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nna eel een Nee Sean een scunhk abanemmemnnmenniananell eee — E 2S i a i ae Hi am) “= oe i, 10h TU) My ay ay 7 aD a, Jer SOU cad st Aviitivedtciwiuds Y < a0] het an Me Cree yee Vlei Caprn uc ey: } I Chex THROUGH THE Kobe BE dike UP ACS S SHERPORE CAMP, CABUL. AN ACCOUNT oF Cempevance Work anoeng wur Boviews IN TH CABUEL FIELD FORCE. BY ‘THE REV, J. GELSON GREGSON, SECHETATY TO TIL SOLDIERS TOTAL ABSTINENCE ASSOCLATION, INDIA. LONDON: ELLIOT STOCK, 62, PATERNOSTER ROW, E.C. 1883, Hedicuted TO THE BRITISH SOLDIER IN INDIA, See EEE EEE = = ee CONTENTS. CHAPTER VAGE 1] FROAL LAHORISZ TO PESHIAWUR - - - ~ I I FROM PESUAWUR TO DAKRA - - - S 7 7 TI. PROM TARKKA TO JELLALABAD - - - . I? Wy, FROM JELLALARAD ‘TO PRSWAN - - - aq vy. ACROSS ‘THE LUTARNUND PASS  = - - &g IX, FROM CABUL  é : 23 HAVELOCK - - - 5 = 35 SHERPORE CANTONMENT - - 3 49 SIR FRED. ROBERTS - 7 - : 80 CONVOY OF SICK AND WOUNDED - 2 93 INTRODUCTION, Tus ' Diary’ originally appeared in the Indian ‘Temperance Magazine—On Gward—and at the request of friends inter- ested in the welfare of our soldiers in India, I now publish it in a more permanent form, ‘Ihere is no attempt on my part to make a book; my sole object has been to give permanency to a simple record of work among soldiers in the late Afghan campaign, Having shared their trials and dangers, I have much pleasure in bearing my testimony to their courage in battle, and to their patience in sickness—cheerfully enduring privations for the maintenance of the honour of their country, and dying at the post of duty rather than be faithless to their trust, As Secretary to the Soldiers’ Total Abstinence Association it was my duty to visit our regimental societies in Afghanistan, as well as the Cantonments in India, which will explain the vi INTRODUCTION, object I had in visiting Cabul. In every camp we had members of the Association, and we have the gratification of knowing that our men were better able to discharge their duties than those who drank their rum. A lower percentage of sickness among the abstainers is ample proof of the fact that abstainers are better able to endure fatiguing marches than non-abstainers, and more to be relied upon in the hour of battle, when stcadiness is essential to victory, In every camp between Peshawur and Cabul men were punished for drunkenness; at Jellalabad the whole guard got drunk by breaking into the Commissariat rum-store, which not only disgraced the regiment, but the whole brigade, as a native sepoy had to supersede a British guard. Tow different was the condition of the Jellalabad Garrison in 1842, when, under more trying circumstances, Sir Robert Sale’s brigade had to defend the city against overwhelming numbers, and also fought a pitched battle against Akbar Khan, thoroughly defeating his army, and taking the whole of his camp. ‘To quote the words of Sir Robert Sale: ‘The European troops, besides having insufficient rations, were without their allowance of spirits. It is to be expected, as evidence accumulates on this subject, that the spirit ration will be abolished, and tea substituted for men on active service, Frequent reference is made to the distribution of Afghan Temperance honours. ‘The honour consisted of a silver bar, with ‘ Afghanistan, 1879,’ in raised letters, being presented to every man who faithfully kept his pledge through the cam- paign ; and, according {o our returns, 422 bars were distri- buted. The army in India presents a vast field of labour for Chris- tian workers. Our soldiers are on forcign service, and in a heathen land where they are isolated from the people amongst whom they live, and separated from their friends at home, they specially appeal to our sympathy and need our minis- trations in the cantonments in which they are garrisoned. Those who have been privileged to work amongst them are sensible of the gratitude they manifest for any interest that viii INTRODUCTION, may have been taken in them. No class of men are more grateful to those who labour amongst them than British soldiers in India. Tf in any degree the perusal of this record of work among them should arouse in the hearts of my readers a desire to do something for their welfare in India, I shall feel amply repaid for the privations I endured and the dangers I encoun- tered in walking through the Khyber Pass to Cabul J. GELSON GREGSON, MUSDESLEY VILLA, SOUTILSEA, December, 1882. THROUGH THE KHYBER PASS. CHAPTER [ FROM LAHORE ‘TO PESEAWUR. ‘Tus railway journey to Jhelum is through a deeply interesting part of the Punjanb, it crosses the winding Ravee and the wide-spreading Chenab, which is spanned by one of the longest railway bridges in the world, its length being three miles and a half ‘The Chenab recalls to mind the sad disaster of Chillian- wallah, where our army was nearly cut to pieces. At Wuzcer- abad the usual knives, horn-glasses, and walking-sticks, which screw together in three parts, were brought round for sale, ‘This was the Sheffield of the Punjaub, in the days when Run- ject Singh made his swords, and spears, which did sao much mischief, when fighting against our troops. Although these Wuzeerabad kniyes are not equal to the Sheflicld blades, they are very good specimens of native work, and quite warth the money they ask for them, which is from one to five rupites. AAs soon as we crossed the railway bridge at Jhelum, we saw the vast preparations which were being made in the Transport Department for conveying stores to the front. Some of the ponies and camels were in a very wretched condition, certainly I ir THROUGH THE KHYBER PASS. they had not the appearance of being fit for bageage animals ; in fact they were hardly strong enough to carry the packs on which the loads had to be secured, In consequence of the herding together of cattle, and the crowding of natives who attended on them, cholera had broken out in the station, and the officer in charge of the Transport Department died a few days before [ passed through. Nothing could be more uninviting than a dirty house nest to the dak bungalow, miscalled the Jhelum Hotel; everything was simply filthy-—-dirty servants, broken-down chairs, walls that had not been whitewashed for an age, and food that satis. fied one by looking at it. Most fortunately for me, my telegram from Lahore had secured a seat in the dik * for Rawul Pindee, ot I should have been obliged to make the best of this Jhelum Hotel for five days. When the time came for starting, my companion had a most unreasonable quantity of luggage, to which the dak baboot very respectfully objected. The bare thought of a native raising an objection seemed to ignite a mine of bad temper in this fellow-traveller, who was fresh from England, and consequently could neither understand what was said nor could he explain himself, and so roared in his wrath like an English bull, and kicked the unfortunate driver for pre- suming to refuse to take his baggage. At this I thought I might offer my services as interpreter, and tricd to make him understand in his own language, that the native baboo was only objecting in accordance with the regulations to his heavy baggage: by this time the baboo had retired from the scene somewhat afraid of the enlightened Englishman’s boot-maker, who is too frequently introduced to the natives, giving them a taste of British shoc-leather. ‘The end of the matter was, that after half an hour’s delay we started, and the enraged Britisher was sleeping and snoring away his anger, It is to be hoped that this ‘New-come’ will soon pass the lower standard éxami- * Dak, a mani cart, + Dik baboo, a post-office clerk. ROM LAHORE TO PESHAWUR., 3 nation in the language, and treat the natives with theirown vocabulary instead of English leather, The read from Jhelum to Kawul Pindee was almost in a condition of block ; a long line of weary bullocks were dragging their heavy loads on to Peshawur, and what with drivers fast asleep in the carts ; and teams of four bullocks to huge hackeries, and long strings of camels, we were constantly coming to a standstill: every now and then we banged against some un- fortunate cart that had come to grief on the road; left just where the wheel came off, in the middle of the road or on the side, no matter where, Then in addition to the constant blow- ing of the driver's bugle, the dust was fearful, rendering a night's dik from Jhelum to Pindee as uncomfortable, wretched, and wearisome as it was possible to be, and making me long for the old iron-horse and the twoiren rails, which enable the traveller to sleep comfortably and get over the ground rapidly. There is this consolation, the railway is being made, and extra rates and extra labour are now making the opening of the line a possibility next year, Coolies of every description are ex- ecedingly scarce at Pindee, on account of the igh rates paid on the railway-works. At Pindee I was most kindly and hospitably received by Mr, Thackwell, ofthe American Presbyterian Mission. Although the whole of his time is given to native work, he has deep sympathy with work among soldiers, and would gladly hold a service for them, but for the unsatisfactory condition of his health, which will not admit of extra work. The first meeting T held was in the theatre of the Highty-first. The men of the regiment are suffering very badly from fever, the hospital is crowded, and I noticed in going through the barracks that numbers of mén had been obliged to cover themselves with their blankets, as they were suffering from ague, Fever has never been known tobe so bad at this station before: while Europeans are reduced to a condition of extreme weak- I—2 4 THROUGH Till KHVBER PASS, ness, natives are dying by hundreds, After the meeting I started for Attock, this time with a fellow-traveller who had evidently passed the ‘lower standard; * consequently there was no trouble or difficulty of any description, and we reached Fort Attock early the following morning. There can be no doubt that this looks like the natural boundary of British India, as so many Indian statesmen of the old school have thought. ‘The mighty Indus, swelled by the Cabul river, roars with great im- petuosity through the bold rocks which keep the river in a narrow channel. ‘There is no chance of the river overflawing the rocky bank, though it has been known lo rise sixty feet in twenty-four hours. FROM LAHORE TO PESHAIVUR, 5 the men of the artillery and the Seventeenth united together, The garrison is very small, only consisting of a battery of artillery and a company of the Seventeenth. arly the next morning I went on to Nowshera, which is just half-way between Attock and Peshawur, There is a very com- fortable dik bungalow, where I stayed the Sunday. On Satur- day evening I had a very good meeting with the Seventeenth Regiment, and presented Afghan bars, as I did at Pindec, to those who were entitled to them. It will be an honour which they never need be ashamed of wearing, and will be an inter- esting reminder of hard marches and great privations on the Afghan expedition of 1879. On Sunday morning IT had a prayer-meeting, and in the evening an_ evangelistic meeting in the prayer-room, which is at the end of one of the barracks. How I long to find our abstinence men working for Christ, and leading their comrades on to a higher and truer life than that which they can find in themsclves. I got into Peshawur about half-past ten, and was very hos- pitably received by Mr. Davis. Here I found the ‘Twenty-fifth regiment, and arranged with Colonel Ruddell. for a meeting in the theatre, The Colonel very kindly presented the Afghan bars, ‘Ihe men have suffered, and are suffering a great deal from the fever, which suems to be inseparable from this station. In addition to the ‘Temperance meeting, we had an Evange- listic meeting in the soldiers’ prayer-room. ‘There is something exceedingly interesting in, the fact that this room was built for the good of our soldiers by that fine Christian soldier, the late Colonel Wheeler, who les buried in Agra. He not only erected this prayer-room for his own countrymen, but also preached the Gospel of Christ in the bazaars to the Mohammedans. On one accasion, when they were abusing him ina very violent manner, his syce* retaliated, and abused them back again, As soon as the Colonel heard this, he told the syce to go outside the city- * Syce, groom. ee ee ee eee 6 THROUGH THE KHYRBER PASS. gate and wait for him there, and reproved him for giving abuse, the syce tried to justify himself, by saying, ‘Sahib, they abused you” The Sahib, however, had learnt the great lesson of re- turning good for evil, remembering the action of his divine Master, who, when He was reviled, reviled not again. Thus this noble Christian seldicr was the first to preach the Gospel in the bazaar of Peshawur, and also to erecta prayer-room for the European soldiers, years before Lord Lawrence promulgated his memorable order for the crection of prayer-rooms in the canton- ments of India. ‘The Church mission may be said to have been founded by another earnest Christian soldier, Sir Herbert Edwards, who, in 1853, was Commissioner of Peshawur. Some apprehension of danger was felt by those who distrusted and feared the pro- pagation of the Gospel in so bigoted a stronghold of Moham- medanism. An officer put down his name on the subscription list thus—' Ove rupee towards a Deane and Adam's revoloer for the first misstonary, But Herbert Edwards was too brave a man, too wise a politician, and too bold a Christian to share such fears. In his missionary speech ata meeting in Peshawur, he uttered the following memorable words; ‘In this crowded city we hear the Brahmin in his temple sound his sunkh and gong ; the muezzin on his lofty minaret fills the air with the azin ; and the civil Government, which protects them both, will take upon itself the duty of protecting the Christian missionary who goes forth to preach the Gospel Above all, we may be quite sure that we are much safer if we do our duty than if we neglect it, and that He who hath brought us here with His own right arm will shield and bless us, ifin simple reliance upon Him we try to do His will’ The Church missionarics have nobly sustained all that these words suggest, and in the present mis- sionaties, the Revs. ‘1, P, Hughes and Jukes, the mission is most ably represented. The mission-house contains a very yaluable library, which owes its existence to the liberality of FROM PESHAWUR TO DAKKA. 7 Mr. Hughes, who started it with the proceeds of a reward received from Government for an able Pushtoo work which he edited. | Although Dr. Carey’s translation of the Bible in Pushtoo has long been superseded, it shows the deep interest that gifted and large-hearted man had in everything which affected the spread of the Gospel in India, While residing at Serampare, and working laboriously among Bengalees, he found time to think of the Afghans, and to translate the Bible into Pushtoo. CHAPTER IT, FROM PESHAWUR TO DAKKA, Peshawur, November 11th, 1879.—The General has granted me permission to go to the front, and directed me to the Quarter- master-Gencral for information respecting troops going up. I find that a detachment of the Fifty-first and Seventy-second are going in a day or two, so that I shall have a good escort all the way, the transport officer was somewhat puzzled in giving me my official designation, by which I was allowed a certain rate of baggage ; at last it was decided I should have the baggage allowance of a stall officer, which enabled mc to indent for three mules to carry my belongings to Cabul. There is a great deal of sickness in the station ; nearly every- one either is, or has been, down with fever, The chaplain told me that he had buried 2eo during the year. ‘This heavy mor- tality may be accounted for by the troops coming back from the front with cholera, November 12th, — Busy getting my kit together, which consists of atent, a charpoy, astool, and a gmall teapoy, two saucepans and atin bowl, a few stores, a small tin box of clothes, and bedding. Not having succeeded in getting a horse, J shall have to walk, and hope I shall be able to manage it, although a medical friend has given a very decided opinion against the 3 THROUGH THE KHYBER PASS. attempt. My consolation is that the men have to do it, and I shalt he able to understand their difficulties better if T walk with them. November t4¢h.—Delayed on account of the detachment not starting, Twent down to the camp, but conld not get any cer tain information, so determined to start for Jumrood to-mor- row, which is Saturday, where I can halt till Monday, when the detachment may overtake me. After visiting the men in camp, T went down to the transport officer, near the fort, to get my three mules. In one batch of camels I saw three dead ; and of all the wretched, half-starved locking creatures, 1 never saw anything like the cantels, horses, ponies, mules, donkeys, and bullocks that were camped together by hundreds. I was thankful to find that the three which bad been told off to me were not the worst I saw, though they were very weak and Jean. November 1st. —TVo enable me to make an carly start, T was up before five, when it was pitch-dark, and had everything ready for loading by the time it was light, in the hope that we should be a good distance on the road to Jumrood before the heat of the day. Unfortunately, all this early rising was of no avail; we were loading and unloading the wretched ponics till eight o’clack ; these unfortunate creatures were so weak that they fell down with the weight of a load that any ordinary coolie would have carried on his head. After unpacking my boxes and leaving behind my stores, books, and extra blankets, we managed to make a start for the Khyber, ‘he knock-kneed ponies waddled along rather than walked. I dragged the leading pony, my bearer took the second, and the man in charge took the third, and a queer lot we looked dragging these miserable creatures along the road in a most doleful condition, There was no help for it, as they would not move without being dragged along. At last I got relieved of my weary task by pro- mising an Afghan a rupee to lead my brute to Jumrood, ‘The road to this fort is exceedingly dreary—no trees, no villages, FROM PESUAIFUR TO DAKKA, 9 and no cultivation beyond British territory, Nothing but stones and the skeleton bones of camels and bullocks right and left of the road, the first signs of the break-down, or dead condi- frov of the gigantic Transport Department. The Jumreod Fort js built of mud, with a large courtyard used by the Conmis- sariat Department for stores, and is garrisoned by a Madras regiment, ‘The Commissariat sergeant in charge was one of our old members, and soon put me in the way of making out indents for my rations and my transport cattle, My rations were as follows: Bread, x} Ib; meat, 1} Ib. ; potatoes, 1 lb; rice, 4 07,3 salt, 2025 tea, $ 04.5 sugar, 3 02.5 firewood, 3 Ib, I was in hopes of spending a quiet Sunday at the fort, and lef Peshawur to-day for the purpose; but unfortunately two very bad cases of cholera broke out, and the men go into camp to-morrow morning, and the medical officer thinks I had better lvave. November 16¢4,—There was a dreadful noise all night-— camels constantly growling, drivers cursing, dogs barking, and policemen howling, and the sentry now and then challenging, ‘Who goes there? I woke rather too carly, but hearing so much noise, made sure the convoy was about to start. Having lighted a match, I looked at my watch, and fancied it had stopped, and was going to light my spirit-lamp to make a cup of Leibig’s beef-tea, when the fort-gong struck two, which con- vineed me that my watch was going rightly enough, and that iz was my sleepy head which was wrong, We turned out at five, and had everything ready by halfpast six for loading. After yesterday's experience, I changed my transport ponies for bullocks, and got on a good cleal better. After a long delay ofan hour and a half, a very smart little Goorkha sergeant came up and said, ‘Guard ready, sahib.’ ‘Ihe guard consisted of eight To THROUGH THE KHYRBER PASS. fine stalwart Sikhs, with the smart little Goorkha sergeant in charge. I marched at the head of my escort armed with a good cak walking-stick, The road was through a country of stones—nothing but stones; no trecs of any description, no grass, nO Cattle, no villages, nothing but barren ruggedness. A strong wind sweeps over the ground for about two miles before entering the pass. At the entrance of the Khyber the road winds along the bed of a river, and the celebrated A}i Musjid Fort can be scen from the rising ground. After winding along the dry stony bed of the river for some clistanee, the road ascends the hill on the left of the pass, and rises until a low range of hills has been crossed, and then descends inte a wild gorge, where a mountain stream rushes down over its rocky bed: a few trees and some green grass make a bright oasis in a desert of stones, rocks, and barren hills. These wild mountain-ranges have given the world a race of the wildest-looking creatures ; savage in countenance wild in appearance, dirty and filthy in dress ; the Afredee Afghan is the type of a lawless robber, ‘I'he rocks are bored on all sides with caves, in which these ruffians are in the habit of wait- ing for harmless and unprotected travellers, who are sure to lose both their lives and their goods as soon as they enter the Pass. On my way up the hill-voad I meta detachment of the Twelfth Regiment, and had the pleasure of shaking hands with some of our abstainers who had remained faithful through the campaign. Even the non-abstainers acknowledged that they could march better on tea than rum. I then asked them where they were going, and they answered, with asmile,*‘ Home? At the sound of that word, my heart felt too full to let me speak, and as I walked on, I thought of loved ones who would be quietly attending divine service as I marched through the wild Pass this Sabbath morning, At Ali Musjid I found the Second N. I. very busy getting ready to start, The commanding officer very kindly invited me to their mess, so that I was well FROM PESHAIWUR TO DAKKA, i cared for, It was impossible to have a service in the midst of the bustle and confusion inseparable from breaking up cainp, 80 spent the time inreading Dr. C. J. Vaughan’s sermons on ‘ Lessons of Life and Godliness, which I enjoyed exceedingly, The level ground on which the camp fs pitched is completely surrounded with hills. Ali Musjid looks down upon it, and the hill-tops are crowned with small forts, very like the okl round Martello towers in England. The whole place is com- manded on all sides, and would be absolutely impregnable if held by our troops; new barrack buildings have been erected at the old fort, which bas completely changed its original appearance, At sunset it was very grand to listen to the bugles, as the sound echoed and re-echoed among the mountains, and then far away a faint answer seemed to come as from another camp down the Pass, This regiment has suffered terribly from sick- ness, it has lost a hundred men by death, and has a hospital roll of fowr Awidred sick, chiefly from fever: the ‘Thirty-ninth N. I. suffered as much, when camped here. The Second and Thirty-ninth N. I, Regiments will have very sad recollections of Ahi Musijid. November 1742 Up at five, and got my spititJamp at work, making an excellent cup of beeftea before starting. Striking the tent and packing the baggage took same time, and then the shrill blast of the bugles went echoing over the mountains, making the wild gorge reverberate with the sound, Then commenced the general bustle and noise connected with marching, Knock, knock, knocking all aver the camp; the pegs were soon drawn, and the white canvas tents struck by the word of command. The order was given, and at once the rows of tents were down, so that by time it was light, not a tent was standing; then came the busy task of loading the camels, and what between the growling of these creatures and the loud threats of the camel-drivers, it is impossible to imagine it THROUGH Till KUYRER PASS, the din of confusion which lasted ull the camels were loaded. Every man had to look after his own interests, and T paid some attention to minc, but found to my disgust that my bullocks had gone back to Jumrood; so there I was, stranded, without any means of going on or getting back, Away I went to the tent of the Commissariat sergeant and woke him up from a comfortable slecp ; after a good deal of rubbing of his eyes, and calling for his bearer, he gradually discovered that it was hot a nightmare of camels and bullocks waking him up, but a sthib in real distress, who needed camels or bullocks to take his baggage on to the next camp. Having impressed upon him the necessity of doing something at once, as the escort was about to start, he gave the chowdry * the order to let me have three mules, which I promised to return as soon as I arrived at Lundi Kota ‘Vhen by using a rupee persaader, [ got the chowdry to find the mules ina very short space of time, and was ready to march at halfpast seven. ‘The road was by the side of the Khyber river which runs through the gorge. At the base of the bluff rack on which the fort is built, and clase to the little Musjid, Ali Musjid, from which the fort takes its name, a new road is being cut, or rather blasted, out of the solid rock, very much higher than the present one, which is liable to be flooded in the rains, About three miles from the fort we came \ipon an extensive valley, in which there were some deserted villages; cach village had the appearance of a mud fort, with onc or two towers, and sometimes a tower was built at each corner of the village. ‘The first sign of anything like civilization was a flock of goitts driven by an Afghan boy over ficlds that seemed Lo provide nothing but stones for pasturage. The dead and rotten carcases of donkcys, ponies, bullocks and camels made the march most offensive and loathsome ; I seemed to be inhaling typhoid every step of the way. Ruker in charge of the godown.* As soon as he saw me, he fairly jamped and shouted, ‘Bless me | who would ever have thought of seeing you at Lumdi Kotal? He at once took me into his tent, and asked me to remain there as long as I was in eamp. After a tub—oh, wasn’t it a luxurious treat ! water in this camp is so scarce that a tin of water is more common for a bath thanatub. Every drop has to be brought four miles inte camp, so that water is more precions than rum at Lundi Kota), After breakfast I called on the General and other officers, and got everything arranged for a meeting in the lines of the ‘[welfth Regiment. We move on to-morrow, and this time the ‘Transport Department gave me 2 camel to carry my baggage. What next? First three miserable ponies, hardly able to carry themselves without any baggage ; then bullocks, which I considered an improvement upon the ponies, but dreadfully slow ; then came the mules which were best of all— they walked along with a goodwill, wagging their long ears and tails, as much as to say, ‘We would rather carry your baggage than our heavy commissariat loads; and now Iam to have a camel, which I hope will not drop down on the road and die. % Godawn, Cammissarial stores, pi a FROM PESHAWUR TO DAKKA, 15 Having got permission from the conmanding officer to use the tents which had been pitched for the Roman Catholic padre’s* services, provided the padre had no ebjection, I called on the Roman Catholic padre, and was very kindly recvived ; he at once granted me leave to hold my meeting in his tents. To use his own words, he said: “Te is neither consecrated nor dedicated.’ * No, neither; and, I added, ‘it’s only a tent.’ ‘Yes, onlya tent; and I think you may have it for the meet- ing—your meeting is for a good purpose.’ I was much struck with the simplicity of this good man, who was in very bad health, suffering from the effects of sunstroke. He travelled from Kandahar to this place last June, and when travelling in a dhoolic in Scinde he quite expected to be dead before he reached Jacobabad. He said the heatin crossing the sand was fearful, but it had to be done; it was work for the Master, and he quietly said: ‘It would not have mattered if J had died, it was God’s work, and that is worth dying for.’ This showed a spirit of perfect devotion to the service of God, willing to live and ready to die. In the evening we had our mecting in the tent, and had a large attendance. ‘Ihe Cotonel of the Twelfth Regiment very kindly presided, and presented the Afghan bars to the men who had remained faithful to their pledges through the campaign. forfy members received this special honour, I was very greatly interested in going through the Commissariat gocdowns, which were full of all kinds of stores for the use of the troops, including every description of warm clothing, preserved meats and vegetables, as well as patent horse-biscuits for the cayalry. Afghan prisoners are constantly brought into camp, and tried for robbing and murdering our native follawers who stray from the lines, An officer who is familiar with these tribes is trying to raise an irregular regiment among these lawless ruffians, and * Padre, priest. 16 THROUGH THE KHYRER PASS. has succeeded to some extent in forming them into an armed police, giving them charge of the road through the Khyber, One of the native soldiers of my escort said that they were a race of savages ‘who neilher knew God nor man.’ This same man could not restrain the remark as we walked through the wild and barren defiles of the Khyber: ‘Whatis the use of taking such a country? there is nothing but racks and stones and savages.’ Not an unreasonable remark upon the Afghan question, when there is nothing but rocks and stones and wild- looking Afghans to be seen. I had a very nice and interesting visit to the large Field Hospital, and went inte cach tent and spoke to the men about the power of Christ to save them from sin. Many sat up on their cots and listened very attentively. Poor fellows, it moved mé greatly to see their gratitude for my visit, At present there is neither Scripture-reader nor chaplain* to visit the sick and comfort the dying, During the last campaign there was a very earmest chaplain in charge, the Rev. J. Spens, who was obliged to take sick-leave. ‘To use the expression of one of the men, ‘He seemed to live in the hospital’ All through the dreadful visitation of cholera he was always attending the men, It is ta be hoped that a likeaninded man will succeed him in the im- portant duties of a chaplain on active service. Tach brigade requires an carnest chaplain, and an active Scripture-reader, I was much interested in a Commissariat sergeant whe signed the pledge, a most accomplished ¢faguts/, having passed in the higher standard examination, and what is most remarkable, in Sanscrit; be can speak Persian and Pushtoo, and might, one would think, find a belter sphere for his abilitics than in superintending the baking of bread in the Commissariat Department, for which office a knowledge of Persian and Sanscrit is not necessary. * Chaplains were sent up afierwards FROM DAKKA TO JELLALABAD. CHAPTER III. FROM DAKKA TO JELLALABAI, Dakha, Novenbcr vgth, 1879.—Up at five, and attempted to make a start with a camel instead of mules, and found the ‘patient beast of burden’ exceedingly fapatient and obstinate, He objected very strongly to carry any baggage, and had a favourite trick of jumping up witha fearful growl as soon as the men hegan loading, and three times he succeeded in throwing everything off. After a great deal of trouble and delay we got started, and had a long and tedious march down to Lundi- Khana, where the convey is made up for Dakka. ‘Ihe Trans- sport sérgcant im charge was one of our men, and had very thoughtfully got me a comfortable breakfast ready, which was quite unexpected and very acceptable. ‘The table in his tent was a most ingenious contrivance. It was simply the wheel of a broken bullock-hackery ; the axle was made to do duty for a centre leg, and the wheel formed an excellent round table, covered with white wax-cloth, with a lantern on the top. The man who thought of this camp-table ought to have taken out a patent fora revolving round table, a first-rate contrivance when servants are not so numerous as in peaceful cantonments. ‘The convoy consisted of camels, bullocks, mules, donkeys, carts, and amixed multitude taking all kinds of stores to the front. ‘This part of the Pass is the most dangerous between Jumrood and Jellalabad; the hills are infested swith a number of lawless robbers, who only live on plunder. ‘The other day the dak was fired at, and convoys are constantly being robbed. ‘These convoys straggle so fearfully, that it would be quite impossible for the escort lo protect them when two or three miles separate the advance-guard from the rear-guard, Before going into the tent for my breakfast, I took care to get my camel well to the front of the convoy, close to the advance-guard; and after breakfast I was very vexed to find that the wretched camel-driver had 2 18 THROUGH THE KHYVBER PASS. left my servant in charge of the camel, while the convoy marched on, leaving my unfortunate baggage nearer the rear- guard than the advance-guard. My servant was looking very disconsolate and frightened, and nearly cried when I told him that it was a dangerous road, and that he must keep up with the escort. He then complained that he wouldn’t have come if he had only known what the country was like, and then fairly broke down. I then reminded him that we were under the protection of Gad, when on His service, as much as when we were in India. This seemed to cheer him, and he kept pretty close to the escort as we wandered through the wild Pass to Dakka, ‘This servant was a native Christian, and a more attentive and faithfil servant never served me. At Sherpore he was most invaluable. During the day we met a great many respectable Afghans coming down from Cabul ta Peshawur—whole families ; some of the women were completely covered with most peculiarly- constructed dresses, so as to hide the very shape of their bodies ; in fact, they looked Jike large pillow-cases or bales of cotton riding on ponies. We also met a large convoy of sick and wounded in dhoolies on their way to Peshawur. As soon as we got out of the narrow Pass the valley of Dakka came full in view. About a mile from the fort we passed a large camp of Cabulees, merchants from Cabul, taking grapes, pomegranates, raisins and dried fruits to India, The tents were simply black blankets resting upon sticks, and the boys and girls were a lot of rough young Afghans, who would be just as wild and savage as their forefathers, The fort is a large square building close to the river, which separates it from the town of Lallpoora. The fort was nothing but a large yard surrounded with high mud walls, The inner yard had rows of rooms round the wall, with a wide yeranda, which was evidently the old barracks of the Ameer. In the centre of the yard is a building used by the officers of the native regiment quartered here as a mess-house ; FROM DAKKA TO FELLALA BAD, 1g and ina small garden enclosure the officers pitch their tents. ‘The garrison consists of a native regiment and two guns of a mountain battery. I had a meeting in one of the rooms in the veranda wall and presented Bombardier Wells with the Afghan Bar, and also two signallers, one belonging to the Fifty-first and the other to the Twelfth Regiment. Basawul, Nevember v2th,—I felt the cold more keenly last night than I had ever done before. My Jostéen* was a great comfort, and kept me warm and snug during the night. In the morning I got away with the dak escort, which travels much faster than the convoy, Her Majesty’s mails were carried on three donkeys (it was the parcel dik) ; the letter dik is carried by sowars. ‘The guard managed to put an extra load on one of the donkeys and reserve one for themselyes, which they very politely offered me before mounting the poor beast, Tach sepoy had a turn at donkey-riding ; I preferred my own feet. As soon as we got through the Khoord Khyber Pass, we came upon an extensive valley. It was a great treat to see signs of civilization in cultivated fields, men busy ploughing, women busy washing at the river, or, more correctly speaking, beating the clothes on hard stones ; herds of cattle ancl flocks of sheep and goats were grazing in the valley, in charge of bright-cyed Afghan boys. The villages, trecs, fields and cattle, and villagers busy at their work, formed a pleasing contrast to the rough rocks in the wild Pass we had just passed through. When the signalier in the fort at Dakka told me that he received signals from /ésga/, I little thought that there was such a literal repetition of PrseaA in Afghanistan, overlooking the well-watered plains of Dakka, with the wild and rocky passes behind, corresponding to the barren wilderness of Sinai, just as the Lundi river reminded one of the Jordan with the fruitful plain of Dakka by its side, Is it only a strange coinci- dence that the land should have the names of various places of * Poshicen, an Afghan sheep-skin cont. 20 THROUGH THE KHUYBER PASS. Palestine, that the people should have Jewish names and re- markahle Jewish features ; or are they, as some nnagine, some of the lost tribes of the house of Tsracl ? Basawul is the next camp (or mud fort); it is ina wide plain of stones, with a high mountain-range, covered with snow, not very far distant. ‘The plain is surrounded with hills, the grand Sufed Koh, with its snow-capped peaks, towering far above them all. The camp consists of a regiment of Bengal Cavalry, two squadrons of the Carabincers, two guns of C 3, Royal Artillery, and two companies of the ‘Twelfih Regiment. Before the meeting T went round the hospital tents, and thought some of the men locked very bad. Poor fellows—they were glad to be visited. Our meeting was held in a tent kindly lent for the purpose; the men got pieces of timber, and laid them across for seats, and during my lecture crowded round, both inside and outside, At the close, several men signed the pledge, Nearly every night the camp is fired into, and the duty is very heavy. We were very fortunate in having no shots fired into camp the night we were there. November 2st, Bartkai—This morning the convoy started very Jate; it was nearly cight o’clock before we made a move. I got tired of waiting, and went on with a party of signallers who had to go every day to a hill abont two miles from camp to signal. When we reached the signal-statton the convoy was a long way behind ; so I ventured on alone, armed with my walking-stick, until I came to the halfway halting- place, where the escort was waiting to relieve the Basawul escort, The sergeant in charge of the escort said that the road was perfectly safe, so I ventured on, to Barikab, without wait- ing for the convoy. I found it very heavy walking, as the road was nothing but a track across a sandy plain. On my way I passed several deserted villages, and then came to a large one where the people were busily engaged tn peacefully looking after their fields and cattle, women were beating the clothes PROM DAKKA TO FELLALABAD, 21 most vigorously by the village stream, and for the first time I saw a lot of children playing a rough and boistcrous game. ‘The game seemed to be in keeping with Afghan instincts. One big rough-looking lad was in the centre of a ring, on all fours, surrounded by a munber of equally rough boys who were shout- ing, and bawling, and beating the unfortunate fellow in the centre wilh their puggrecs ; whenever the centre boy got a crack from a puggree* he gave himself a sharp twist, and tried to knock down with his leg the boy who had struck him. These Afghan boys play at beating each other when lads, and shooting one another when men. They are also fond of stick- ing a big knife into a heap of mud, which drills them in the treacherous custom of stabbing their neighbours when they ate old cnough to fight for their tribe, The fort at this camp is very small, and the camp only con- sists of two squadrons of Bengal Cavalry. Iwas glad to find two excellent officers who knew me. Major C——, command- ing the camp, and Captain —— of the Bengal Cavalry, They received me very kindly in their mess-tent, The table was a solid square of mud, raised about two feet from the ground, which answered very well; only there was no place for our legs under the table: but remember a mud table is etter than notable at all, My tent is comfortably pitched close to the high wall of the fort, so there is no danger of my being fired into to-night. One night there was a great deal of excitement in camp, as guns were heard in the direction of some large vil- lages between this and Basawul, which made them think there was a sharp engagement going on. The Major turned out his men, and away they went in the direction of the firing ; and after being out for some hours, they got sufficiently near to find out that it was nothing but a marriage festival—one of the Khans had been having a great display of fireworks, which consisted in keeping up what sounded like the booming of guns and * Pugeree, a native turban. 22 THROUGH THE KHYBER PASS, rattle of musketry, They have a particular kind of firework which explades, making a noise exactly like a gun} and then his men fired their old muskets, so that in the darkness of the night a marriage festival might easily be mistaken for an engagement. 