Part 1 (1/2)
Scenes and Adventures in Affghanistan
by Willia narrative is put forth with all the diffidence and apprehension that a mind unaccustomed to literary pursuits, and limited in its opportunities of i itself for the first tiarding the prudence of the step I have taken, are in no sree increased by the circumstances under which the work has been executed, the details having been entirely furnished from memory, and without the aid of any sort of data orsuch a task, had not the partiality of good natured, though perhapsfriends, overcame the scruples which a consciousness of my own deficiencies excited, and induced me to commit to paper the scenes hich they professed the candidly admitted the demerits of the work, I may now be allowed to say a feords in its favour Should it be taken up in the expectation of supplying ratification 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 allusion in the fear of adding to difficulties, which already appeared sufficiently for my little bark on a storhtforward narrative of a soldier,little for the conflicting interests or animosities of party With such a small amount of profession, it is not unreasonable to hope that the public will extend towards it soence hich it is ever wont to regard the literary efforts of the humbler classes
_London, December 10th, 1842_
AFFGHANISTAN
CHAPTER I
Proclamation of Lord Auckland--The Ghauts--Fatal Practical Joke--E at Bominacote--Review 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 Postler--Jurruk--Belochee Thefts--Feat of a Native Trooper
Towards the latter end of August 1838, rumours 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 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 proclae of an arth the intentions 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 which it professed, were the protection of our commerce, and the safety of our Indian frontiers, both of which weredetailed the steps taken by Dost Mahommed in furtherance of the views of that power, and expressed its conviction, that as long as Cabul reovernment there was no hope that the interests of our Indian empire would be preserved inviolate, the procla necessity, as well as every consideration of policy and justice, justified us in replacing on the throne of Afghanistan, Shah Sooja-ool-Moolk, a monarch hen in power, had cordially acceded to the ression which were at that tiovern usurped by its present rulers had found an honorable asylum in the British dominions Such in a feords 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 hich 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 ive 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 Majesty's 2nd, or Queen's Royals, the 17th regioons, the 1st regiht Cavalry, two troops of the Honorable Company's Horse Artillery, one coiular Horse, with the Sappers and Miners, the whole constituting an effective force of about 6,000 men, under the coht Dragoons were stationed at Kirkee, about 70 miles from Bombay, when orders arrived that the detachment should proceed to the Presidency, for the purpose of e for its destination We left our cantonments early in November, and overtook the Artillery, which had preceded us from 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, see people cautious Soaun 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 the it at the nearest soldier, jestingly threatened to shoot hiun went off and stretched his unfortunate co could equal the distress and rehtless 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 ro over stupendous th of about seven or eight miles Some beautiful country houses have been lately erected here by a wealthy Parsee of Bombay, on sites which cohbourhood These delightful summer retreats are surrounded by every luxurious accessory 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 15th of November, and found it a scene of busy excitement The streets were filled with troops and artillery proceeding to the place of embarkation, and the inhabitants flocked in thousands to the Bunder Head, to witness their departure The harbour was literally alive with the nu the troops to the different transports, while the blue Peter flying at the mast head of the latter announced that we had very little tily hurried down to the beach, and were ie We found it so crowded that Major Daly, our co officer, was compelled to remonstrate with the authorities on the subject, and after sohty men removed to the other vessels This did not sufficiently lessen the inconvenience to prevent sickness breaking out ast us, and we lost one of the Horse Artillery before ere e was short, but not unattended with danger The Cae struck on a sand bank, off the Gulf of Cutch, and it ith considerable difficulty that she was relieved from her perilous position We were kept on the bank about four hours, and it ree of alarst the landsers 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 trying a variety of experiet 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 siood will, and had the instant effect of loosening the vessel froain into deep water
We arrived off the mouth of the Indus in about fourteen days after our departure from Bombay The troops were immediately dise vessels peculiar to the country
We reached Bo without any other accident than the sinking of three boats, two containing artillery horses, and the 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 fire 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 hunting and fishi+ng Both e nature little covering being used by the for the loins common to the natives of these parts The proverbial vanity of the weaker sex was, however, displayed in the eagerness hich 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 the coadier Sir Thoadier Scott Previous to our departure the troops were reviewed by Lieutenant-General Sir John Keane, who had followed us from Bombay in the Victoria steamer Sir John expressed hih state of discipline and ardour of the ainst the ene 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 Bominacote, a loo 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 discovered Lieutenant Fyers, one of the officers ofdead in his tent, with a freshly discharged pistol in his right hand The unfortunate gentleman had placed thedirection, had passed out over the left ear For several days previous he had been observed to labour under great depression of spirits, but no ined for the fatal act His loss was generally laood officer and an estih a country barren in the extre any where to be , for as we advanced they fell back, deserting the villages and betaking the now near Christmas the men suffered some inconvenience fro sultry and the nights extremely cold The consequence was that the dysentery broke out ast us, and several fatal cases occurred
At the close of the third days' h 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 ensconced within the walls of that town, and appeared to have little disposition to leave thean to find the difference between quarters and caht it necessary to send out frequent reconnoitering parties and pickets, in order to guard against surprise
Early on theof the fifth day, we arrived at Tattah, a place of considerable antiquity, and, I believe, mentioned in Holy Writ The Indus for to soredient the course of the river has been coed, and it now runs at about fourfrom one of the most barren and desolate tracts of country that it is possible to iine, 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 s little more than a thousand inhabitants, who are for the ion The few Hindoos who reside here constitute the wealthier part of the trading community, but influential as this fact would pre-suppose thee of erecting places of worshi+p within the precincts of the town being not only denied theressions of the most wanton and tyrannical nature, andbarbarity, and having their origin solely in religious jealousy, are matters of no unfrequent occurrence here