Part 2 (1/2)
Sickness now increased alar 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 off, and the difficulties of the route increased at almost every step Water continued as scarce as ever, for the natives filled up or concealed part of the wells and poisoned the remainder Of the latter fact, we received intimation in tiarded the for day's march some soldiers of the 17th Infantry, who had set out in search of water, were unsuccessful and were bewailing 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 arrived at the conclusion that it was a well that had been freshly covered over Further examination 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 cauard with loaded muskets over it in order to keep back the pressure of the croho flocked to it
In the course of the next day's march we came upon a part of the road which was literally streith human skeletons and broken st us as to the occasion of this wholesale butchery, theto Candahar had been attacked and overpowered by one of thetribes of the district
CHAPTER V
The Khojuck Pass--Descent of the Troops--Shocking Death of a Cahan Thief--Loss of Cavalry Horses--Candahar--Arrival 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 Affghan Auxiliaries
We reached the Khojuck Pass in the expectation of finding it occupied by the forces of Dost Mahoeneral anticipation it was abandoned We learned that the Dost had visited the place a few days before, in company with several of his chiefs, when the prudence of disputing our passage was discussed Owing to sost the subordinate chiefs, the idea was abandoned, and the eneht have been the fate of the expedition but for this ie of its importance a brief description of the Pass will be necessary
Ascending an eained, froht Ied sides winds the narrow road, while a chasulph 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 calcould be finer than the viehich presented itself as our troops wound round the brow of this tre in the sun, and their unifor variety to the sober hues of the stunted herbage hich its sides were clad The Infantry, consisting of several coihts in order to protect the descent 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 unli them down the precipice, a task, as the reader may conceive, of no small labour and difficulty About half way down, a ca and was precipitated into the abyss with its conductor, and both were of course, immediately dashed to pieces
We reached the plain without any further , and had every reason to congratulate ourselves that the cowardice or negligence of the enee
Having halted at the bottom of the Pass two days so as to enable the ree to descend we proceeded towards Candahar The ene 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 ht I was on sentry before the tent of Lieutenant Ke attentively towards the spot fro towards the tent on his hands and knees, and suffering him to enter, in order the more easily to secure hi it The felloas co to lay hold of hi to the quantity of grease hich his person was s the lines in safety I did not shoot hi fired in caroundless alarms
The weather now becarees in the shade, which rendered it necessary that we should prosecute our way either in the cool of the hts were so beautiful that the latter could not be deemed a hardshi+p, and had the scenery been but equal to that through which we had just passed, it could not have been seen to greater advantage than under these clear delicious , however, can bethan the country between the Khojuck Pass and Candahar
The only thing that ht be said to have broken the monotony of the route was an occasional shot which told the fate of soue and privation, and rendered incapable of further exertion, was mercifully put out of pain by its rider There were nearly fifty head of cattle disposed of in this way between the Pass and Candahar, a pretty iten, when it is borne in mind that each of them had 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
We arrived at Candahar on the 4th of May, and effected a junction with the rehby Cotton Here ere also joined by Shah Soojah in cohten and Sir Alexander Burnes The dethroned monarch immediately took possession of his ancestral palace, which had just been evacuated by the enens are subject have so steeled theitated, 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 hined to a ainst hinty would in all probability be terminated by a bloody death
Tired as ere of the harassing ed, and anxious to strike a blohich would decide the fate of the Careeably disappointed at the evacuation of Candahar by the eneuing marches, which we had made; and the deplorable condition in which we found ourselves, as regarded supplies, rendered it highly i us just then in face of the enest us, but in this respect we did not find our position i our stay here carried off great nuh the bazaar was plentifully supplied with meat and fruit, flour was difficult to be 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 2lb to the rupee instead of 40lb, the usual proportion We had been living on half rations, and these not of the best quality, for nearly a month previous, and had looked forward to our arrival at Candahar for so the case, that it was found necessary to put the camp followers on the same allowance, 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 convoy of six hundred ca been brought us that the 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 ene informed by their spies of this ht in safety to the camp The native contractor who furnished them, was offered a bribe of 10,000 rupees by Dost Mahommed to direct his camels another way, but much to his credit refused it
Candahar is a place of considerable importance in a coes are scarcely deserving of notice It is surrounded by an old wall and ditch, so 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 anier, 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 eneous in its character than its vendors, and ood broad-cloths and Whitechapel needles, articles which, in the dilapidated and transparent state of our clothing, proved of no s as h all parts of Asia, I have never seen it carried to such an annoying extent as here
Our ears were assailed on all sides by whining petitions, and our eyes offended by the exhibition of festering sores or si a straight and wellup an ugly case of cancer, would have excited the admiration and envy of the importunate cripples who beset the chapels of Catholic countries
At the further extremity of the bazaar stands a noble mosque, in which are interred the reilt douish it above the other buildings of the town, and the effect, as it is approached fro this beautiful teht of marble steps to a platform within the dome, where the remains of the deceased princes lie The toold, and illuht and day, while forty Faquirs, or priests, watch perpetually over thenificent folio editions of the Koran, bound in velvet and ornaold, were also shown to us with a degree of reverence that proved the estieons which were flying round the interior of the building appeared to divide with these costly exeard and veneration of the votaries of the te held sacred, and any invasion of its privileges visited by the punishhan Chiefs ere known to be devoted to the interests of Dost Maho, or, as souarantee the safety of their woiance to Shah Soojah These reluctant auxiliaries armly 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 erimly, but said but little I had an opportunity however of ascertaining his real feelings, on getting ast his followers a few days afterwards They openly expressed their regret at being compelled to join the invaders of their country, and stated, that they could not have a braver leader, or a better prince, than Dost Mahoenerous nature, whilst they represented the Shah as being cruel and unprincipled
These Affghan horsemen were a fine athletic set ofproofs of theThe riders wore coats of auntlets, and their arer, and in some instances shi+elds and han Cavalry, if these were a fair sample of them, are a most effective body of men Theysystem of mountain warfare where they are required to make sudden descents upon Infantry, henorance of the country, no body of troops can be better adapted Their horses are light li incredible fatigue while the trooper hiement of the animal, can ride him over places where no European horseman would venture Had these wild anization their country would be inaccessible to any troops in the world
CHAPTER VI