Sir John Keane sought to repress by issuing 
 an order forbidding the men from robbing the 
 villagers on pain of death. At Chesgow, about 
 two days march from Ghuznee, a soldier 
 belonging to the 2nd Bengal Light Cavalry 
 was observed thieving in the immediate vicinity 
 
152 
 
 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 of the staff lines, and one of Sir John's aides 
 de camps who watched his proceedings took a 
 gun from his tent and deliberately lodged its 
 contents in his side. The unfortunate man 
 died of the wound, after lingering a few days. 
 The extreme severity of the punishment and 
 its informal nature, were bitterly canvassed 
 amongst the native troops, but it nevertheless 
 had the effect of preventing a repetition of 
 the offence. 
 
 Early on the morning of the 7th of August, 
 we encamped without opposition under the 
 walls of Cabul, Dost Mahommed and his forces 
 having fled to the hills at the first news of our 
 approach. The Commander-in-Chief being 
 desirous of securing the person of the usurper, 
 immediately despatclied Captain Outram, and 
 Hadji Khan, a chief supposed to be well affected 
 towards Shah Soojah, with a thousand Aff- 
 ghans and a hundred native cavalry in pursuit. 
 They had not proceeded far from the camp 
 when it became evident to Captain Outram 
 
m AFFGHANISTAN. 153 
 
 that treachery was secretly at work, the AfF- 
 ghans deserting dally, until their number was 
 diminished to about five hundred. Hadji Khan, 
 to whose guidance the force was entrusted, led 
 it by long and circuitous routes, under pretence 
 that they would thereby more easily intercept 
 the fugitives, and turned a deaf ear to the 
 Captain's entreaties that they should proceed 
 directly across the hills. Wherever a rapid 
 movement became necessary, the Affghaa 
 managed so that his followers should be delayed 
 on the route, and there was no sort of impedi- 
 ment that cmft or ingenuity could suggest that 
 he did not employ to retard the progress of 
 the troops. Captain Outram having no autho- 
 rity to act without the aid of the Khan was 
 obliged to shut his eyes to these manoauvres, 
 and succeeded after the most urgent persuasion 
 in inducing the Affghan Chief to proceed at 
 once to the hills, with a small detachment. 
 
 After traversing the highest parts of the 
 Hindoo Kosh, a chain of mountaius, fifteen 
 K 5 
 
154 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 thousand feet above the level of the sea, and 
 extending as far as Bamean, Captain Outram 
 found that Dost Mahommed had taken refuge 
 in the territories of an independent Uzbeck 
 Chieftain then at enmity with the Shah. 
 Whilst crossing the heights several blue lights 
 were thrown up by the orders of Hadji Khan, 
 which the British had reason to believe were 
 intended to give warning to the enemy. Fur- 
 ther pursuit through a difficult and hostile 
 territory became of course out of the question, 
 and the horses being worn out from want of 
 forage and rest, orders were given for the 
 return of the party to Cabul. During the 
 march homeward Hadji Klian contrived to give 
 the British the slip, and made off to the hills, 
 rightly calculating that his equivocal conduct 
 would be severely punished by the Shah. He 
 was, however, captured before the British left 
 Cabul, and sentenced to imprisonment for life. 
 It was said that the Commander-in-Chief was 
 dissatisfied with the conduct of Captain Outrara 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 155 
 
 in this afFiilr, aucl that lie pointedly passed over 
 his name in the official despatches to mark his 
 displeasure. 
 
 As several descriptions of Cabul have been 
 published it will only be necessary for me to 
 give such of its leading features as are essential 
 to the completeness of my narrative. The 
 city lies almost in the centre of a semicircular 
 chain of hills, the valley in which it is situated 
 being watered by a noble river which pursues 
 a serpentine and picturesque route through it, 
 and divides the town in nearly equal parts. 
 The bazaar stands at the base of a lofty moun- 
 tain, up whose rugged sides straggle rude and 
 irregular fortifications of no great strength or 
 importance. The town itself covers a consider- 
 able extent of ground, and the streets are in 
 general regular and well built as compared with 
 the other cities of Asia. Towering high above 
 the other buildings may be observed the mosque 
 and Balar Hissar or palace of the sovereign. 
 The latter is surrounded by beautiful gardens 
 
156 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 and is entered by a large flagged court-way 
 leading to the principal portal of the edifice. 
 The proportions of the building are on a scale 
 commensurate with royalty, the centre being 
 surmounted by a lofty dome, and the wings of 
 vast extent. The right wing contains the 
 stabling of the Shah and chambers of the 
 household, and the left is appropriated to the 
 sovereign's own use. The general effect of this 
 building is heavy, and it conveys the idea of a 
 prison rather than a palace. 
 
 About half a mile to the right of the palace 
 stands the mosque which contains the remains 
 of the Emperor Baber. This temple is one of 
 the finest I have seen in this part of Asia, 
 being of great architectural beauty and noble 
 proportions. It is entirely composed of richly 
 carved stone-work, and is crowned by a number 
 of graceful spires and minarets. The interior 
 is magnificently ornamented with gilding and 
 sculpture, and the pavement is composed of rich 
 Mosaics of various coloured marbles. The 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAX. 1.57 
 
 tomb containing the remains of the Emperor 
 occupies the centre of the mosque, and is less 
 elaborately ornamented than any other part of 
 it, being composed of plain slabs of white 
 marble on which some extracts from the Koran 
 are inscribed. 
 
 The bazaar is of circular form, the streets 
 composing it radiating from an open space in 
 its centre, and presenting a thronged and busy 
 aspect. The principal articles of merchandize 
 which attracted our notice were cashmere shawls 
 of the richest and most expensive patterns, 
 and costly silks of every description. A con- 
 siderable trade is also carried on in preserved 
 fruits, which find their way from here to the 
 most distant parts of Ilindostau. In the fruit 
 market we observed grapes which measured 
 nearly two inches in circumference ; peaches, 
 whose rich bloom and luscious quality gratified 
 at once the eye and the palate; and straw- 
 berries, such as the hot houses of Europe, and 
 all the inventions of horticultural science could 
 
158 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 not force into existence. As to apples 
 and pears, fruits prized in the western 
 hemisphere, they were in such abundance 
 and of such low price, that they were 
 only deemed worthy of furnishing food for 
 cattle. Almost all the necessaries of life were 
 in equal profusion, beef fetching only a penny, 
 and mutton twopence the pound. It may be 
 readily imagined that to the tired and half- 
 starved soldier, Cabul appeared almost a second 
 land of promise. 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. lo9 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 Triumphant Entry of Shah Soojah into Cabul. — The |Cabul 
 Races. — Death of Brigadier General Arnold. — Sale of the 
 General's effects. — Arrival of Prince Timour.— The Sikhs. — 
 Murder of Colonel Herring.— Arrival of money and supplies 
 from the Upper Provinces. 
 
 It having been announced that early on the 
 morning of the 8th of August the Shah would 
 take formal possession of the Balar Ilissar, the 
 troops were under arras and in review order at 
 ten o'clock. The Commander-in-Chief, the 
 Politicals, and the whole of the general officers 
 
160 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 and staff rode up, shortly after, to the tent of 
 his Majesty, at which I happened that morning 
 to be stationed as orderly, and were kept 
 waiting some time. Sir William Mc Naghten 
 and Sir Alexander Burnes were at length sum- 
 moned to the Shah's presence, and having 
 remained with him a few minutes, they came out 
 and informed the Commander-in-Chief, it was 
 his Majesty's plea&ure that the ceremony should 
 be postponed until three o'clock the same 
 afternoon. The reason assigned for this al- 
 teration was understood to be an augury pro- 
 nounced by his Majesty's priests or soothsayers, 
 that the hour was unpropitious, an opinion in 
 which the troops devoutly concurred, the 
 prospect of broiling for several liours under a 
 meridian sun not being extremely agreeable. 
 
 At the appointed hour the troops were 
 again under arms, and salvoes of artillery an- 
 nounced the Shah's departure from his tent. 
 His Majesty was, as usual, borne on an ele- 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 161 
 
 pliant, the howdah of which was of silver, and 
 the caparisons crimson and gold. On each 
 side of him sat Sir William Mc Naghten and 
 Sir Alexander Burnes, the former attired in 
 the same court dress which he had worn at 
 Candahar. His Majesty appeared in excellent 
 health and spirits, and addressed much of his 
 conversation to Sir Alexander Burnes, who 
 seemed to be hiG;h in his favour. The Shah's 
 costume was, as usual, magnificent, his turban 
 being ornamented with a single diamond, whose 
 value was estimated at £100,000. Immediately 
 after came six elephants, containing the minis- 
 ters and household of the Shah, and then fol- 
 lowed the Commander-in-Chief, with the whole 
 of the genei'al officers and staff in brilliant 
 uniforms, and decorated with their various 
 orders. The next feature in the procession, 
 and a ludicrous one it was, was the appearance 
 of two burly-looking fellows, dressed in red 
 and yellow, and wearing conical caps, out of 
 
162 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 which shot two large horns. We at first sup- 
 posed they were his Highness's jesters, 
 but instead of that they turned nut to be his 
 executioners, functionaries far more essential 
 to the comfort of an Asiatic prince. The 
 Shah's troops, consisting of two thousand in- 
 fantry, brought u\) the rear, our own lining the 
 route along which the procession passed. On 
 approaching the city his Highness was received 
 with loud acclamations by the populace, who 
 gave expression to their satisfaction in barbar- 
 ous music and salvoes of small fire arms- Many 
 of the houses were decorated with flowers, and 
 the windows were crowded with spectators. At 
 the entrance, and in the courts of the palace, was 
 stationed a body of about 250 horsemen, whose 
 steel armour and splendid horses gave them a 
 martial and imposing appearance. They re- 
 ceived us with stern and scowling looks, which 
 plainly indicated that their hearts were not in 
 the ceremony which they were compelled to 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 163 
 
 sanction by their presence. On the Shah's 
 entrance into the palace he hekl a durbar, at 
 which all the British officers were presented to 
 him, and his Majesty took the opportunity of 
 expressing to them individually and collectively 
 his thanks for the exertions which they had 
 made to replace him on his throne. 
 
 We had several reviews of the troops during 
 our stay at Cabul, and on each occasion we 
 were honoured by the Shah's presence. In order 
 to give his Highness some notion of an English 
 horse race, it was agreed that the officers 
 should get up sweepstakes amongst themselves, 
 which the Shah no sooner heard of, than he 
 added a splendid gold hilted s.vord with Da- 
 mascus blade. This increased the spirit of 
 competition, and the Derby or Oaks was 
 never looked forward to with more eager 
 interest. The place selected for the course 
 was a level plain immediately beyond our 
 lines, and about a mile and a half from the city. 
 
164 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 From sixteen to twenty horses belonging to 
 the officers of the different regiments were 
 entered for the sword, and it was resolved that 
 three heats should be run for it, the first six 
 horses of the first heat being privileged to run 
 the second, and the third heat being limited to 
 the first and second horses of the second heat. 
 It was agreed that the sweepstakes, Avhich 
 amounted to a considei'able sum, should be 
 divided into three parts, for the different breeds 
 and ages of cattle so as to prolong the sport for 
 three or four days. 
 
 Six o'clock in the evening being the time 
 fixed for the commencement of the races, the 
 course became crowded, long before that hour, 
 with anxious spectators, the natives not being 
 amongst the least eager lookers on at this, to 
 them, novel scene. The Shah took up his 
 position near the winning post, attended by 
 the Politicals, and the Commander-in-Chief, 
 but his Majesty did not appear to take much 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 165 
 
 interest in the sport, and he left the course 
 before it was half over. 
 
 The officers rode their own horses and turned 
 out in gay striped jackets and jockey caps ; 
 so that but for the dark faces and turbaned 
 heads which every where encountered the eye 
 it would not have been difficult to imagine 
 ourselves suddenly transported to Ascot or 
 Epsom. The word having been given, away 
 started the competitors in high blood and 
 spirits ; and as the rider belonging to some 
 particular regiment passed the others in his 
 career, the men composing it enthusiastically 
 cheered and hurraed him, others taking up 
 their shouts as their favourite passed him in 
 turn, this military favouritism imparting to the 
 contest a degree of wild excitement such as I 
 have never witnessed on any similar occa- 
 sion. 
 
 The second heat was still more warmly 
 contested, as, according to the regulations 
 
166 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 above mentioned only the two foremost horses 
 could be entered for the third. Major Daly 
 of the -itli Light Dragoons, and an officer of 
 the 16th Lancers, whose name I now forget, 
 obtained the precedence, after a hard struggle, 
 the race being a neck and neck one the entire 
 way. 
 
 As the two successful officers belonged to 
 different divisions, one to the Bengal and the 
 other to the Bombay army, the partizanship 
 which before had been only regimental now 
 extended to the two armies, and " Bravo 
 Bengal," " Bravo Bombay," burst at every 
 moment from the eager multitudes assembled, 
 as the riders alternately passed or repassed 
 each other in the final heat. 
 
 After a contest in which the competitors 
 themselves almost appeared to feel the influence 
 which pervaded the crowd, and to think that 
 the honor of their respective divisions depended 
 upon their success. Major Daly gained the race 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 167 
 
 by about Ji neck, and was handed the sword 
 amid the delighted cheers of the Bombay troops 
 and the cono;ratulations of his brother officers. 
 The races continued two days longer, and 
 afforded a pleasant recreation to the men after 
 the fatiguing and hai-assing duties of the last 
 few months. 
 
 Brigadier General Arnold of the army of the 
 Indus, having been long suffering under a liver 
 complaint, breathed his last at Cabul shortly 
 after our arrival there. This officer was dis- 
 tinguished for his qualities as a hon vivant, and 
 having laid in a good store of necessaries for 
 tlie campaign, was the only one almost who 
 fared well amidst the general privations. He 
 kept an excellent table along the route, and an 
 invitation to it, was always regarded as 
 amongst the lucky chances by which fortune 
 signified her favour. Good living could 
 not however protect the General against disease, 
 and he fell ill at Candahar of a malady which 
 
168 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 is often said to be the result of it. He was 
 carried from Candahar to Cabiil in a palankeen, 
 and took no part whatever in the events which 
 occurred between those places. His remains 
 were interred in the Armenian burial ground, 
 outside the walls of the city, and his eifects 
 were publicly sold by auction a few days after. 
 The General had left Bengal with about eighty 
 camels laden with baggage and necessaries, of 
 which about five and twenty remained at the 
 time of the sale. His trunks were filled with 
 quantities of plate, a goodly provision of snuff 
 and cigars, and such an immense stock of linen 
 that it occupied two days of the sale. His cook- 
 ing apparatus was most elaborate and ingenious, 
 and we could not help wondering at the uses to 
 which the infinite varieties of small and curious 
 articles of which it was composed were devoted. 
 The prices at which these eifects were sold will 
 appear incredible to the European reader, but 
 it must be remembered that it was the scarcity. 
 
IN AFFGIIANISTAN. 169 
 
 in fact the almost total Impossibility of getting 
 them, that enhanced their value. The cigars 
 sold at the rate of about two shillings and six 
 pence each, the snuff at ten shillings an ounce, 
 a few bottles of beer, a liquor of which no 
 other officer in the army possessed a drop, at 
 thirty shillings each, and some choice wines at 
 from three to four pounds the bottle. The 
 other things brought proportionate prices, the 
 shirts fetching from thirty to forty slullings 
 each. The amount realised at this sale must 
 have been enormous. 
 
 Prince Tiraour, the eldest son of Shah 
 Soojah, arrived at Cabul early in September, 
 escorted by the troops of Runjeet Singh. We 
 expected to find the Sikhs an undisciplined 
 horde of barbarians, but they turned out on the 
 contrary to be nearly as well organized as our- 
 selves, being disciplined by French officers, and 
 marching with tiie same order and regularity 
 as a Kuropean regiment. Each division was 
 
 L 
 
170 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 headed by un excellent military band and offi- 
 cered by the same number of grades as ourselves. 
 The men were in general about the middle 
 height, and not so muscular or well formed as 
 the Aifghans. They are made, however, of the 
 right material for the soldier, being brave, or- 
 derly, and tractable, and though they may be 
 considered in some respects inferior to the Euro- 
 pean troops, they are in my opinion, equal if not 
 superior, to the Sepoys. A detachment con- 
 sistino' of the 4th Lio'ht Drao;oons, the 16th 
 Lancers, and her Majesty's Queen's Royals, 
 under tlie command of Major- General Sir 
 Thomas Wiltshire, Avas despatched to receive 
 the Prince with fitting honors. He Avas met at 
 a short distance from the town by the British 
 escort, and conducted to the palace amid salvoes 
 of Artillery. The Prince was a fine youth 
 about one or two and twenty, with a frank 
 expression of countenance and affable man- 
 ners. TliC meeting between him and his royal 
 
 J 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 171 
 
 father was said to be extremely affecting, and 
 the Prince was unceasing in his expressions of 
 gratitude to the British for bringing about this 
 happy reunion. 
 
 Large supplies of arrack, biscuits, aud rice, 
 together with money to pay the troops, having 
 been promised from the Upper Provinces, their 
 arrival was looked forward to with some 
 anxiety in the camp, as we could not leave 
 Cabul without them. Information was at 
 lensrth received that Colonel Herring was on 
 his way through the Punjaub, and after a 
 tedious aud harassing journey, in which he had 
 to encounter frequent opposition to his progress 
 from the mountain tribes, he at length reached 
 Hyder Khail within one day's march of Cabul. 
 Hiding out alone next morning, for the purpose 
 of inspecting the country, the Colonel was set 
 upon by a body of Aifghans and barbarously 
 murdered, his body being plundered of every 
 article of Vrilue he had about him, and his horse 
 carried off. His mutilated remains were found 
 L 3 
 
172 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 in the course of the day by some troopers, who 
 had been sent out in search of him, and brought 
 to Cabul along with the stores, which reached 
 that place in safety the same night. He was 
 interred with military honours in the Armenian 
 l)iu'ial-ground, on the following day. The 
 deceased had been long in the service, and was 
 a gallant and experienced officer. We heard 
 that his murderers were captured shortly after 
 we left Cabul, and put to a dreadful death, by 
 order of the Shah. 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 173 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 Institution of the Order of the Doorannee Empire. — Murder 
 of a Private of the 13th Light Infantry. — Departure from 
 Cabul. — Return to Ghuznee. — Accident to the Revd. ^Ir. 
 Pigot. — Discovery of the Skeletons of Britisli Soldiers. — 
 Horse-steaks. — Treachery of some Ghiljie Chiefs and destruc- 
 tion of their Fort. — Adventure of a Dragoon. — Loss of a 
 Cook. 
 
 In order to testify his gratitude towards the 
 British, the Shah resolved to institute an order 
 of merit, to be called the order of the Doorannee 
 Empire, and to confer its respective grades 
 upon three classes of officers, namely, Generals, 
 
174 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 Brigadier Generals, and Field Officers. A 
 durbar having been summoned, at which the 
 jMinisters of State, the Politicals, and a number 
 of British Officers were present, a chapter of 
 the order was held, and his Majesty, as 
 Sovereign, invested the Commander-in-Chief, 
 several general and field officers, and the Poli- 
 ticals with the decoration, which consisted of 
 a sort of Maltese cross with a jewel in the 
 centre. His Majesty was also pleased to ex- 
 press his desire that every officer, non-commis- 
 sioned officer, and private soldier in the army 
 should receive a silver medal, commemorative 
 of the campaign, and for this purpose placed a 
 large sum of money at the disposal of Sir John 
 Keane. The Queen's sanction has been ob- 
 tained to the measure, but the medal has not 
 as yet been issued. 
 
 Leave had been given by the officers in com- 
 mand of the different regiments to men entering 
 the town to carry their side arms, as a pro- 
 tection in case of chance collision with the 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 175 
 
 Inhabitants. The facility of obtaining intoxi- 
 cating liquors rendered this a contingency of 
 not unlikely occurrence, and our men soon got 
 themselves into unpleasant and in some in- 
 stances dangerous scrapes. On one occasion, a 
 private of the 13th Light Infantry having been 
 drinking rather freely, forced himself into the 
 apartments of the wife of a respectable inhabi- 
 tant. Proceeding to offer her some violence, 
 her screams alarmed the neighbourhood, and 
 the soldier was soon surrounded by a host of 
 angry husbands and fathers, armed with every 
 description of weapon. He defended himself with 
 his bayonet for some time, contenting himself 
 with merely parrying their blows, and had 
 fought his way into the street, when he 
 was met by several others of the townspeople, 
 who set upon the unfortunate fellow and in- 
 stantly despatched him. They secreted the 
 body until night-fall, and then threw it outside 
 the walls of the town, where it was discovered 
 next morning. 
 
176 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 It having been determined that early in 
 September part of the forces should set out on 
 their return homeward, the choice fell upon 
 her Majesty's 17th Foot, the 2nd or Queen's 
 Royals, one Company of Foot Artillery, a 
 detachment of the 4th Light Dragoons, the 1st 
 regiment of Bombay Light Cavalry, and two 
 troops of Bombay Horse Artillery, the whole 
 under tho command of Major General Sir 
 Thomas Wiltshire. It Avould naturally be 
 supposed that after so long an absence from 
 quarters, we hailed this intimation with some- 
 thing like pleasure, but such was far from 
 being the fact. We had rioted in profusion 
 and luxury, and did not relish the idea of 
 again encountering the privations of the long 
 and dreary route which lay between us and 
 India. Added to this we had seen but little 
 of actual fighting, and the promotions had been 
 consequently few. 
 
 Promotion and prize money are the all en- 
 grossing subjects of a soldier's ambition, and 
 
IN AFPGHANISTAN. 177 
 
 this speedy return put an end at once to our 
 long cherished hopes. We well knew that the 
 restless and turbulent spirit of the AfFghan 
 Chiefs would not permit them to remain long 
 in subjection to Shah Soojah, and that there 
 would consequently be more work for the 
 British troops. Regret and envy of our more 
 fortunate comrades were therefore the pre- 
 dominant feelings which pervaded nearly the 
 whole of the departing troops. 
 
 We left Cabul on the 14th of September, 
 and arrived at Ghuznee, the scene of our for- 
 mer exploits, after eight days' march, during 
 which nothing worthy of mention occurred. 
 It is astonishing how soon the traces of war 
 disappear, and the living gaps caused by its 
 ravages are filled up. The fortress appeared 
 as perfect in its outline as if tlie hand of the 
 destroyer had not recently passed over it, new 
 sates havinec been substituted for those which 
 had been damaged, and the breach immediately 
 L 5 
 
178 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 above them re-filled witli masonry. The in- 
 habitants of the bazaar had resumed their 
 accustomed occupations, and scolded, and chaf- 
 fered, and jested, and laughed, as if they had 
 neither lost relatives nor friends, nor dabbled 
 through mire freshly reeking with their blood. 
 Familiarity, they say, breeds contempt and 
 blunts the feelings, and the Asiatic, before 
 whose eyes such scenes pass almost daily, thinks 
 of them only as the immutable deci'ces of fate, 
 which cannot be shunned, and ought not to be 
 repined at. 
 
 The sick and wounded, of whom we had 
 left numbers at Ghuznee, had almost all died, 
 and were interred in an open space selected for 
 the purpose outside the walls of the fortress. 
 The last resting-place of our brave fellows is 
 situated at the foot of one of the adjacent 
 mountains, but neither stone nor inscription 
 indicates the spot. 
 
 The Bengal regiment of Native Infantry, 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 179 
 
 whom we found in garrison at Ghuznee on our 
 return, and whom we left after us, appeared to 
 be quite as well reconciled to their quarters 
 as we were at Cabul, although tlie two 
 places appeared to me vastly different in point 
 of health and comfort. The majority of the 
 inhabitants regarded the troops with a sort of 
 sullen indifference, but the trading classes 
 seemed civil enough. The quantities of fish 
 and game with which the neighbourhood 
 abounded, aflbrded the officers a readv means of 
 dissi]>ating their time, and we would have been 
 well content to have remained here. Orders 
 were however given that we should pur,riue our 
 route, and we left Ghuznee on the 25th of 
 September, after a st^iy of only two or three 
 days. 
 
 Instead of diver"i;inG: to the right towards 
 Candahar, we took the direct route to Quettah, 
 over the Ghiljie hilh^. The weather had 
 
180 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 become intensely cold, and the rivers and 
 streams were covered with ice, several inches in 
 thickness. The Rev. Mr. Pigot, our chaplain, 
 happened to be crossing one of them on a pony, 
 when the ice gave wav with his weight, and 
 the worthy clergyman was immersed in the 
 water. The stream was not, however, so deep 
 as to occasion any alarm for his safety, and 
 he was speedily rescued from his embarrasment, 
 with no other inconvenience than being kept 
 shivei'ino; several hours in his wet clothes, his 
 baggage being at a considerable distance in ad- 
 vance. The rascally native who preceded us as 
 guide grinned maliciously, and told him that 
 if he had not forgotten to ssiy his prayers 
 setting out the accident would not have hap- 
 pened. 
 
 On encamping, at the close of the first day's 
 march, from Ghuznee, some soldiers belonging 
 to the 17th Infantry and Queen's Royals, went 
 out in search of water, and met with a draw 
 
In affguanistan. 181 
 
 well, which proved to be dry. One of them 
 descended in order to examine it more closely, 
 and an exclamation of horror escaped him 
 as he reached the bottom. On his com- 
 panions enquiring the occasion of it, they 
 learned that he had fallen upon several skele- 
 tons, the identity of which with some soldiers 
 we had lost on the route upwards was placed 
 beyond doubt by fragments of military clo- 
 thing and regiuicutul buttons which lay scat- 
 tered about. Singular to relate, a lark had 
 built its nest in one of the skulls, and was 
 found innocently reposing with its young in 
 this curious receptacle. 
 
 The annoyances to which wc had been sub- 
 jected during our route upwards, from the 
 thieving system of warfare pursued by the 
 Atfghans, seemed now at an end. Our road 
 lay through bleak and desolate hills, where 
 only a solitary, and timid mountaineer was 
 occasionally to be seen. Numerous rivers and 
 
182 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 streams traversed this wild country in every di- 
 rection, and relieved us from all apprehensions 
 on the score of water. Provisions were also 
 plentiful, as the Commissariat had taken care 
 to lay in sufficient supplies, and the only in- 
 convenience which we might be said to have 
 experienced was the severe cold of the nights. 
 The bai'ren nature of the country rendered 
 fuel difficult of obtainment, and the conse- 
 quence was that numbers of the troops were 
 carried off by dysentery. 
 
 The march from Ghuznee to Quettah occu- 
 pied about five weeks, and we thought we 
 should never reach the end of these long chains 
 of hills. Always ascending and descending 
 heights of no inconsiderable elevation, the 
 horses became regularly knocked up with 
 fatigue, and we were obliged to shoot numbers 
 of them on the way. 
 
 In a recess in one of these hills, I one day 
 came upon a singular scene. About nine or 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 183 
 
 ten of the natives were assembled around a 
 dead horse and while part of them were cut- 
 ting steaks from his haunches, the others were 
 eno-ajred cookin<2; them. Revoltino; as such a 
 sight is to European stomachs, I have seen the 
 time when, on our march upwards, I could 
 have [lartaken of these same horse steaks with 
 infinite relish. 
 
 A few days before our arrival at Quettah, 
 we requited an atrocious act of treachery, 
 which liad been committed towards us by some 
 Ghiljie cljiefs, with the punishment it richly 
 merited. About one hundred camel drivers, 
 who had left us at Candahar, on our way to 
 Cabul, for the purpose of returning home- 
 wards, took their route over the hills we were 
 now crossing in order to shorten the journey. 
 They were met by the Ghiljies with profes- 
 ^iuns of friendship, and seduced into a moun- 
 tain fort under the pretence of hospitality. 
 Thcv had no sooner entered its walls than 
 
184 SCENES AND ADVEN TU:aES 
 
 their throats were all cut, and their bodies 
 flung into deep wells for the purpose of con- 
 cealing the massacre from the eyes of the 
 British. 
 
 Information of the fact having been received, 
 Sir Thomas Wiltshire despatched a Squadron 
 of her Majesty's' 4th Light Dragoons, two 
 companies of Native Infantry, and two pieces 
 of artillery to raze the fortress to the ground. 
 The cavalry started at two o'clock in the 
 morning, and after a hard gallop of eighteen 
 miles we arrived in front of the Ghlljie strong 
 hold. It was a small but strongly constructed 
 fortress, situated on the brow of a steep de- 
 clivity and defended by strong wooden gates. 
 The entrance was commanded by an old iron 
 carronade, and a number of loopholes for the 
 discharge of musketry. Not a living soul was 
 to be seen on the walls, and fearing some 
 artifice, ISIajor Daly, our commanding officer, 
 resolved to suspend operations until the artil- 
 
 -JT 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 185 
 
 lery came up. As soon as the latter made its 
 appearance, and the guns were placed in a po- 
 sition to command the fort, Major Daly or- 
 dered part of the cavalry to dismount and 
 proceed with loaded carbines to the gate, under 
 cover of their fire. No opposition was, how- 
 ever offered to us, the enemy having fled to 
 the mountains, and the gates were forced open 
 in a few minutes. 
 
 The only inhabitants we found in the place 
 were a few women and children, but we 
 discovered quantities of the richest silks and 
 carpets, beside arms and money (consisting 
 principally of silver coins) the fortress being a 
 sort of depot for the booty obtained by these 
 highland marauders. 
 
 One of the cavalry having entered a dwelling 
 in search of plunder, was suddenly seized 
 by two or three Ghiljies, who unexpectedly 
 made their appearance tlirough a sort of trap, 
 with which almost every house in the fort was 
 furnished. They placed a bajidage over his 
 
186 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 eyes, and were in the act of passing a rope 
 round his arms, when the timely approach of 
 some of his comrades saved him from being 
 carried off as a prisoner, the enemy disappear- 
 ing through the trap the moment they heard 
 the noise of their footsteps at the entrance. 
 The troopers would have willingly pursued 
 them, but the depth and darkness of the sub- 
 terraneous passage convinced them it was 
 something more than a mere cellar, and they 
 knew that if they once got involved in its 
 windings they would be completely at the mercy 
 of the enemy. It is probable that these passages 
 had outlets without the walls, and that it was 
 through them the enemy made their escape at 
 the first news of our approach, the suddenness 
 and quickness of our movements preventing 
 them from taking their valuables with them. 
 There was also abundance of cattle and grain, 
 of which we brought off large supplies to the 
 camp. Orders having been given to the Artil- 
 lery to blow up the fortress, the women and 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 187 
 
 children were sent out of it, and at five o'clock 
 the same day the walls were breached, so as to 
 render them completely useless, and the houses 
 fired in all directions. After remaining to sec 
 that the work of destruction was complete, we 
 (quitted the place at three o'clock in the morn- 
 ino-, and arrived the same day at the encamp- 
 ment. The enemy were not entirely without 
 their revenge, for, following on our footsteps, 
 and watching us closely, they contrived to carry 
 off the cook, and three camels laden with the 
 cooking utensils of the squadron, a loss which 
 was severely felt, and by some thought ill com- 
 pensated by the booty we had obtained. 
 
188 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 Arrival at Quettah. — Storming of the Fortress of Khelat. — 
 Suicide of a Trooper belonging to the Horse Artillery. — 
 Departure from Quettah. — The Bholun Pass. — Dadur. — 
 Bagh.— Breaking out of the Cholera. — Death of Doctor 
 Forbes.— Shikarpoor. —-Death of Captain Ogle. — Sukkur- 
 Bukkur.— Death of Lieutenant Janvrin.— Wedding Cere- 
 monies of the Natives.— Breaking up of the Bombay Column. 
 — Departure of Brigadier Ccott.— Boar Hunt.— Larkhana. — 
 Sehwan. — Kurrachee. — Feast of the IMohurrum. — Embarka- 
 tion and Arrival at Bombay. 
 
 We reached Quettah on the 29th of October, 
 and the army separated into two divisions 
 there, one to proceed by the fortress of Khelat, 
 to punish the Khan for the treacherous trick 
 which he had played us on our way up, and the 
 other to return homeward through the Bholun 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 189 
 
 Pass. The force destined for military operations 
 against Khelat consisted of her Majesty's 2nd 
 or Queen's Royals, her Majesty's 17th regiment 
 of Foot, the 35 th Bengal Native Infantry, one 
 company of Foot Artillery, one troop of Horse 
 Artillery, with the Poona Irregular Horse, the 
 whole under the command of Major-General 
 Sir Thomas Wiltshire. As my detachment 
 was not included in this expedition, owing to 
 the fatigued condition of the horses, and the 
 difficulty of procuring forage on the route, I 
 can only describe the storming of Khelat from 
 the reports of those who were present at it. 
 
 The fortress of Khelat was very little inferior 
 to Ghuznee in point of strength, being defended 
 by strong breastworks and mounted with 
 large cannon. The garrison consisted of from 
 twelve to fourteen hundred men, and there was 
 abundance of provisions and ammunition in the 
 place. After reconnoitring its position Sir 
 Thomas Wiltshire resolved on carrying it by 
 storm, and the affair was a short but brilliant 
 
190 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 one. A battery was erected on one of the 
 neishbourino; beiglits, and a well directed fire 
 soon brought the gates down. The stormers 
 then rushed up the causeway under cover of 
 our guns ; but before they bad reached the 
 gateway, a heavy fire from the loopholes of the 
 fortress killed from twenty to thirty of our 
 troops, amongst whom was Lieutenant Gravatt, 
 who was gallantly leading them on. A despe- 
 rate hand to hand fight then ensued, the enemy 
 resisting in dense masses, and disputing every 
 inch of ground ; but our men carried all before 
 them, at the point of the bayonet, and drove 
 the enemy into the interior of the fortress, 
 where they were headed by the Khan himself. 
 The old Chieftain fought with desperation and 
 though frequently offered quarter, indignantly 
 refused to accept it. He and the followers by 
 whom he was surrounded were all bayonetted 
 on the spot, and in about four hours the whole 
 of the fortress was in the possession of our 
 troops. In the immediate vicinity of the place 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 191 
 
 where the Khan was killed, a shocking spectacle 
 presented itself. His favorite women, about 
 twelve or fourteen in number, lay heaped 
 together in a pool of blood, their throats 
 having been cut by order of the Khan, to pre- 
 vent their falling into our hands. A large 
 quantity of treasure, consisting of specie and 
 jewels, was found in the citadel, and had the 
 Cavalry been present more would have fallen 
 into the hands of our troops, as the enemy 
 were observed despatching it to the hills, on 
 camels, through one of the back gates, during 
 the heat of the assault. Amongst the various 
 effects which were captured on this occasion 
 were several boxes of arms and accoutrements, 
 which had been plundered from us on our way 
 to Cabul, and a telescope and some books, 
 which had belonged to one of our officers. 
 Cattle and grain were also found in great 
 abundance, and proved of no small service to 
 the division, on its route homeward, through 
 
192 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 the Gundava pass. The fortress was completely 
 dismantled before the departure of the troops, 
 and the Chiefs and other prisoners liberated on 
 promising allegiance to the Shah. 
 
 Amongst the residents whom we found at 
 Quettah on our arrival was a Bombay Parsee, 
 who had ventured up to that place with sup- 
 plies, consisting of tea, sugar, hams, brandy, 
 beer, wines, and other necessaries. To the 
 soldier as well as the officer these articles were 
 a welcome treat, and having plenty of money 
 to purchase them we soon exhausted the stores of 
 the enterprising trader who had reason to con- 
 o;ratulate himself on the successful issue of his 
 trip. 
 
 The morning previous to our departure a 
 suicide occurred under circumstances which gave 
 rise to the suspicion that the wretched perpetra- 
 tor of it intended to have preluded it by the 
 crime of murder. A trooper belonging to the 
 Horse Artillery was placed under arrest for 
 
IN AFFOUANISTAN. 193 
 
 Bome trifling neglect of duty, and as soon as he 
 was liberated be took a loaded pistol and went 
 directly to the tent of the adjutant of his corps 
 who had fortunately quitted it a few minutes 
 before. The disai)pointed trooper returned to 
 his lines and immediately blew his own brains • 
 out. 
 
 We left Qucttah on the 1st of November, 
 about nine o'clock at night, taking with us the 
 sick who had been left behind on our way to 
 Cabul, and who were now sufficiently restored 
 to proceed homeward. In consequence of the 
 scarcity of water on the route we were obliged 
 to make a forced march of eight and twenty 
 miles, and reached the entrance to the Bholun 
 Pass at six o'clock the next niornin"'. AVe 
 entertained a lively i'ecollection of the recep- 
 tion we had met with on our former passage 
 through this defile, and now felt some misgiv- 
 ings that we should not be allowed to retrace 
 our steps without a repetition of the favours 
 
 M 
 
194 SCENES AND ADVENTUIIES 
 
 Avhich were then so liberally showered upon 
 us. To our great o-ratification and content- 
 ment, however, the Belochees oftered us no 
 sort of obstruction, and could they have facili- 
 tated our progress through their country, 
 would, I have little doubt, been well inclined 
 to do so. We occasionally caught glimpses of 
 them watching our movements at a respectful 
 distance, but they never ventured within musket 
 shot during the whole of our passage. We 
 lost two or three men from sickness before we 
 cleared the defile, and found it almost impossi- 
 ble to inter them from the stony nature of the 
 strata with which the whole of this district is 
 covered. 
 
 (Quitting the Bholun we proceeded to Dadur, 
 and thence to Bagh, through a jungle abound- 
 ing with every sort of game, but more particu- 
 larly deer and wild boar. Tlic troops made 
 their way with considerable difficulty through 
 the intricacies of this entangled route, the 
 
IN AFFCIIANISTAN. 1^ 
 
 pioneers being in constant requisition to clear 
 a passage for them. 
 
 On the 24th of November wc arrived at 
 Bagh, a village situated at the Cabul side of 
 the desert, elsewhere described. The place 
 consists of a few miserable huts, surrounded by 
 fields of joharra, and containing only one tank 
 of stagnant water. Doctor Forbes, of the 1st 
 Light Cavalry, an officer universally esteemed 
 for his benevolence, hearing that the 
 Natives were dying in numbers of the 
 cholera, immediately hastened to the village 
 to tender his services. He was seized by the 
 epedemic, and returned to his quarters in a 
 dyino- state. The unfortunate gentleman ex- 
 pired in a few hours afterwards, and was 
 interred the same day. Five or six of the 
 European troops were attacked in like manner, 
 and were immediately hurried to the hospital 
 tents, where two of them died, but the others 
 struggled successfully against the disease. 
 M 3 
 
196 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 Brigadier Scott, taking alarm at these unequi- 
 vocal evidences of malaria, gave orders that 
 we should proceed across the desert without a 
 moment's delay, and we accordingly struck our 
 tents at four o'clock the same day, carrying our 
 sick along with us. On reaching the extremity 
 of the desert we found the 1st regiment of 
 Bombay Grenadiers, with a large convoy of 
 provisions and stores for the use of the army. 
 These supplies should have reached us at the 
 other side of the Bholun, but the escort had 
 been attacked by the cholera on the route, and 
 were obliged to remain stationary until the 
 disease had abated. We found them nearly all 
 convalescent and about to continue their route. 
 We took from them a stock of provisions, and 
 pursued our march. 
 
 We arrived at Shikarpoor with a gi'eat num- 
 ber of sick who had fallen ill of the epidemic 
 on the way, and it was resolved that we should 
 remain here a few days. Shikarpoor is a 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 197 
 
 large well built town, and contains two fine 
 mosques, several roofed bazaars, and two or 
 three lare;e manufactories. The British llesi- 
 dent has a fine house here, tlie gardens of which 
 are tastefully laid out in the European style. 
 Notwithstanding the clean looking appearance 
 of the town it is far from being healthy, and 
 from ten to twelve of our troops were daily 
 carried off by the cholera during our stay. 
 Amongst the number was Captain Ogle of the 
 4th Light Dragoons, who fell a victim to his 
 humanity in visiting the sick of his troop. 
 This lamented gentleman was only in his 
 thirtieth year, and was a great favourite witli 
 his corps. He was unfortunately a married 
 man, and had been looking forward with feel- 
 ings of eager anticipation to his reunion with 
 his family. Being of a buoyant and joyous 
 temperament, his loss was felt severely in the 
 circle of his brother ofllicers ; his ready jest 
 and imperturbable good humour rendering him 
 
198 SCENES AND AD VENTURES 
 
 the life and soul of the mess table. Captain 
 Ogle looked upon the private soldier as some- 
 thing more than a mere automaton placed at 
 his disposal, and whilst he had always a due 
 regard for the discipline of the service, he ex- 
 ercised the power entrusted to him with hu- 
 manity and judgment, the act in which he 
 lost his life being but the last of a countless 
 series of generous and disinterested offices 
 which he was in the habit of performing for 
 those under his command. Few men have left 
 behind them a memory so associated with 
 every thing that is valuable and estimable in 
 social and military life. 
 
 Leaving Shikarpoor, on the 27th of Novem- 
 ber, we arrived on the following day at Sukkur 
 Bukkur, a town situated on the banks of the 
 Indus, and having its citadel on a rock in the 
 centre of the river. The cholera rapidly dis- 
 appeared here ; but we sustained another loss in 
 the person of Lieutenant Janvrin, the acting 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 199 
 
 Quarter-Master of our detachment, who was 
 carried off by the small-pox. On the opposite 
 bank of the river lies Ilorce, a village remark- 
 able only for its manufactures, which consist 
 principally of silks. Several of us having 
 obtained leave to visit the place, we were 
 strolling through the bazaar, when we observed 
 preparations for a wedding in progress. Taking 
 up a position which enabled us to see what was 
 passing, without obtruding on the parties con- 
 cerned, we waited patiently until the ceremonies 
 commenced. At the expiration of about a 
 quarter of an hour the bridegroom made his 
 appearance in front of the house which con- 
 tained his betrothed, and both in person and 
 attire he was all that a native belle could have 
 desired. He was a fine, muscular looking 
 fellow of about seven or eight and twenty, 
 with handsome features and bold and jaunty air. 
 He was dressed in a loose robe, of spotless 
 white, and without an}' ornaments or weapons 
 
200 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 whatsoever. Proceeding directly to the door 
 of the house which contained his Dulcinea he 
 knocked at it three times with the knuckles of 
 his rio-ht hand and once with his left. He then 
 threw himself prostrate on a mat which had 
 been made for the purpose, by the lady's own 
 hands, and there waited her coming forth. The 
 door presently opened, and a number of mu- 
 sicians immediately struck up a wild and dis- 
 cordant air. A timid and pretty looking 
 maiden, about fourteen years of age, showily 
 dressed in different coloured silks, and orna- 
 mented with a nt)se ring and bangles of pure 
 gold, at length stepped forth, followed by her 
 relatives and friends, who formed themselves 
 iuto a circle around her. The bridegroom start- 
 ing to his feet made a formal claim to the hand 
 of his affianced and presented her Avith a 
 garland of flowers, which she gracefully threw 
 across her shoulders, in token that she accepted 
 him, and then suffered him to embrace her. 
 
IN AFFGIIANISTAN. 201 
 
 Lifting her in his arms he placed her on tlic 
 back of a donkey, and they went in procession 
 to pay visits of ceremony through the town, 
 the bride distributing sweetmeats to the crowd, 
 as she passed along. The bridegroom showered 
 his favours about in the form of some red 
 powder, which he flung in the faces of all near 
 him, and especially in those of the Europeans, 
 of whom there were a good many present. He 
 half ])lindcd some of us, and conferred as dark 
 a hue as his own upon others — freaks that ap- 
 peared to give infinite delight and amusement 
 to the natives, but which were not taken in 
 quite as good part by some testy fellows 
 amonjrst us. Ilavino; arrived at the house of 
 the bridegroom's father, the old gentleman 
 graciously descended, and taking the bride in 
 his arms, bore her into his dwelling. The 
 bridegroom remained a few minutes after them, 
 and flinning some cowries to the musicians and 
 
 M 5 
 
$02 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 crowd, he rtiade a salaam and darted in after 
 his inamorata. 
 
 We remained at Sukkur about six weeks, in 
 consequence of an order forwarded after us by 
 Sir William Mc Naghten. under the appre- 
 hension that our services would be again 
 wanted at Cabul. The Indus being navigable 
 up to the town, we had plentiful supplies of pro- 
 visions and other necessaries at moderate prices, 
 and felt tolerably satisfied with our quarters. 
 As to the probability of our having to return 
 to Cabul, the Cavalry felt at ease regarding 
 the rumours which prevailed, for they well 
 knew that the condition of their horses put 
 such a thing completely out of the question. 
 An order at length arrived that the various 
 brigades of the Bombav column should be 
 broken up, and that the troops composing them 
 should return to their respective quarters. 
 Brigadier General Scott, and his aides de camp, 
 accordingly left us by one of the first boats 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 203 
 
 which sailed clown the Indus for Bombay, and 
 we remained under the command of the officers 
 of our respective regiments. 
 
 We passed our time hunting in the jungles, 
 in the vicinity of the camp, or in fishing in the 
 river, both of which proved prolific sources of 
 amusement, I went out several times to chase 
 the wild boar, and on one of these occasions 
 the sport nearly proved fatal to me. Proceed- 
 ing with two of my comrades, and a native for 
 guide, through a dense and almost impenetrable 
 part of the jungle, we suddenly roused a huge 
 boar, which turned fiercely upon us, and made 
 directly at the nearest of its pursuers, which, 
 as chance would have it, happened to be me. He 
 had rac down on the earth in a twinkling, and 
 would have made short work of me had not a 
 well-directed shot from one of my compainons 
 struck him right between the eyes, and tum- 
 bled him lifeless on the ground. The man to 
 whom I owed my safety exhibited admirable 
 
204 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 coolness, and self-possession, for the slightest 
 deviation in hia aim would have sent the bullet 
 through me instead of the object for which it 
 was intended. It was with the greatest diffi- 
 culty we contrived to drag our prize into 
 camp, for he weighed no less than from twenty- 
 five to thirty stone, and supplied the troop 
 with pork chops until we were tired of them. 
 
 The importance of Sukkur as a military po- 
 sition cannot be exaggerated. It forms the 
 key to Scinde, and the Indus being navigable 
 up to the fortxess, its supplies do not depend 
 on season or circumstance. These advantages 
 have not been overlooked, for it has since 
 been retained in the possession of our troops, 
 and will always serve as a j)oint d'ajrpui in any 
 future operations we may undertake at that 
 side of the Indus. 
 
 After passing nearly six weeks at Sukkur, 
 we took the route to Larkhana along the right 
 bank of the Indus. The road lay, as before, 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 205 
 
 tlirougli a jungle, and the occasional glimpses 
 which we caught of the river through the 
 clearances gave a picturesque effect to the 
 scenery. We arrived at Larkhana on the 1 9th 
 of January, and remained there only one day. 
 Procecdinf!,' thence to Sehwan we reached the 
 latter place in about four days, and found a 
 gun boat belonging to the Hon. Company 
 lying at moorings in the river. We left 
 Sehwan on the following day, and taking a 
 farewell of the Kiver Indus we proceeded 1o- 
 wards the coast through a wild and deserted 
 district, in which we found neither villages nor 
 inhabitants. 
 
 Within one day's march of Kurrachce we 
 found a number of tombs richly sculptured 
 and covered with inscriptions from the Koran, 
 which were said to contain the remains of 
 some of the native princes. There being abun- 
 dance of excellent water here, and Kurracbee 
 having the reputation of not being extremely 
 
206 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 healthy, it ^Vas determined that we should 
 remained encamped here until the Khelat di- 
 vision formed a junction with us. It was not 
 till the end of February, however, that the 
 Khelat forces made their appearance, having 
 kept us waiting about five weeks, and on the 
 day after their arrival we marched into Kurra- 
 chee where we found her Majesty's 40th 
 regiment. 
 
 Kurrachee is situated on the Coast of Belo- 
 chistan, and its natural advantages entitle it to 
 the rank of a first rate sea-port town. It pos- 
 sesses a fine harbour, in which a seventy -four 
 gun ship may ride in safety, and which is pro- 
 tected by the batteries of the town, and the 
 guns of a fortress occupying an island about 
 midway between the mainland and the pro- 
 montory which forms the harbour. On our 
 arrival at Scinde, instructions had been for- 
 warded to Commodore Pepper, by the Com- 
 mander-in-Chief, to invest the place, and we 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 207 
 
 accordingly found it in possession of our troops 
 on our return. 
 
 The town is large but irregularly built, and 
 is suiTOundcd by walls and bastions, on which 
 we saw some pieces of cannon, but they were 
 of small calibre, and of the worst possible 
 construction. To the north of the town we 
 observed a supei'b banyan tree, which extended 
 its foliage to such a distance, that it formed a 
 pavilion capable of containing a small stone 
 mosque for the accommodation of a number of 
 Faquirs or priests. Of the many curious spe- 
 cimens of this class that I have met with in 
 Asia, I liavc seen none so utterly degraded 
 and isolated from every thing like humanity. 
 Their bodies were thickly coated over with 
 ashes and red paint, and their hair clotted with 
 filthy moisture. They were surrounded by 
 every sort of abomination, and howled and 
 Avhincd like a set of wild beasts. That they 
 had not reduced themselves to this savage 
 
208 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 state merely from fanaticism we had abundant 
 opportunities of discovering, for we saw the 
 inhabitants of Kurrachee daily pouring into 
 the temple with rich presents and offerings, 
 and propitiating their good will by sacrifices 
 of their most precious and valuable effects. 
 To the left of the Mosque lies a tank, or 
 reservoir, about fifty feet long by thirty broad, 
 in which we saw a number of live alligators, 
 which are carefully fed by the priests, and 
 held in the greatest possible veneration and 
 awe by the deluded votaries who repair 
 there. 
 
 The feast of the Mohurrum had commenced 
 a few hours before our arrival, but we were in 
 time to witness the greater part of it. A short 
 description of these singular rites may not be 
 uninteresting to the reader. A hole beino; duo; 
 in the ground to the depth of about six or eight 
 feet, fire is placed in it, and the devotees dance 
 round it, with the most extravagant exclama- 
 
IN AFFGIIANISTAN. 209 
 
 tions and gestures, some dashing square pieces 
 of iron or brass together, to add to the effect. 
 According: as one set of dancers becomes 
 fatigued they are rephiced by another, and thus 
 the ceremonies are kept up witliout intermission 
 from sunset to daybreak. When the moon is 
 at its full they march in procession to the 
 water's side, preceded by their Taboots, a sort 
 of fantastical temple, constructed of bamboo 
 and gilt paper. I have seen one of these 
 temples, at Poona, of such large dimensions 
 that it required an elephant to draw it, and 
 cost no less a sum than a thousand rupees. On 
 reaching the water's side the taboots are thrown 
 in and allowed to float away with the tide. 
 This concludes the ceremonies and the wearied 
 performers are glad to return to their homes. 
 
 On returning towards the lines, from the 
 Mohurrum, we saw a miserable looking wretch 
 squatted at the side of the road, who appeared 
 to be in deep affliction, for he was weeping 
 bitterly ami lamenting his hard fate. I ad- 
 
210 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 dressed him and inquired into the cause of his 
 grief. He told me tliat he had been induced to 
 become a convert to Christianity by one of 
 the missionaries, and had been thrust out of the 
 pale of social intercourse from the moment 
 the fact became known. He deplored his 
 having yielded to the arguments of the mis- 
 sionary, since they had debarred him from 
 participating in the religious ceremony which 
 had just terminated, its pomp and circumstance 
 having evidently made a deeper impression on 
 his imagination than his conviction. Vie gave 
 him some relief and passed on, when our 
 attention was again directed to him by one of our 
 companions, who had lingered behind. Several of 
 the natives had surrounded the poor convert, and 
 were spitting upon him, and loading him with 
 the vilest reproaches. We returned to the spot 
 and compelled them to leave him in peace. 
 
 Amongst the British whom we found on our 
 arrival at Kurrachce was Mr. Masson, the 
 author of an interestin2^ work on Aifghanistan, 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 211 
 
 which has been lately published. This gentle- 
 man had been originally a private soldier in the 
 Honourable Company's service, and had risen 
 through various grades to the profitable civil 
 employ which he at present holds. He ren- 
 dered some important services to the company, 
 for which they awarded him a pension of £100 
 a-ycar, and much to his credit he settled the 
 whole of it on his aged mother. 
 
 After remaining at Kurrachee about ten 
 days, the order was at length issued for the 
 embarkation of the Cavalry, which was now 
 limited to my own detachment. Upwards of 
 thirty pattemars were hired for the voyage, and 
 from twelve to fourteen men, and an equal 
 number of horses, were stowed in each. \Ye 
 had a quick and favourable passage, and arrived 
 at Bombay on the 10th of INIarch, after an 
 absence of nearly eighteen months. 
 
 THE END. 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 FROM THE DELHI GAZETTE EXTRAORINARY, 
 OCTOBER 1, 1842. 
 
 " The Kight Hon. the Govenor-General of 
 India having with the concurrence of the 
 Supreme Council, directed the assemblage of 
 a British force for service across the Indus, 
 his Lordship deems it proper to publish the 
 following exposition of reasons which have led 
 to this important measure. 
 
 " It is a matter of notoriety that the treaties 
 entered into by the British Government in the 
 year 1832 with the Ameers of Scindc, the 
 
226 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 Nawah of Bahawulpore, and Maharaja Runjeet 
 Singh, had for their object, by opening the 
 navigation of the Indus, to facilitate the exten- 
 sion of commerce, and to gain for the British 
 nation in Central Asia that legitimate influence 
 which an interchange of benefits would natu- 
 rally produce. 
 
 " With a view to invite the aid of the de facto 
 rulers of Affghanistan to the measures neces- 
 sary for giving full effect to those treaties, 
 Captain Burncs was deputed, towards the close 
 of the year 1836, on a mission to Dost Maho- 
 med Khan, chief of Cabul: the original 
 objects of that officer's mission were purely 
 of a commercial nature. 
 
 " Whilst Captain Burncs, however, was on his 
 journey to Cabul, information was received by 
 the Governor-General that the troops of Dost 
 Mahomed Khan had made a sudden and unpro- 
 voked attack on those of our ancient ally, 
 Maharaja Runjeet Singh. It was naturally to 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 227 
 
 be apprehended that his Highness the Maharaja 
 would not be slow to avenge this aggression, 
 and it was to be feared that the flames of war 
 being once kindled in the very regions into 
 which we were endeavouring to extend our 
 commerce, the peaceful and beneficial purposes 
 of the British Government would be altogether 
 frustrated. In order to avert a result so 
 calamitous, the Governor- General resolved on 
 authorising Captain Burnes to intimate to Dost 
 Mahomed Khan, that if he should evince a dis- 
 position to come to just and reasonable terms 
 with the Maharaja, his Lordship would exert 
 his good offices with his Highness for the 
 restoration of an amicable understanding be- 
 tween the two Powers. The Maharaja, with 
 the characteristic confidence which he has uni- 
 formly placed in the faith and friendship of the 
 British nation, at once assented toj the propo- 
 sition of the Governor-General, to the effect 
 
 N 
 
228 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 that in the mean time hostilities on his part 
 should be suspended. 
 
 " It subsequently came to the knowledge of 
 the Govenor-General that a Persian army was 
 besieging Herat ; that intrigues were actively 
 prosecuted throughout AfFghanistan, for the 
 purpose of extending Persian influence and 
 authority to the banks of, and even beyond, the 
 Indus : and that the Court of Persia had not 
 only commenced a course of injury and insult 
 to the officers of Her Majesty's mission in the 
 Persian territory, but had afforded evidence of 
 being engaged in designs wholly at variance 
 with the principles and objects of its alliance 
 with Great Britain. 
 
 " After much time spent by Captain Burnes 
 in fruitless negotiation at Cabul, it appeared 
 that Dost Mahomed Khan, chiefly in conse- 
 quence of his reliance upon Persian encourage- 
 ment and assistance, persisted, as respected his 
 misunderstanding with the Sikhs, in urging the 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 229 
 
 most unreasonable pretensions, such as the 
 Governor-Genenil could not, consistently with, 
 justice and his regard for the friendship of 
 Maharajah Runjeet Singh, be the channel of 
 submitting to the consideration of his High- 
 ness ; that he avowed schemes of aggrandize- 
 ment and ambition injurious to the security and 
 peace of the frontiers of India ; and that he 
 openly threatened, in furtherance of these 
 schemes, to call in every foreign aid which he 
 could command. Ultimately, he gave his 
 undisguised support to the Pei'sian designs in 
 AfFghanistan, of the unfriendly and injurious 
 character of which, as concerned the British 
 power in India, he was well apprised ; and by 
 his utter disregard of the views and interests of 
 the British Government compelled Captain 
 Burnes to leave Cabul without having effected 
 any of the objects of his mission. 
 
 " It was now evident that no further 
 inteference could be exercised by the British 
 N 3 
 
230 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 Government to bring about a good understand- 
 ing between the Sikh ruler and Dost Mahomed 
 Khan ; and the hostile policy of the latter 
 chief showed too plainly that so long as Cabul 
 remained under his government we could never 
 hope that the tranquillity of our neighbourhood 
 would be secured, or that the interests of our 
 Indian empire would be preserved inviolate. 
 
 " The Governor-General deems it in this 
 place necessary to revert to the siege of Herat 
 and the conduct of the Persian nation. The 
 siege of that city had now been carried on by 
 the Persian army for many months. The 
 attack upon it was a most unjustifiable and 
 cruel aggression, perpetrated and continued 
 notwithstanding the solemn and repeated re- 
 monstrances of the British Envoy at the Court 
 of Persia, and after every jast and becoming 
 offer of accommodation had been made and 
 rejected. The besieged have behaved with 
 gallantry and fortitude worthy of the justice of 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 231 
 
 their cause, and the Govenor-General would 
 yet indulge the hope that their heroism may 
 enable them to maintain a successful defence 
 until succours shall reach them from British 
 India. In the mean time the ulterior designs 
 of Persia, affecting the interests of the British 
 Government, have been by a succession of 
 events, more and more openly manifested. 
 The Governor-General has recently ascertained, 
 by an official despatch from Mr. M'Neil, Her 
 Majesty's Envoy, that his Excellency has been 
 compelled, by the refusal of his just demands, 
 and by a systematic course of disrespect adopted 
 towards him by the Persian Government, to 
 quit the court of the Schah, and to make a pubilc 
 declaration of the cessation of all intercourse 
 between the two Governments. The necessity 
 under which Great Britain is placed of regard- 
 ing the present advance of the Persian arms 
 into AfFghanistan as an act of hostility towards 
 herself, has also been officially communicated 
 
232 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 to the Scliah, under the express order of Her 
 Majesty's Government. 
 
 "^ The chiefs of Candahar (brothers of Dost 
 Mahomed Khan, of Cabul) have avowed their 
 adherence to the Persian policy, with the same 
 full knowledge of its opposition to the rights 
 and interests of the British nation in India, 
 and to have been openly assisting in the 
 operations against Herat. 
 
 •'• In the crisis of affairs consequent upon the 
 retirement of our Envoy from Cabul, the 
 Governor-General felt the importance of taking 
 immediate measures for arresting the rapid 
 progress of foreign intrigue and aggression 
 towards our own territories. 
 
 ^' His attention was naturally drawn, at this 
 conjuncture, to the position and claims of Schah 
 Sooja-ool-Moolk, a monarch who, when in 
 power, had cordially acceded to the measures 
 of united resistance to external enmity which 
 werQ at that time judged necessary by the 
 
IN AFFGIIANISTAN. 233 
 
 British Government, and who, on his empire 
 being usurped by its present rulers, had found 
 an honourable asylum in the British dominions. 
 " It had clearly been ascertained, from the 
 information furnished by the various officers 
 who have, visited Aftghanistan, that the Ba- 
 rukzye chiefs, from their disunion and unpopu- 
 larity, were ill-fitted, under any circumstances, 
 to be useful allies to the British Government, 
 and to aid us in our just and necessary measures 
 of national defence. Yet so long as they 
 refrained from proceedings injurious to our 
 interests and security, the British Government 
 acknowledged and respected their authority'. 
 But a different policy appeared to be now more 
 than justified by the conduct of those chiefs, 
 and to be indispensable to our own safety. 
 The welfare of our possessions in the East 
 requires that we should have on our western 
 frontier an ally who is interested in resisting 
 aggression and establishing tranquillity, in the 
 
234 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 place of chiefs ranging themselves in subser- 
 vience to a hostile Power, and seeking to 
 promote schemes of conquest and aggran- 
 disement. 
 
 " After a serious and mature deliberation, 
 the Governor-General was satisfied that pressing 
 necessity, as well as every consideration of 
 policy and justice, warranted us in espousing 
 the cause of Schah Sooja-ool-Moolk, whose 
 popularity throughout AfFghanistan had been 
 proved to his Lordship by the strong and 
 unanimous testimony of the best authorities. 
 Having arrived at this determination, The 
 Governor-General was further of opinion that 
 it was just and proper, no less from the position 
 of Maharaja Runjeet Singh, than from his 
 undeviating friendship towards the British 
 Government, that his Highness should have the 
 offer of becoming a party to the contemplated 
 operations. Mr. Macnaghten was accordingly 
 deputed in June last to the Court of his 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 235 
 
 Highness, and the result of his mission has 
 been tlie conclusion of a tripartite treaty by 
 the British Government, the Maharaja, and 
 Schah Sooja-ool-Moolk, whereby his Highness 
 is guaranteed in hia present possessions, and has 
 bound himself to co-operate for the restoration 
 of the Schah to the throne of his ancestors. 
 The friends and enemies of any one of the con- 
 tracting parties have been declared to be the 
 friends and enemies of all. Various points 
 have been adjusted which had been the subject 
 of discussion between the British Government 
 and his Highness the Maharaja, the identity 
 of whose interests with those of the hon. 
 Company has now been made apparent to all the 
 surrounding States. A guaranteed indepen- 
 dence will, upon favourable conditions, be 
 tendered to the Ameers of Scinde ; and the 
 integrity of Herat, in the possession of its 
 present ruler, will be fully respected ; whilst, by 
 the measures completed or in progress it may 
 N 5 
 
236 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 reasonably be hoped that the general freedom 
 and security of commerce will be promoted ; 
 that the name and just influence of the British 
 Government will gain their proper footing 
 among the nations of central Asia ; that 
 tranquillity will be established upon the most 
 important frontier in India, and that a lasting 
 barrier will be raised against hostile Intrigue and 
 encroachment. 
 
 " His Majesty Schah Sooja-ool-Moolk will 
 enter Affghanistan surrounded by his own 
 troops, and will be supported against foreign 
 interference and factious opposition by a British 
 army. The Governor-General confidently hopes 
 that the Schah will be speedily replaced on 
 his throne by his own subjects and adherents ; 
 and when once he shall be secured in power, 
 and the independence and integrity of Affgha- 
 nistan established, the British army will be 
 Avithdrawn. 
 
 " The Governor-General has been led to 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 237 
 
 tliese measures by the duty which is imposed 
 upon him of providing for the security of the 
 British Crown ; but he rejoices that iu the 
 discharge of his duty he will be enabled to 
 assist in restoring the union and prosperity of 
 the Affghan people. Throughout the approach- 
 ing operations British influence will be sedu- 
 lously employed to further every measure of 
 general benefit, to reconcile differences, to 
 secure oblivion of injuries, and to put an end 
 to the distractions by which, for so many years, 
 the welfare and happiness of the Affghans 
 have been impaired. 
 
 " Even to the chiefs whose hostile proceed- 
 ings have given just cause of offence to the 
 British Government, it will seek to secure 
 liberal and honourable treatment, on their ten- 
 dering early submission, and ceasing from op- 
 position to that course of measures which may 
 be judged the most suitable for the general 
 advantage of their country. 
 
238 SCENES AND ADVENTURES 
 
 " By order of the Eight Hon. the Governor- 
 General of India, 
 
 « W. H. MACNAGHTEN, 
 " Secretary to the Government of India, 
 " with the Governor-General. 
 
 '* NOTIFICATION 
 
 " With reference to the preceding declara- 
 tion, the following appointments are made ;— 
 
 " Mr. W. H. Macnaghten, secretary to 
 Government, wiU assume the functions of 
 Envoy and Minister, on the part of the Go- 
 vernment of India, at the Court of Schah 
 Sooja-ool-Moolk ; Mr. Macnaghten wiU be 
 assisted by the following officers : — 
 
 " Captain Alexander Burnes, of the Bombay 
 estabhshment, who will be employed under 
 Mr. Macnaghten's direction, as Envoy to the 
 chief of Khelat, or other states. 
 
IN AFFGHANISTAN. 239 
 
 " Lieutenant E. D'Arcy Todd, of the 
 Bengal Artillery, to be political assistant and 
 military secretary to the Envoy and JNIinister. 
 
 " Lieutenant Eldred Pottinger, of the Bom- 
 bay Artillery; Lieutenant R Leech, of the 
 Bombay Engineers ; Mr. P. B. Lord, of the 
 Bombay ISIedical Establishment, to be political 
 assistants to ditto ditto. 
 
 " Lieutenant E. R. ConoUy, of the 6th 
 Regiment Bengal Cavalry, to command the 
 escort of the Envoy and Minister, and to be 
 military assistant to ditto ditto. 
 
 " Mr. G. J. Beiwick, of the Bengal Medical 
 Establishment, to be surgeon to ditto ditto. 
 " W. II. MACNAGHTEN, 
 " Secretary to the Governor of India, 
 with the Governor-General." 
 
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