The Sun. — London, England, 1842-04-18 00:00:00

AFFGHANISTAN. t r.,. T h ll , -... , .DASZLIZIEI OP APPGHANISTAN. i 4e 4 boundari es are difficult to be fixed : no definite , ti ( f demarcation existing, either politically or na ,,•Y, and constant warfare between the frontier tribes C t i l t a continual fluctuation. Affghanistan, in the era gittreatest prosperity, extended to sixteen degrees of I 141 ° from S' I'dabout 150 miles from Delhi tsh,,, ir tin , , 1 1 , and about the same distance from the Caspian ' ' dla br ea d t h i t exten d e d f rom t h e O xus to t h e Per . I F , a space of 910 wiles . ; but its territories have yeatly re d uce d b y war, an d t h e au th or i ty o f t h e i l i gil irregularly acknowledged. In defining the 131 ,.. 1 ' r limits'of this diminished kngdom, it should - 4: 'seJ that, from the east of Bengal, in lon. 90 deg. ii ts ,t, in lat.. 62 deg., a vast chain of mountains, ; weer aities'e the level of perpetual snow, extends he names of the Himalaya, llindoo Coosh, and 1 0 ti i P il a 'sus. The country of the Affghans is bounded h e north by this great mountain-wall, which, from s t are, the eastern limit of Affghanistan, takes a south ;,irection as far as the snowy peak of Hindoo .."'derives north' of Caubul, from which the whole .. its name. From this peak, the same nr, with a lower declination, extends westward, 8 the name of the Paropamisan Mountains, 350 Herat, and thus completes the northern bowl ; ' Affghanistan. On the east, the Indus is the i I. )', so long as the river continues near the hills, 5 4 as far as lat. 32 deg. 20 min. The plain on the . •• bank of the river to the south of this is inha .,'„',llot by the Affghans, but by the Bzioochees, an in :l`teet tribe, and intervenes between the Affghan t, ‘01.)• and the river. The Soliman Mountains, there ,,,, i p there which area branch from the Hindoo Coosh, runnine. 4 5 Jteuth- eas t along the course of the Indus, with their I ,''onate ranges, and the plain immediately at their Faire included in the country of the Affghans, and 4 t e re its eastern boundary. In lat. 29 deg. north, t e ethe S o li man M ounta i ns term i nate, t hi s p l a i n tlh Westward, and has new boundaries. On the it has hills whiqh stretch east and west, 4 118 toot angles to the Soliman range, and those )tin . tra the southern boundary of Affghanistan, sopa sg it from the low and hot plain of Cutch Gundawa tA4.oestan, on the south. The southern frontier of h`..tifghan country is extremely irregular. Before ' , , sd it !' s ; the table-land of Khelat, in long. 66 deg. east, it Art'", towards the north, and extends west as far as the ~:which separates it on the north-west from Persia. h t Ughans have no general name for their country !of Affghanistan, which vas probably first em ,tCjoi Persia. It isfrequently used in books, and is t4,4tuown to the inhabitants. It is sometimes known q the appellation of the kingdom of Caubul. OTTNTAINS AND ASPECT OP A ft , , APPOHANZSTAN. hi cli Tanistan, to the west of the Soliman Mountains, ), r ural an eastern barrier, may be described gene- IP a table-land, lying higher than most of the 'oaring countries. The title of table-land, how ',4,Pidied to Affghanistan, must not be understood in ~",,Laer sense than that it is raised above the level of ; 4 tr, °unsling regions ; for so far from its being a ' t it is of the most diversified surface, being every intersected with chains of mountains, which di ,, t o different directions from the main ridge of Is,' Coosh. This grand mountainous chain is a .Ns oation of th e grea t Hi m al a ya ridge, whi c h it r i va l s itsimOleur and elevation ; from the elevated plains itti ll 'e seen on the north in four distinct ranges. The and highest range is covered with snow at all '1 ) 19, and some of its peaks rise to the height of 20,493 1 4 , i t tig conspicuous from Bactria, fro the borders i t o, and from places in Tartary, r at the amazing 'e of 250 miles. " The stupendous heights of I li, m ountains," says Elphinstone, " the magnificence h a riety o f th e i r l o f t y summ it s , th e var i ous na ti ons by ct'l .t b they are seen, and who seem to be brought toge ,l4 thisscommon object, and the awful and undis -04, aolitude which reigns amid their eternal snows. I ls l nind with an admiration and astonishment which ' ."tams can express." Of this complicated mass of 1 1 , t a . t os, the ridges branch off southward, in irregular 4 0 ° the distance of 60 or 70 miles, when they decline 1 Wee level, and these ridges are separated by inter if,!'alleys, each of which is watered by a river flow- Co the southern declivity of the Hindoo Coosh t 7 , 48 into Caubul, which, after an easterly course tk _'" base of the mountains, of about 350 miles, ~ great Indus. These valleys, or glens, all open t ,,.p south into the great valley of Caltbul ; the sli t !ower down is fertile and delicious. The narrow vial plain at the bottom, through which the river L I : highly productive. The valley of the river lithich may be taken as a sample of all the others, 1 1 'h ~ ,*0 harvests, and produces most sorts of grain, h',," l oberries, fruits, and planes. z: t ‘vard from.the Indus, about 150 miles, an im kh 4rri e r e o r an gl e projects southward from the moun of the ,country into the interior, to the di5,,,,1! ,, , , 1 ! 70 miles, when the snowy mountain abruptly k, `t! into the low and hot plain of Jellalabad. rho i ll ea resumes ' its westerly course, forming the sfe, or high lands of Caubul, a well-watered and t h , C oontry. The Paropamisan chain bounds this I til it on the west, and forms a range of mountains, ' I,'ol,ffurd a habitation to some wandering and preda- Ati. lu es- This description applies to that portion of i' from,' east to west, which extends southward it) ., s o 0r.160 miles" from the Hindoo Coosh moun -114 - 14 eyond this the aspect of the country is varied 4 • range of the Soliman mountains, which, com- With Stiffaid Coh, or the White Mountains, so 'at the snow with which they are covered at all !extends smith south-west, almost parallel to the .s I the Indus. 'Theae mountains decline towards ti, by loWer ridges, which run nearly in the same ' as the main ridge ; while other ridges branch off ' toward thaindus. The height of these mountains inferior to that of the Hindoo Coosh, but it is still they }tore covered with snow to the end of spring, ,„ th e tatitude of 31 degrees, gives a considerable Beyaid....the Soliman ridges on the west, the . Consists, for the most part, of high and bleak ' !terspersed" with moderate hills : in some places li ill-cultivated, bare and open, better fitted for 'e than- the plough, and inhabited by migratory I ;, i 'llepherds. The tract, however, watered by the NI " and its tributaries is excellent for pasturage : l 't tii, 4 , l / 1 41 t Candahar it is fruitful and cultivated; to the 'tti " t vertheless where it recedes from Helinund, it is Pk te desert. ' ~,Illt , , 'h - ` I VINCES or APTGRANISTAN. $. it!th t e k c'untry is divided into 27 provinces, in 18 of Ora,'ll,o ros al authority prevails, and the' King's ' Icaukims and sirdars, constantly reside. kk're Herat, Farrah, Candahar, Ghuznee, Caubul, ;1) 41 and Ghorebund, Jellalabad, Lughman, Pesha , t 'a. Ismael Khan, Dera Glotuzi Khan, Shikar ‘4le,`')wee, Scinde, Cashmere, Chuch Hazareh, Leia, A t i h tan. Several of these provinces, owing to the 4 11 1 is s ° t 1 of the country, have since aspired to inde ea 1 ? ; and in the other nine the royal authority tll),' l ittle w e i g ht. j k ts s ll 'urepean name of Affghan, signifying " loud '' iS a nick-name given to the people of Caubul It, sur rounding. rounding tribes. The native name is Pusht ';',lquialects of the Puslitoo language are spoken by , ii is,„ " which are the most numerous, viz , the Caukers, 1;: , end Kheibers : the people of Caubul speak -I. ian and Pushtoo, ~'`A4 i, I'EVETES Ar.TGANHISTAN. N - r_ring the extent of the country, and its inter ti,-"1 so many mountains, Affghanistan has few hi t ,. * .e,l'a •in comparison.. For the greater part of tgl i t nere is not one but is fordable, except the Indus, t ut its course, and the majority partake of the Of mountain torrents, swelling rapidly and it, ° if, or they are sometimes all drained awar for V t lg t ati on of the fields. The greatest of the tii;: 4 ich run through the west of Affghanistan r Helmund or Etymander. This river, 41 1 " between the Soliman and Paropa- IN I „ quntains, rises in the latter, and, running a \ l t t le - I t ';t course of four hundred miles, terminates y Seestan. The Urghundaub rises eighty "ea north-east of Candahar, and after passing t i t l itl ll o 4 few miles of that city, joins the Helmund. ti 4 el ' more than 150 yards broad. The Turnuk is I v - f t ,Y of the Urghundaub, which it joins about 75 tls 4 t of Candahar : it is a rapid torrent, and re trghessaun, and other small rivers : notwith these a dditions, its stream rather decreases, \l'lt L t Zarned in the irrigation of the country, or in ) , e cl and barren sands through which it passes. sk i „k•"Irood which is a larger river than the Urghun - W ll5 th e Helmund after a course of 150 miles. 141 1 1hr oo d is a still larger stream ; it has a course and it is uncertain whether it reaches the i tci k ii i leatan, or is lost in the sands. The Lora, which tae k tl c tli' l , l ,e south of Affghanistan, has a western course I Colin:an mcuntains of 200 miles, where it dis ,,ll, orore it reaches the Helmurid. AND ITS THIBUT.PI.I3,IES. N'''% l ,`is, which forms the eastern boundary of Aff- ' k i; r 11 10 may be accounted, from its volume of water, nt t , ; eagth of its course, which has been traced h h:',,Ts from its mouth, and which has its source , t h e l Z l er, one of the :greatest rivers in the world. j ; ' . v(Ts of Affghanistan it alone is navigable, 4 t tle use is made of it fur this purpose. All the No c ," 4 this country which take their rise in the m. e , s oosh mountains are tributary to this great he Caubul is the drain of all the waters which I ;iZttlii;" southern declivity of the Hindoo Cooah q is : 3 ,,* The most important river which it re c"Le Xaushkaur, which has its rise beyond the Vkll t " 3 0Sh range, in the same snowy peak which ti • ' l) qt l t h e sources of the Oxus ; it rushes with violence into the valley of the Caubul d eli it joins about 100 miles west of the Indus. Mlir,"'n, the Indus is joined by the Koorum, i', 4 loa o l% iest. The only river south of this which the Indus is the Goinul, which, however, 1 0i4„ e ,r 1 it is swollen by the rains, never reaches being generally consumed the irriga 4'„e9antry. The Indus is navigable, according ,r - Qarnes, from Attock to the sea ; this com in4tance of about 1,600 miles : the river at this l itill % ;,° Miles broad, and the current three and a half 40 0 r. The width at Bukkur, where a bridge , i yh t across the stream, is 1,800 feet : the depth 30 k ,‘ tli etl rrent three miles and 72 yards per hour. It is t;t 4 ' 4 tl j„„rvery sudden rises, and has been known to ki j again three feet in a day and a half : the l et ,‘l'k:N.: (l kl'-ess of sailing vessels against the stream is 4t1,. 11 ,!r- day. During the dry season, the Indus is b fret deep below the Punjab, and half a mile • AJ ,r . k --urivrENT or THE .&PPGMANS. 4 1 '41 1 1 4 ACTION IN EMERGENCIES. — The rude and Lktti le aterials of a free constitution are presented N I :t1 1 - Z 1 3' the political institutions of the Affghans. tt) k k t ll tts form of Government, the nation is sup *n4a4 its origin from four tribes, which are di 't families into inferior clans, until no more ' l / 4 44 1 . 'itinilies are included in the last subdivision. 8) Who axe the chiefs of them) tribes, are elected in general by the King, while the choice of the people elects the "head of one of the inferior divisions. The collection of the royal revenue, and the raising of the militia are, by the aristocratic tribes, committed to the Khan, and owing to the exercise of these duties, and the emoluments of his office, especially in cases where he presides over a numerous tribe, he derives extensive power and influence. Each inferior division of the tribe has its respective head, and in cases of emergency all the tribes meet together and form a general assembly, called a Jeerga, which, with the Khaa presiding over it, deliberates and decides in all matters of public impoi tance. The liemis of the inferior branches of the tribes hold similar assemblies, which decide on minor matters, and are guided by the same rules as the greater convention. When wars arise among the different tribes, it is the business of the assemblies to provide the means of car rying them on, to concert the plan of operations, or settle the term of peace. They have the power, along with the Khan, to call out the fighting :nen of the tribe, or they ina,y levy taxes for any purpose of public utility. 701.1TERS OF .T a'7.; SOlrgßal'lGN AND THE ILHAYCS. The Affghan nation, consisting of numerous rude democracies, is firmed into one State by the su preme authority of the Sovereign. He is the .natural head of the tribe of Dooratmee, the greatest, .bravest, and most civilised in the nation. He has, besides, a general superintendence over the whole kingdom, .and may levy troops or money from ~each tribe for the common defence. But his authority is not equally re spected by all the tribes. In the . plains around the towns, throughout a considerable portion of the country, and in all the foreign provinces, he rules v.ith full power, and collects a revenue, and maintains an army, without the aid of the Khans or the popular assemblies. He employs for this purpose officers of his own appoint merit, : 1. A Haukim, who collects the revenue, and commands the miiitia. 2. A Sirdar, ho commands the regular troops, and whose duty it is to enforce submission to the Haukim. 3. The Cauzy, who presides over the administration of justice. 4. The heads of tribes, and under them the heads of the divisions of tribes, act in the revenue and police de partments, under the Haukim and the Sirdar. Where the royal authority is strong, the Khans have compat atively little influence ; but, on the other hand, where it is weak, it is frequently resisted by the power ful influence of the Khans, who form the aristocracy of the land, as their authority is also rvisted by the infe rior assemblies • and it sometimes 'happens that these assemblies differ with each other i about the limits of th e i r o wn p owers ; an d hence the democra tic tribes are often involved in ',dissension by this complicated collision of rival authorities. In the concerns of some of the tribes the i lKing never inter feres ; he merely levies supplies of niefiey for the public service, which, notwithstanding the itesence of one of the royal Sirdars, are frequently withheld or granted ac cording to the discretion of the Khan; and in like manner the Khan and the Cauzy contend with more or less suc cess, according to the state of the King's authority, f or the exercise o the judicial power. One or two tribes, such as the Eusofyes, in the eastern corner of the country, set the King at defiance, and boast of their independence. SPIRIT OF CLANSHIP. —The nation being divided into tribes, which continue much unmixed, each under its own peculiar government, and with little interference from the royal power, undergoes, in the spirit of clan ship which prevails, and which is eminently ex c l us i ve a 'continued series f feuds. These clans appear to be but :little attached to . their chiefs, but very strongly to their tribe : they are jealous of interference, and their republican spirit has preserved the country . from de generating into the ordinary oriental despotism. The reply made to an English traveller, who expatiated on the freedom from alarm, blood, and discord which must ensue from a more steady government was, " We are content with discord, we are content with alarms, we are content with blood, but we will never be content with a master." AGUICULtUR.EI7. COMIVIUNITir. The agricultural community in Afghanistan is divided nto five classes of cultivators : 1. The proprietors, who cultivate their own lands 2. Tenants, who pay a rent in money, or in part of he produce. 3. Buzgurs, who, like the metayers, are supplied with seed, cattle, the implements of husbandry, and furnish only their labour. 4. Hired labourers; and 5. Villeins, who are the property of the landlord. Landed property, from the influence of various causes, is more equally divided in Affghanistan than in most other countries. By the operation of the Mahomedan law, which divides the father's property equally among his children, the largest landed estates are soon broken down ; and it also has the effect of rendering these por tions too small for the support of their proprietors, they are consequently sold to those who have acquired wealth in public employments, or by agriculture or commerce. Hence small proprietors, who cultivate their own lands, either with the aid of their families or labourers, are nume rous. The number of tenants is not great : some of these subset it to others, who let it to metayers. The common term of a lease is ono - or two years: the longest is for five. The rent varies from one-tenth to two-thirds of the produce, the latter being the rent of the fertile lands around Caubul. The value of land is from nine to twelve years' produce. Labourers in husbandry are paid by the season, which is about nine months. They receive besides food and clothing, 30 rupees, equivalent to 3/. 10s. In towns the price of labour is 4d. a day with food : in Candahar it is littween Cid. and 7cl. The price of provisions is moderate. In Candahar, _coin of the value of tenpence, would purchase five pounds of wheat flour : and at Peshawur, the price of flour to the British mission was 16 pounds for a single rupee of the value of 2s. 4d. rEunz:Lzslic OP ArrGHANISTAN. Bold and independent, the Affghan people; for. the. most part, spurn the restraints of law, and their govern ment, though it contains in it the elements of freedom, fails entirely in the great end of securing to the com munity the blessings of good order and peace. Among so great a variety of independent communities, imper fectly controlled by the royal authority, wars arise which are waged with great fierceness, and in which the tumultuary 'militia of the tribes frequently come to blows, and waste each others territories. Private re venge also, though prohibited by the laws, is sanctioned by practice ; it is accordingly resorted to by all classes, and is accounted the inalienable right of every freeman. Hence family feuds arise, which are not only carried on with bitterness at the time, but being transmitted from generation to generation, produce a long-continued course of violence and bloodshed. Affghanistan, with its bold and turbulent aristocracy, and the rude inde pendence of its people, presents a lively picture of the state of society in Europe under the feudal system, when every potent baron could defy the authority of the Crown, and when, owing to the private feuds of the nobles, the whole country was frequently one general scene of rude commotion. But the liberty of the Af ghans, notwithstanding all its disadvantages, is prefer able to a state of despotism. The rude and stormy in dependence which they enjoy gives to the national cha racter a manly and he ro i c cas t,. ,inspires the Affg han with proud and elevated sentiments, and raises him, in point of courage and intelligence, far above the wretched slaves of Asiatic despotism. The Affghan himself, far from desiring to exchange his disorderly independence for .the peace of tyranny, glories in the freedom of his institutions ; and it is well observed by Elphinstone, that a European visiting the country, however he might lament that the inhabitants were " trained by their un happy situation to fraud and malice, to rapine, deceit, and revenge, could yet scarce fail to admire their martial and lofty spirit, their hospitality, and their bold and simple manners, equally removed from the suppleness of the citizen, and the awkward rusticity of the clown ; and he would probably discover before long, among so many qualities that excited his disgust, the rudiments of many virtues." jUDICLAX I ZNSTITII rxoNs. The judicial institutions of the Affghans, more espe cially where the royal authority is superseded, as it fre quently is, by that of the Khans, are rude and imperfect. There are no regular tribunals of justice. nor any orga nized system of police. The popular assemblies of the tribes, composed of Khans, mulliks, or elders, assisted by moollahs, and even by grave and experienced• persons of inferior rank, discharge the functions of judges in crimi nal cases. Petty offences are settled by the elders of the villages in which they occur ; and in loosely governed tribes, every village or subdivision acts for itself. When the members are assembled, they hear the accuser's story, and after examining witnesses and other evidence, they proceed to give judgment. The right of private revenge, which is congenial to the habits of a barbarous nation, is but feebly restrained by the judicial tribunals. Among several of the tribes the adjustment of disputes is attempted by' mediation and persuasion, to which the chiefs and the elders lend their influence. But if, not withstanding this mediation, the aggressor refuses com pensation, and the injured party to forgive, the latter is no longer restrained from pursuing his revenge. Among some tribes, the obstinate party is compelled to yield obedience to the award of the Court. The general law of the country is that of Mahomet ; but there is the code of Poosh toon-Wallee, or the peculiar usages of the Affghans, which has all the force of law. In towns justice is ad ministered by the Cauzy, who decides both in civil and criminal cases, aided by the moofties. There is an officer named Ameeni Mehkemeh, who takes charge of all deposits ; and the Darogha of the Adawlut superin tends the whole proceedings. There are also three officers who superintend the police of the towns. But in the judicial as well as the police departments, the greatest abuses are said to prevail, and justice is frequently sold to the highest bidder. THE IVIOOLYALUIS, on PRITISTS OP .11.1"PG1-111.1VIS-X'AN. The Moollahs, or Mahomedan priests, are a most in fluential body, and are regarded by the Affghans with extraordinary reverence. They are most powerful in Peshawur and some other parts. These priests are gene rally taught to read the Persian classics and the Arabic grammar ; after which they repair to Bukharia or Peshawur, or some other seat of Mahomedan learninm, where they are initiated in logic, law, theology, and the system of physics in vogue in the East, as well as history, poetry, and medicine, which last is a favourite study. The Moollahs are not so intolerant as Mahome dans generally are; and the people, when they are not in stigated by tlietn, are still less disposed to religious persecu tion. Yet they frequently gratify their private enmities by raising a charge of heresy . against obnoxious individuals, and exposing them to persecution. In the remote dis tricts of the country an insult to any of these person ages would of itself be sufficient to raise a tumult. The Hindoos in Affghanistan are allowed the free use of their religion, though they are prohibited from all reli gious processions or public exposure of their idols. But .among so rude a people, dissenters from the popular creed can have little security for their freedom ; and, among the Affghans, accordingly, there not wanting some cruel examples of religious tyranny. Yet the undoes, though they are held to be impure, and though no strict man would consent to eat meat of their dressing, are em ployed in situations of public trust and emolument, and appear to enjoy as much security as the other inhabi tants. There is scarcely a petty community throughout the nation which does not make its own arrangements for the support of the Moollahs, the order of Mahomedan priests, and for the maintenance and reception of stran gers into the tribe, whom it is always reckoned a duty to treat with peculiar attention. POWEPR. 07 TEE 1T1007.7.11213. Being entrusted with the education of youth, the prac tice of the law, and the administration of justice, and in possession of 2:11 the learning and science which are to be found in the country, the Aloollahs take the lead in all the, popular assemblies, or in judicial proceedings, and are frequently of . use in moderating the violence of an ignorant pc )pie. In some circumstances they are enabled, by their buy‘rior knowledge and habits of business, to exercise an almost unlimited influence- over individuals, and even over bodies of men ; to check and control the governors and other civil - officers, and sometimes even to control and overawe the power of the Crown itself. But the most powerful sway possessed by them is the -hold and. authority which they poseess in the edu cation of the youth of the country. All the Aff ghans are sent in their infancy to a Moollah for edu cation, by whom they are frequently taught nothing more than some prayers and passages of the Koran, and the ceremonies of their religion. A great portion of them consequently remain in a state of great ignorance, and even often unable to read their own language. Mool lahs are retained by the rich in their own houses for the education of their children, by whom they are taught Persian and Arabic. The Affghans hare no literature of their own, beyond a few patriotic songs or tales of love, of which passion they speak in the most romantic strain. The-Mahomedan religion exercises, as usual, its injurious influence on the character and condition of the women, who, especially among the higher classes, are shrouded in concealment. Polygamy is allowed, and any woman may be divorced at the caprice of her hus band. Among the lower classes the women do all the house .drudgery, and, among ruder tribes, the work of the men out-of-doors. SLAVERY.—SIavery j.s permitted, as in all Dfahomedan countries. The greater part of the slaves are born at home ; but supplies are received of Abyssinians, and negroes from Arabia, and of Persians from the inhabi tants of Beloochistan, who seize them in their forays. Caufirs are purchased from their own nation, or carried off by some of their own border tribes. These last are generally women esteemed for their beauty. MANNERS OF THE PEOPLE.—The low state of know ledge among the Affghans is evinced by some of their favourite studies and amusements. They are greatly addicted to alchemy and magic : they place implicit faith in ghosts, dreams, arts of divination, talismans, genii, and demons. Grown up men' play at marbles; prisoners -base,' quoits, and a game like hunt the slipper, are also common, as are wrestling and other trials of strength and skill. Fighting-quails, dogs, rams, and even camels, are much admired. Some of their sports, however, are more manly. The chase is the favourite amusement of all classes, for which abundance of game in the country affords ample scope. Horse-racing is common. An amusement of the better classes is to tilt with their lances, or to shoot at a mark with carbines or matchlocks on horseback ; or with guns, or bows and arrows on foot. They also practise a complicated sort of dance, which gives them great delight. THE IN TRADE AND COMMERCE. Destitute of proper roads or navigable rivers, the trade of Affghanistan, by reason of its being an inland country, and mountainous, is carried on entirely by beasts of burden. 'Wheeled carriages not being known, camels are the animals chiefly employed. The principal trade is with India, Persia, and Chinese and Independent Tartarv. The caravans which set out fur Tartary con• sist of horses or ponies, which are alone able to traverse roads that lie in one part over the mountainous ridges of the Hindoo Coosli. They set off from Cashmere and Peshawur. Caubul is the great mart of Independent Tartary; Candahar and Herat that of Persia. Merchants ordinarily travel at the rate of about eight or ten miles a day in large caravans, the roads often lying through close and craggy defiles and narrow ' stony valleys; among bare mountains, or along the beds of torrents, or over waste plains, where there is neither water nor provisions. The trade of the north of India centres in Peshawur. That which crosses the desert, from Jypore and other countries still further south, comes to Shikarpoor, Bahawulpoor, and Moult= ; and that which is carried on by sea comes to Koratchee, and thence to Shikarpoor and Candahar. The exports to Hindostan, which form the most considerable trade car ried on by the Affghans, consist of horses and ponies, which chiefly come from Balk, on the northern side of the Hindoo Coosh mountains : furs, shawls, made at Cashmere, and fruits. The imports are coarse cotton cloths, which are worn by all the common people of the country: muslins, silken cloth, brocade, 'indigo in great quantities, ivory, chalk, bamboos, wax, tin, sandal-wood, sugar, musk, coral, drugs, and spices of all kinds. To Independent Tartar-, the exports are chiefly white cloth, `shawls, India turbans, chintz, and indigo previously ex= ported from India. The imports arehorses, gold - , and silver; the latter consist of the gold coin of Bukharia, Dutch ducats, Venetian sequins, and ingots of silver from China: cochineal, cloth, British hardware, looking glasses, Russian leather from Bukharia, to which place they come from Russia ; also a fine cloth, made from camel's wool. The exports to Persia are shawls and shawl goods, indigo, carpets of Herat, chintz, Indian brocades, muslins, and other cotton cloths. The imports are raw silk, silken stuffs, a coloured cotton manufacture, and silken manufactures, which are used in quantities by all ranks; embroidered satin, velvet, and Persian bro cade. which are confined to the rich. Indian chintz, manufactured at Masulipatam, on the Coromandel coast., comes by sea to Bushire, in the Persian Gulf, and is thence- brought-by- land :to Affghanistan, where it is much used. The exports to Chinese Turtary are the same ,as to Bukharia. The imports are woollens, Chinese silk and satin; - tea in small boxes of thin lead, china, porcelain, raw silk, cochineal, crystal, gold dust, and ingots of gold and silver, with the Chinese stamp. The inhabitants of the towns differ in their origin and character from the cultivators and peasantry. The . greater part of them in the western country consists of a race called. Tanjiks, originally descended from the Arabs and Persians ; and in the east of Hintlikies, who are of Indian origin. No AfTgban ever keeps a shop, or exercises any handicraft trade. Those employments are chiefly left to the classes mentioned above, and to the Persians, some of whom have acquired great wealth. The banking business is chiefly prosecuted by . the Ilin doos. They lend money at an enormous interest by negotiating bills of exchange ; and they occasionally ac commodate Government with loans, for which they re ceive billy on the revenues of the provinces. Many of them are 'rich, and they conceal their wealth. Mr. Elphinstone relates that one of them who gave him cash for bills on India, would only make his payments in the dead otnight, when he dug up the money, and paid it with the utmost secrecy. The food Of the common people is leavened bread, rice, flesh, vegetablas, sometimes cheese, and always dried curds, of which all classes are fond. Provisions are cheap, and there is a prodi gious abundance of fruit. POLICE AND IWILITAZZY. There is a very strict police in the towns, which being exercised by the Mahomedan priests, often affords pretexts for extortion ; but this body of men is gene rally defective : watchmen are appointed in all large towns, paid by the inhabitants of the different wards. Parties are stationed in dangerous places for the protec tion of travellers, who find, however, the purchase of security from the clans a more efficient guard. The military of Affghanistan may be estimated at 30,000. One-third of these are Gholaums, or militar3 adventurers, who enlist for life • about 10,000 are fur nished by landholders at a stated rate ; and a large con tingent is supplied by the Dooratmee clan, as the condi tion on which they hold their lands. Their soldiers are chiefly horsemen, and their arms are swords and match locks. CLANS or APPGWANXSTAN. It would be difficult to enumerate the variety of clans into which the Affghan nation is divided ; nor does it appear necessary, as a list of names would throw no light on the different tribes. One important distinction however divides the community into two great classes-- namely, the pastoral tribes, who live in tents; and who migrate with the season in quest of subsistence for their flocks and herds ; and those, again, who follow agricul ture, and have fixed habitations. The country of Aff ghanistan which is near the hills, consists of flat and low lying plains, or of strongly-marked ranges of mountains. Western Affg-hanistan has an entirely opposite character, consisting of extensive and'open plains, inhabited chiefly by pastoral tribes. The wandering hordes select the grassy valleys among the mountains for their summer habitation ; but the approach of winter warns them to pin quest of more genial regions ; and they accord ingly migrate, some to the lower valleys at the foot of the Paropamisan mountains, some to the low countries in the south, and others of the'rnore purely pastoral tribes, wandering from the mountain-valleys of Khorassan, along the course of the Gomul, and across the Soliman hills, fix their winter habitations in the plains of Damattn, along the western .shores of the Indus. THE DOonAtncEES.—The Dooraunees, who occupy a tract in the plain of • Khorassan, 400 miles in length by about 148 in breadth, form one of the greatest pastoral tribes. It consists of many subordinate tribes, all of whom are more or less addicted to the wandering life ; though a considerable proportion combine agriculture with pasturage, and have fixed residences. The pastoral part of the Dooraunee people are mostly to be found in the eastern hilly tracts near the frontiers of Persia, between Herat and Seestan, and in the waste - lands to the south. TRIBES IN THE VICINITY OF CANDAHAR.—TO the south-east of Candahar the inhabitants are shepherds ; in other parts of the country the husbandman and shep herds are intermixed. North of Candahar, the mi grating tribes seek the plains in wi n t er , an d die hills in summer. Those to the south retire from the summer • heat to the northern hills. The numerous tribes still farther south beyond the Helmand, also quit the plains, which are thus left without a single inhabitant before the middle of spring. Tue NAUSSERS.—These people, in especial, with some others, are purely pastoral in their habits,•living in tents, having no fixed dwelling-place, and regularly wandering with the change of season from their winter to their sum mer habitation. At the appointed time they assemble and march in a body, amounting to 30,000 people, with their numerous flocks and camels, and their whole possessions, and are encamped in about 200 tents. These shepherds are a ll plunderers,' and no single travellers, if they are rich, are safe in. any part of the country. They are fi erce and warlike in their actions, and enterprising in their habits. Their camps usually consist of from 10 to 50 tents : 100 is an unusually large number ; their tent is generally formed of coarse black camlet, imper , vious to rain. lAN SUN, LONDON, 1842. Irisro27 or `r'. n. fa,ZYGIIILN NATION. By an historical, but unfounded tradition, the Affghans claim a descent from Irmia or Birkia, son of. King Saul of Israel, but the first authentic accounts to be found of them is in the ninth century, when they were established in the mountains of Affghanistan, and when a Tartar officer, named Sebuctaghi, conquered them, and made Cililanee, or Ghizni, his capital. His son Mahmood greatly enlarged the limits .of his empire, which ex tended over the present kingdom - of Caubul, Balk, Baduksban, and a great part of Khorassan. Ili dynasty lasted till the year 1159, from which period till, the invasion of Baber in 1506, different dynasties reigned in Affghanistan without interruption. Genghis Khan and Tamerlane successively subdued the country. Haber conquered Canbul, and made it his capital ; but his sons, who extended his conquests to India, made Delhi their capital, and the two empires of Persia and Hindostan then divided the plains of Affghanistan be tween them, while•those who refused this yoke, retired to the mountains In 1720 , however, allegiance to Per sia was thrown off by the Affghan tribes, who advanced extendedp against Ispahan, and took it, but Nadir Shah repulsed them in 1728, and this celebrated" usurper, following up h f is subdued the whole o hispower - to the Indus, which continued sulject to Persia till his assassinati o n i s ag e l c l a s s n ' i s s ' ta h n ' , 'd, and b the )tea 7 9 in 1747. On this event an Affghari officer of the Dooraunee tribe, Ahmed Shah, who had risen to high command in Nadir's army, took possession of Candahar, and having united all the Atrglians under his authority, founded the present kingdom. This Prince was wise and politic, and he combined courage and activity with great military talents. He invaded Hindostan at different times, and in the memorable battle of Paniput, fought in 1761, on the 7th of January, he gave a de.cisive blow to the Mah ratta power. His successor was Timour Shah, who, after a despotic and indolent reign, was succeeded by his two sons, Homayoti and Zeman') Shah. Between these brothers war ensued, and, after defeating his elder bro ther, Zemaun in 1796 invaded Hindostan with a large army, and advanced to Lahore ; but an insurrection at home obliged him to return. The whole kingdom had acknowledged his authority after his former con test with his brother, but in 1800 Mahmood again rose in arms, and dethroned and deprived him of sight. Another brother, Soojah, expelled Mah mood in turn in 1803, who was hiniself again - ex pelled by the latter in 1809, and had a pension as signed him of 50,000 rupees per annum. Meantime leunjeet Singh, the Sheik chief of Lahore, profiting by the confusion, conquered Peshawar, the modern capital of Affghanistan. In 1818, Shah Soojah, impatient of retirement,•attemptted to regain his former dignity ; but failing in this, he was, with a lenity not common among Asiatic conquerors, allowed to retire with his pension ; and at the same time a pension was assigned to his blind brother Zemaun Shah. The two rival competitors, in 1826, Mahmood and Soojah, quietly resided, the latter within the British territories, and the former With his son Kamram, at Herat. The country was then parti tioned among the sons of Futteh Khan ; and Yar Maho med Khan was ruler over Peshawur. PLACES MADE REMARKABLE Bir LATE EVENTS. THE =HYBEN, PASS. The Khyber Pass is about thirteen miles in length : the hills on either side rise abruptly to the height of 1,000 to 1,500 feet ; the opening between them varies fpom 50 to 500 feet in width. Along this the road as cends, crossing a mountain stream of considerable mag nitude a number of times. At one point the road is cut out of solid rock : it stretches along the face of the cliff for about a mile, duri►:g which you ascend nearly 2,000 feet ; but it is no more in many places than twelve feet wide. The fort of Ali Musjid corn islands the most difficult portimn of the Pass ; it is built on the summit of a precipitous hill overhanging the road ; the fort is about 150 feet long, by 60 wide : the post is so unhealthy during the hot and rainy season, that it cannot be occupied by our troops, who are able to rema;n in it only during the winter. The rulers of Afighanistan have been in the habit, up till now, of pay ing the Khyberries 12,000/. a year for permission to use their passes for travellers, merchandise, and troops. In 1739 Nadir Shah gaire 100,0001. for leave to march his army through. seen in the neighbourhood • among the rest, and about three miles from the city, the tomb onSultan Mahmood, the conqueror of India ; it is spacious, but not sump tuous ; the large doors are of sandal. wood, and it is covered with a cupola. Report affirms, it to have been brought as a trophy from the temple of Somnaut, in Guzzerat. On a tombstone of white marble lies the mace of Mahmood, of such a Aveight that few - .can wield it. The Koran is constantly read over the grave, by Mahemedan priests, who are still retained. VALLEY OF THE TURNUK.—This Palley extends from Canclahar up to Ghuznee, a distance , )f 225 miles : it is bounded on each side by ranges of barren mountains, with sharp and precipitous sides : its: greatest breadth, which is at its lowest extremity, at tl to town of Canda har, is about 30 miles, the height of its peaks is 500 feet above the plain : the lower part of the - valley is a stony am barren waste. THE PUNJAB. This is the general name of the country lying between the Indus, or Attock, and Sutledge rivers. It is naturally divided into four Dooabs, or districts, by rivers descend ing from the mountains of Cashmere. FIRST DooAß.—The first of these districts lies be tween the Indus and the Jailum, and has a breadth of 147 miles. It is, however, the most barren portion of the Punjab, cut up in every direction by ravines ; fer tile spots, nevertheless, occur here and there, with fine streams. The road, as it approaches Jailum, drops into a narrow valley, on one side of which stands the gigantic fort of Rotas. Jailum river is a broad, clear stream ; its breadth from 350 to 400 yards, depth from six to ten feet, and current of two miles an hour. A considerable town, called also Jailum, is situated on its right bank. The population of this Dooab is scanty, and consists chiefly of Musselmans. SECOND Doonn.—Situated between the Jailum and Chenab rivers ; 46 miles broad ; this Dooab forms an extensive flat plain, varied by jungle, Indian villages, and cultivated tracts ; one or two good sized towns occur on the line of road ; this plain has many large wells, some of which in the centre are 50 feet deep ; by these the country is irrigated ; wheat, grain, sugar-cane, and cotton are the chief crops : the Chenab river is a clear, smooth stream, about 100 yards broad, and 100 feet deep. THIRD DOOAB.—This Dooab lies between the Chenab and Ravee rivers, and is 76} miles wide. It is a hard, dry, level plain, two-thirds of which are uncultivated. Scvcral considerable towns run along the line of road, and there are some populous villages with tracts of good cultivation. The great want of rain for the last three years (1340)_has thrown much land out-of cultivation. The' lavee is the smallest of all the rivers which form the Punjab : its breadth being 200 feet: it is fordable. FounTAT DooAn.—The last Dooab lies between the Ravee and Sutledge rivers, and is 44i miles broad ; its villages are few and miserabl e ; t h e wells are deeper than in the other districts ; it has a large town, or rather group of towns, called RuSsoor, about 16 miles from the Sutledge ; this river is the largest of all the rivers in the Punjab, which does not include the Indus ; it is not fordable, but the current is very gentle. P 071.'17LATION 573-rE wrEnv3An. Its present capital, Atnritsir, has a population of 100,000 souls ; Lahore, on the Ravoe, 80,000 inhabitants : moultan, onthev Chenaub, 60,000 i nha bi tants : Hydera bad, on the Indus, the capital of Scindc, 20,000: Tatta containing 15,000, and CuraChee about the same num ber. In the Thurr, or desert of.Scinde, are several large towns, as Jessulmeer, with 20,000 inhabitants : Jhoud poor, the capital of Marwar, with 60,000 : rani, a com mercial town, with 50,000 Mairta with 20,000, and Nagore with 40,000 inhabitants. PLAIN AND TOWN pEsmavrint. With the exception of a slip fifteen miles wide to the East, Peshawur is surrounded by mountains on every side, and the plain in which it is .situated is nearly circular, and about fifteen miles in diameter. This plain is well watered, and always green ; and is remarkable for its high cultivation. The city is about five miles round, and contains 100,000 inhabitants ; part of the town i s flooded during the spring rains, at which period it is rendered an un wholesome residence. The houses - are built of brick, and are three stories high : 'the streets are paved, and have a gutter in the centre, but they are nevertheless narrow and slippery. Peshawur plain lies between the Khyber pass and the town of Peshawur, and has a de scent - of 600 feet from the former to the town, and about as much more to the Indus. The Caubul river flows down the plain about eight miles north of the city, where it has a fine broad stream of.nearly 200 yards in breadth. The town of Peshawur is 15 miles from the Khyber hills, and 44 from the Indus : its height is 106 feet above the - sea. SZLLILLAZ/1.71 TO P.TiSIiAWUIt. The road distance between these two places is ninety miles ; that portion from Jellalabad to within fifteen miles of Peshawur is very strong, consisting of barren and stony plains, with cross ranges of hills ; the river runs some distance along their northern margin, and then passes through narrow gorges, among the rocks, while the road clambers over the high hills, called the Landi Khana pass, in performing which an elevation of 3,400 feet is gained. A steep descent from the height leads into a narrow valley, extending from east to west fur about nine miles, and on the east of which is the top or entrance to. the Khyber. pass, or narrow ravine, between steep hills, and twelve miles in length. The elevation at its head or top is about 3,000 feet, and at its foot 1,670, and four mites from the top, on a conical hill, which rises up in the centre of the pass, is the tort of Ali Musjid. A line stream gushes out of the sand and rocks at the head of the p ass , and rushes down its bed. Gundamuk, which may be considered ns the commencement of the valley of Jellalabad, is at a considerable height, 4,600 feet; and for the ne x t t en m ile s overwt within i il a l Jellalabad hilly country, which i s cut by deep ravines, having a descent of 2 , 4 0 0 feet,a very r ough and s t ony road lea d s n undulating before reaching the plain in which Jellalabad stands. here .the change is agreeable : rocks are converted into a fertile plain, with villages and forts. ZELLILLAIIIID. bjouliallb 400 a houses. is us a v. esurrounded town,by poor,mud Ball ; and with a it is si tuated 2,000 feet above sea-level. It stands nearly e t l o ry s mal in the centre of a plain, having a b rea d t h of ten or twelve miles, and extending from west to east for . about twenty. The river banks have numerous villages, and are sometimes fertale, and at ot h ers stony. At the foot of the gigantic range of the Safeid Koh many villages are clustered or p erc h ed up i ts slopes ; the Caubul river is here broad and rapid ; it can be forded in several places, and travellers cross it on bullocks' hides stuffed with straw. CZar/lUL TO Z.P.331. - LaraiMAD. The distance between these two places is 105 miles, and the line of road on leaving Caubul, descends for the first ten miles. The next ten lead through a lonz and nar row defile, down which runs a brawling Aii erm ; the whole breadth of the pass is covered with a mass of peb bles and bmilders : its top is higher . than Ca u b u t being 7,500 feet above the sea. Ten miles beyo n d thi s d e fil e stands Tuzeen, the elevation of which is 8,200 fee,t, which slopes into a valley the road throngh the last twenty miles is as steep and dreadful as . can Well be passed. The sole inhabitants of this miserable region, aro a few starved wretches living in pl aces excavate d out of the rocks. GIIUZITEE. This city, in north latitude 30 deg. 11 sec., and 68 deg. 57 min. east longitude, was once the capital of an empire reaching from the Tigris to the Gange3, and the most splendid buildings in Asia adorned it. Its former , gran deur 4 5 however, s now reduced to 15,000 mean dwell ings.. Some rema i ns of its magnificence are still to be CANDIIIIATt.. The city of Candahar, which unlike, any other city, is chiefly inhabited by Affghans, who Lave conformed externally to the habits of "the Persianz, is situated in 32 deg. 10 min., north latitude, 66 ch tg. 30 min., east longitude. Its form is oblong, and its plan perfectly re gular; four streets meet in the centre, in a circular place, fifty yards in diameter, surmounted by a, dome. This is denominated the Chawrsoo (sha.leshee), and is a public market-place, surrounded by shops. The four principal streets are fifty 'yards in width, lined with shops, and extending to the gates of • the city.. The smaller streets are narrow but straight, and all cross at right angles. The present city is quite modern, and was founded by Ahmed Shah in 1754. That King made it the capital of his dominions ; but on die accession of Timour Shah, in 1774, the seat of government was re moved to Caubul. It is built on the site of ate ancient city, : conjectured to have been one of those founded by Alex ander the Great. The town is well watered by canals from lirghundaub; a tributary of the Helmund , and a small stream runs through almost every street. The tomb of Ahmed Shah, covered by a gilt cupola, sittands near the King's Palace, and is held as a sacred asylum, the King himself not darinc , to take a criminal from it. Canda har is large anepopulous, and is supposed to contain 100,000 inhahitants. THE KHOTEH Am RAN HILLS AND TF KOJIDE KOTUL Pess.—These hills lie on the line of road between the valleys of Kuch-ak, Pisheen, and Candtshar. The height of the pass is about 7,500 feet above the sea level, and the ascent, for the two last miles, is very steep : vege tation is luxuriant. VALLEY OF KOJUR AND PISHEEN.—These valleys lie between Kwettah and the foot of the Khojeh Ainran hills. The valley of Pisheen is the mast fertile ; but grain is scarce and dear. It is studded with villages, gardens t and waters. Wells are sunk at the distance of every fifteen or twenty yards. H.ViET'I I IIIE. This town is small. It is the capital of the district of Shawl, and within a few miles distance of the Bolan pass. Its height above sea level is 5,500 feet. It is poor and miserable, consisting of a mud fort on a mound, with about 400 wretched mud hovels at ins foot. The district of Shawls situated between 29 deg. 50 min. and 30 deg. 50 min. of north latitude, and 66 deg. 4 min. and 67 deg. 20 min. of east longitude. It is bounded on the north by the Zakatoo mountains, on the south by the Bolan range, and on the west by Chuhaltan. 1301.14.7. Z PASS. This pass commences near the town of Dadur : it is 50 miles long, and runs through mountains about 1,200 feet high : the road is only the bed of a. river: at its opening this pass is three miles wide ; but in some parts is contracted to 150 yards wide. At the outlets towards liwettali the passage is not more than 30 feet wide: and is between two perpendicular walls of rock. The ascent is very gradual: at Dadur; it is 740 feet above the sea, and at the highest part it is 7,090 feet : the average rise is therefore 125 feet 'per mile : but the ascent is much less in the lower part, and conside rably greater during the last thirty miles. The Bolan river runs through a part of the pass, and is a consider able stream, sometimes impassable for the floods ; but as you approach Kwettah water becomes scarce, and is found only at certain seasons. The cold in the pass is intense at Dusht-i-be-Dowlat, which is a barren place 6,700 feet above the level of the sea. The column under the command of Sir Willoughby Cotton entered the pass on the 24th of June, 1839, and occupied eight days in passing through it. HISTORY OP ASIATIC coNgunrcons. On the decline of the Empire of the Caliphs the Tur comans created great chancres among the dynaities of Asia. Seljuk hoisted a standard which led to many victories, and his followers embraced Mahomedanism. Togrol Bee, his grandson, continued the career of his predecessor. Alp Arslan his nephew was both a conqueror and encourager of learning. The suc ceeding reign of Malek Shah is an epoch in the annals of Asia. Such was the vastness of his power, that from the Caspian Sea to Damascus, from the bor ders of China to the Persian Gulf; his will was law. Zenghis Khan next changed the geography of Asia ; the irruption of his Moguls was second to a deluge : he ravaged vast parts of China. The four hundred thou sand soldiers of Korasur, in Persia, he numbered with the dead ; and from the Caspian Sea to tho Indus his violations were unremittingly pursued. His descendants stormed and sacked Bagdad ; China they subjugated, and Rome was threatened at its gates. In the century suc ceeding his death, Timour Bek, or Tamerlane, having made himself master of the city of Balk, began an un exampled career. In Southern Asia, he trampled upon all opposition, and such was his power, that from Rus sia, India, Egypt, and Arabia, messengers were sent to supplicate his friendship or deprecate his wrath. In spite of his exclamation to the citizens of Damas cus, " You behold me here, a poor, lame, de crepid mortal; I am not a man of blood, and God knows that in all my wars I have never been the aggressor," the population of the East was fright fully diminished : and his great amusement was to pile in a pyramid the skulls of the thousands he had slain. - At Delhi he massacred a hundred thousand in his camp. He took the metropolis of India, and millions of Hindoos were sacrificed. At length the ruin of China .was determined, but on the field of Otrar, three hun dred miles from that city, a fever closed the life of Timour, and saved China from destruc tion. Sultan Baber, a descendant of Tamerlane, received submission of India, and the title of Emperor of Hindos tan. Ackbar, his grandson, by his liberality and policy, established the Indian empire, and his grandson, Shah Jehan, restored to Delhi the magnificence and splendour of a great metropolis. Under Aurungzebe, who lumped the throne, the empire of the Great Moguls, as the sove reigns of India were called, was elevated to the zenith of its pr:,sperity and power. His death was the virtual disso lution of the empire. This was in 1707. The governors of provinces rebelled, the officers of state ruled the country, and the descendaßts of Timour were mere pageants of monarchy. The conquests, cruelties, and extortions of Nadir Shah, the Persian usurper, accelerated the decline of this debilitated power ; until, in the beginning of the nineteenth century, the Great Mogul became dependent upon the British East India Company, and many of the pro vinces which formerly constituted the strength of his empire, became subject to their dominion. WII"ZinCIEET ICH.AZT. Futteh Khan, the active Vizier of the King Mahmood, was singular of character in many respects, and strange accounts are found to attach to his name : among them the following:—A rival of his, a Dooraunee nobleman,of the name of Meer Alum, who aspired to the office of Vizier, insulted him, and even went so far as to knock out one of his fiont teeth. The injury was to all appearance forgiven, for Meer Alum subsequently married the sister of Futteh Khan, but the alliance was only formed that the latter might the more easily be revenged upon Meer Alum. The night before the battle of Ispahan, (a village that marks one of Soojah's defeats, but before he was King.) Futteh Khan seized upon his unfortunate brother-in law, and put him to death. The Vizier's sister threw herself at her brother's feet, anti asked why he murdered her husband. " What!" said he in surprise, " have von more regard for your husband than for your brother's honour ! Look at my broken teeth, and know that the insult is now avenged ! If you are in grief at the loss of a husband, I'll marry you to a mule-driver." This incident, says Sir Alexan der Burnes, is not a bad illustration of the boisterous manners and feelings of the Affghtins. A saying among them bids one fear the more, when an apparent recon ciliation has taken place by an intermarriage. The end of Futteh Khan was a remarkable illustration of the inconstancy of power in the East, as well as a striking instance of the ingratitude of the princes whom he served so faithfully. After restoring Mahmood to his kingdom, Futteh Khan managed the whole affairs of the Affghannation with wisdom and vigour, while the monarch abandoned himself to indolence and debauchery. Futteh Khan profited by his master's weakness, and distributed the different ,governments of the kingdom among his numerous brothers. The King's son, Prince Caumran, betrayed the strongest discontent and displeasure at the Vizier's proceedings, and being opposed to some ambitious designs which he entertained, he resolved to rid himself of such a powerful and formidable per sonage ; and succeeded in convincing his father that he might govern the . country, now that it was consolidated, without the assistance of his Vizier. Having obtained his father's permission to the step, Caumran embraced an opportunity which presented itself at Herat, where he seized:Futteh Khan, and immediately ordered that his eyes should be put out. The Vizier's death took place in the year 1818, and an act so merciless, imme diately drove the whole of Futteh Khan's brothers into rebellion. • The tragedy which terminated the life of Futteh Khan Barukzye, is, perhaps unparalleled in the modern history of the East. Blind and bound he was led into the Court of Mahmood, whom he had made King, and whom he had recently go verned with absolute rower. The King taunted and mocked him, and desired him to use his influence with his brothers to return to their allegiance. Futteh Khan replied without fear, and with great fortitude, that he was now but a poor blind man, and had no concern with affairs of state. Mahmoml, irritated at his obsti nacy, gave the last orders for his death ; and this high minded, but unfortunate man, , was deliberately cut to pieces by the sycophants of the Court. Joint was sepa rated from joint, limb from limb ; his nose and ears were lopped off: nor had the vital spark fled, till the head was separated from the mangled trunk. Futteh Khan endured these tortures without a groan. Ile stretched out his limbs to his cruel executioners, and exhibited the same careless indifference, the same reckless contempt for his own life, as he had so often shown for that of others. The bloody remnants of this ill-fated chief were gathered in a cloth and sent to Ghuznee, where they were interred. BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES. SHAH SOOZAH-00L-MOOLIE. This, the present King of Affghanistan, is of the Boo rannee tribe. lie is a handsome man, of good height. with a large, thick beard ; his complexion . is dark, and the expression of his countenance benevolent ; to many of the English he .is much attached. Shah Soojah lost his kingdom in 1809, at Meemla, in a battle against Futteh Khan, and to the army of the Indus he is indebted for its recovery, after thirty years' exile in a province of British India. On the breaking up of the camp after the storming o f Ghuznee, Shah Soojah accompanied the army on its march to Caubul. Whilst en route, intelli gence was received that Dost Mohamed had alvanced from Caubul to Irrghundee Bala, but finding his Kuzzilbashes unfaithful, he fled to Koondooz, leaving his artillery behind. On the 27th of August his Ma• jesty, Shah Soojah, made his solemn entrance into his capital, under British protection, and accompanied by Sir John Keane. In the early part of 1840 Dost Ma homei again collected a force of about 4,000 men, and gave battle. He was defeated at Yerevan Durra, when, having fled from the field of battle, he the next day ‘-nrrendered himself at Caubul to the British Envoy, Sir Macnaghten, at the Court of Shah Soojah. He was then sent with his son, Mahomed Hyder, under escort to British India, NUWA JUZZIA.R. I{2I.ELN. Nuwab (a corruption for Nabob) Jubbar Khan is brother of the Ameer Dost Mohamed, and was once Governor of Cashmeer ; he arrived at Ghuznee during its occupation by the B-itish forces, with offers of submission from Dost Mohamed to Shah Soojah, ex pressive of his willingness to cede to him all right to the city of Caubul, on condition that he should not be compelled to remain in a British province under surveil lance, maintaining at the same time his indefeasible right to the hereditary office of Wuzeer as head of the Barru kyes. At rejection of his proposition the old man ex pressed great indignation in his bluntness. , His house lies within a mile of Caubul. ABDOOL 12..A.NATUN ICHAN. This was one of the refractory Ghiljee chiefs, and was formally deposed by his Majesty Shah Soojah. His fort was at Killa-i-Murgha. On the approach of the Bri tish force, being deceived by one of his.allies ' he mounted his horse, with hi s th ree wives an d sister, dashed through the pickets of his fort, and escaped. The next morning, this fort, which had withstood two sieges by Shah Soojah during his former sovereignty, was und e r m i ne d and demolishd. NIISSEEE IEECAN. This lad, about fifteen years of age, and son of the late chief of the same name, showed much bravery at the storming of the fortress of Khelat, which he at tempted to recapture, and was successful, On the 4th Nov., 1840, he attacked the British force at Dadur, and sacked the town. He was then repulsed under Major Boseawen, and compelled to flee into Lheree ; he next entrenched himself at Koika in the Hill country, but was driven out by the attack of Lieutenant-Colonel Mar shall, and escaped with two followers cnly by climbing over a lofty hill. ETTNJEET SINGH. RUNJEET SINGH'S POWER —The death of the old Lion of the Punjab placed that fine dominion under the rule of his son Kurruck Singh. So long as the old chief held the reins of government, the turbulent and power ful Sirdars or chiefs remained in wilful subjection to him. Unable to read, yet his vigorous mind in early youth grasped the real position of himself and his neighbours. Although so diminutive as to be scarce above a dwarf's stature, he possessed indomitable bravery. His Court was filled with chiefs of higher family, sighing for inde pendence, but not daring to emancipate themselves from servile attendance on him. He passed his leisure in orgies and vices, and yet his servants were ever faithful and respectful. lle had not attained manhood when he led his troops to battle. He wrested the rich and valuable territories around Peshawur and up to the foot of the Khyber pass from the Affghans. The Mussulmans of the valley of Cashmere paid unwil ling tribute to the infidel Sikh, and nothing but our de sire to save the Ameers of Hyderabad. protected them also from the grasp of their powerful neighbour ; all these haughty followers of the Arabian Prophet trembled at the war-cry of the Sikh. The north, including Ladok, up to the borders of Thibet, and the south to INlittun Khote, trembled at his nod, and acknowledged his power ; and though he left that power in its full vigour, and his treasury heaped up with wealth, in two short years this vast fabric has crumbled, and the reign ing Prince is struggling to maintain his diminished do minion. RUNJEET SING'S GA RDENS.—IIe had a fancy for gar dens, of which he possessed many, all around Lahore, some few miles apart : in each was a small single-roomed villa, with a verandah all round, and on the flat roofs of these he often reared a small tent, in which he slept. His habit was to gallop from one to th e other of th ese in the cool season, suddenly ordering the light camp equi page (always ready) to meet him, and sometimes appoint ing his Court to wait on him, at other times with no more than his necessary attendants. HIS " IMMORTALS."—Runjeet's favourite regiment of Suwaurs, he called his " Immortals." Their uniform is a tunic of yellow silk, quilted ; the nether-man is clad in tight scarlet silk trousers ; and on the head a light steel helmet, 'round which is twisted a red silk turban, and altogether they glittered brightly. The shield of tough bull-hide, with its bright bosses, is usually slung behind each horseman's back ; and their picturesque arms are the curved scymitar, spear, or nfatchlock. The looks of pride and seat of grace of these dusky warriors, the gorgeous trappings of their steeds, which were the pride of Runjeet's stud, called forth the admi ration of all who saw them : and the interest was in- • creased, by knowing that this entire regiment, of 600 men, was of the same tribe, and ready to follow their beloved chief to death. THE BROTHER RAJAHR.—Dhian Singh (the Prime Minister), and Suchait Singh, arc both singularly hand some men. Dhian Singh, an Asiatic Mars, under a panoply of polished steel plate armour, moves as lightly as if clad in silk alone. Ills brother, the taller, is of a softer cast of beauty ; he dresses in haencaub and silk, and is on parade days one blaze of jewels. KURROCX SINGH, and his Son, NAO Kurruck Singh, the son and successor of liunjeet, was of weak intellect, and his sen, a fierce, dissolute boy, by name Nao Nihil Singh, soon put aside his father's authority, and for a time ruled in his name. Kurruck Singh, ere long, however, died, not without suspicion of being poisoned. Even before this, so open had been the young man's feelings of hostility to the British, further proved by the discovery of a treaty entered into with Nepaul against us, that Lord Auckland had no -resource but to prepare to meet the coming storm. Orders for the march were issued, and a noble force of 10,000 men were -put in motion towards the Sutledge. The campaign was contemplated by the troops in India with delight, but no sooner were they on the march, than the necessity for their movement vanished. When returning from the very funeral of the father he was suspected of having hurried to the grave, the young Prince was struck from the throne he had that same day ascended—a beam of wood falling on him as he passed through an archway, and killing him on the spot. SURRITIVI SINGH'S GARDEN'S AT PINTORE. These gardens were laid out on the natural slope of the ground in six separate and successive terraces. A canal of the clearest water, 10 feet wide, ran through the centre. In this was a line of fountains, supplied with water from the hills above, and falling in chuddurs or broad cascades from terrace to terrace ; and behind these apparent crystal curtains, were recesses for lamps, lit during nights of festivity. A profusion of roses, with flowers, shrubs, and handsome trees, ornament this fair spot, not surpassed by the gardens of Shalimar, Secundra, or Sirhind. A thickly wooded valley skirtsjts sides, richly diversified by the tall, broken banks of the Kosilla, which runs through it and clothes it in smiles ; nothing is want ing to perfect its beauty. SHEEE SINGH. At the death of Nao Nihil Singh, there remained of Runjeet's supposed family only the Prince Shere Singh— we say " supposed," for Runjeet had not implicit faith in the Queen Mother, who declared herself pregnant after Runjeet went out upon one of his expeditions, and had the child ready born to greet his father on his return. Others 'also have thought Shere Singh supposititious ; still, although the 'Maharajah never formally acknow ledged him as his son, he gave him superior rank, and allowed him to be called Koonwnr (Prince), all which were quite sufficient to make his claim to the vacant throne far superior to that of any other pretender—in deed, but one other claimant appeared, and that was a • party who declared that the wife of Nao Nihil Singh had prospects of giving an heir to the throne, but on inquiry it was found that this little royal matron was only seven years old, and had never seen her betrothed ! Shere Singh, therefore, ascended the throne. his was not the character to curb or overawe the turbulent and powerful Sikh chiefs. lie is what we should call a good-natured jolly fellow : a mind to rule the Punjab must be made of sterner stuff than this. Anarchy and confusion at once arose : a vast army of 30,000 soldiers assembled together, without even advancing any reason or object for their taking up arms, openly de claring their readiness to support him who bade highest for their service, and roamed in disorder through the devoted country. Nothing less than the entire treasure of the new monarch would satisfy them, and he had not the means to coerce them. Matters are at this minute in an unpromising state. Shere Singh's power is broken, and his treasury empty. 730 ST M.A.NOMED XHAN. Dost Mahomed Khan is said to have distinguished him self on various occasions by acts of personal intrepidity. He is remarkably plain in attire, and would scarcely be noticed from his appearance : his white linen raiments afford a strange contrast to the gaudy exhibitions of some of his chiefs, especially of the young Habib Ulah Khan, who glitters with gold. Akhbar Khan, who has performed such a conspicuous part in the dismal tragedy at Caubul, is his second and favourite son. SIR AMMXELNDRR BURNES. - This eminent officer, who was slaughtered at the recent insurrection at Caubul on the 3d of last November, was born at Montrose, in Scotland, May 16th, 1805. his first appointment abroad was a cadet for the Bombay army, and he arrived at that Presidency on the 31st of October, 1821. In 1825 he joined his regiment at Bhooj, and, during the various disturbances at Cinch, in that year, was appointed Quartermaster of Brigade. In 1826 he was confirmed :on Ole general staff as a Deputy- Assistant Quartermaster General. At this period, the talented manner in which he drew np sonic statistical Asiatic papers called down encomiums upon him from the Indian Government. In 1830 he was despatched with a present of horses to Runjeet Singh, and was no minated to proceed with them to Lahore. This journey gave him an opportunity of visiting the sites of the ancient cities which lay in his track, and of marking the course of the Indus. His work upon this subject forms an almost unprecedented book of travels. Lieutenant Burnes, in 1834, visited England for eighteen months, and, shortly after his return to India was, in acknow ledgment of his diplomatic and other services, knighted, and advanced to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in the army. His brother, Lieutenant Charles Burnes, served in the 17111 regiment of Native Infantry in India. SIR ROBERT SALE. Sir Robert Sale was born on the 19th of Septomber, 1782, and As early as his fourteenth year carried the Royal colours. He proceeded to India in 1797, a'nd served under General, afterwards Lord Harris, at the.: ,cattle of Mallevelly in 1799, as also at the siege of Se ringapatam. In 1806, when only twenty-four years of tge, he was made a Captain. In 1824 he was at he capture of Rangoon, under General Macbean, his achievements were the object of especial approbation, and several brilliant actions at this period wore performed by him, so that in the course of one month, he might be said to have performed four victories. ,On the .2d of June, 1825, he obtained his Lieu tenan t-Colonelcy, and repulsed the Shauns and Burmese at Procne : his distinguished services also at the storming of Malown in 1826, Al? _— tained for him the rank of Colonel by Brevet, and le, was also created a Companion of the Bath. The stormt-- ing of Ghuznee in 1838 brought him fresh honours both• from the British Government and Shah Souk& In 1840, he assaulted and captured the town and fort of Tooturn Durrah : took the fort of Shoolghur on the 4th of September : destroyed the post of Babao-Koosh- Ghuz, and in four more days the fort of Kar-Durrah. On the 3d of October he drove the enemy, under the: command of Post Mahomed, from the forts and town of . I'erwan, and had upon this occasion bestowed upon him by Shah Soojah, the first class of the order of the I)ooraunee empire. CHRONOLOGY OP EVENTS. 1837-1842. In consequence of the position assumed and persevered in by Persia, at this period, the British Government in India now began to adopt very active measures. The Shah of Persia, who was raised to the throne mainly by British assistance, had within the two !ast years been under Russian influence, and Persia could no longer be looked upon as a barrier against the progress of Russia, w h ose d om i n i on, extending over the greater part of the extreme North of Asia, reached in a southerly direction to the borders of the Caspian sea, and the northern frontier of Persia. Stimulated by Russia, the Persians undertook an expedition against Herat. In consequence, Lord Auckland determined upon sending 30,000 men, composed of native and Bztitish forces, towards the northern frontier. It was comp used as follows :—Two troops of Horse Artillery ; Ma car Pew's Camel battery ; two companies of European Foot Artillery ; two companies of Sappers ; her Majesty's= 11th Lancers ; 2d, 3d, and 4th Regiments of Bengal Light Cavalry ; her Majesty's 3d and 13th Regi ments of Foot ; the Honourable East India Com pany's European Regiment • 2d, sth, 16th, 27th, :ntli 31st, 35th, 37th, 42d, 43d, 48th, and 53d Regiments of Bengal Native Infantry. This force assembled at liurnaul on the 31st of October, and thence was ordered to proceed, via Bhutneer, Bhawnpoor, and Mithenkate, to Candahar, Caubul, and Herat. This force also was joined by from 45,000 to 50,000 men, furnished by Run jeet Singh, the sovereign of the Punjab. News soon after arrives of the total discomfiture of the Shah of Persia at Herat, his army utterly broken up, and • him self obliged to yield. Ile had made an assault on the town, and was repulsed with great slaughter, and the loss of all his guns. The Russian Ambassador and Fx ropean Aide-de-camp were killed, the former having re ceived three balls in the body. 1838, Oct. 1. The Governor-General of India issues a manifesto, declaring that the purpose of his late militAry movement is to restore the deposed sovereign of Affgha istan, Soojah-001-Moolk, to the throne which he hoa been excluded from by Persian influence, and in order to serve Russian purposes. Dec. 1. First grand interview between Lord Auck land and Runjeet Singh, in the camp of the latter at Ferozepore. On the next day there was a review of British troops ; and on the 3d Dec. Runjeet Singh re turned the visit. 1839, Feb. 14. The Ameers of Scinde refuse the ulti matum forwarded to them at Hyderabad, and announce their intention of attacking the force under Sir John Keane, and arrest its progress. For this purpose they collect from 10,000 to 12,000 men.. April 21. The British army enter Candahar, and were received with open arms. Shah Soojah was crowned with acclamation ; all the chiefs, with the ex ception of the Barukzye brothers, having signified their adherence to him. The army was to proceed forthwith to Caubul, a march of twenty-two days. This intelli-• gence was received at Peshawur with great rejoicings. The city was illuminated for three days, and prepara tions made for the immediate advance of the contingent army of llunjeet Singh, accompanied by the Shah Zadah Thnoor and Colonel Wade upon Caubul. Much toil and misery was endured on the march to Candahar, as may be formed from the fact, that out of 6,000 native troops, comprising the division of the Shalt, only 1,500 reached Candahar. • 1839, July 1. The British army, under the command of Sir John Keane, arrives before Ghutmee, a place of great strength, from the natural position of its citadel, on an immense height, and so fortified by art as to be deemed impregnable—the works having received constant. additions during the last thirty years, and being garrisoned by 3,500 Atfghan soldiers, under Mahomed Ryder Kban, a younger son of Dost Mahomed Khan, and amply fur nished with guns, stores, and provisions. July 23. The British army, having bivouacked under• the walls of the fortress early on the morning of this day, began its operations. The Caubul gate was blown in; the tremendous fire of our artillery paralysed the enemy, and the English advanced guard, atter a short but des perate struggle, won their way into the place. Prince Ahhomed llyder, after having made submission to the Shah, who spared his life at the intercession of the Commander in -Chief, was retained prisoner of war in the British camp. The British lost in this engagement only 200 men, 18 being killed, whilst 500 dead of the enemy were buried by them two hours after the capture. 'Z'AICrIVG Or a In the abore month this fortress, one of the strongest in Western Asia, and whose capture was undoubtedly one of the most brilliant that British troops could achieve was in possession of Mahomed nyder Khan, son of the Atneer of Caubul, and the garrison which he com manded amounted to the number of between 3,000 or 4,000, about , 1,500 of which were well-mounted cavalry. Lord Keane's plan of attack was brilliant, and its execu tion daring. The attack at the gates was vehemently severe, and the resistance of the Affghans great. in two hours it fell ; the whole of the British troops em ployed on the service amounted to about 4,400. - Of the enemy upwards of 800 were slain, and near 1,500 made prisoners. Numerous horses, camels, and mules were• captured, but no valuable booty obtained. The great gun of Ghuznee, which was captured, was an unwieldy piece of ordnance, to which the Affghans attached much importance, but which was very disproportionate to the injury it was capable of inflicting. Its great weight, and the badness of the roads to the Indus have prevented its being sent to England. Sept. 21, 1839. The fort of Joudpore, in llajpootana, surrenders to the British. Oct. 6. Surrender of the fort of Kurnaul, in the Deccan, without a shot being fired. A few days after General Wiltshire attacked the camp of the Rajah, at about three miles distance ; the attack ended in tho total - rout of the enemy, but the Rajah escaped. Very large military stores were found in Kurnaul, and trea sure amounting to 1,000,000/. sterling. In the camp was captured an immense quantity of jewels and 150,000/. in specie. The British lost several , officers, among whom were Colonel Wright and Lieutenant Yates, of the 34th Regiment, and Lieutenant White, of the Queen's 39th Foot. The Shah of Persia consents to acknowledge Shah Soojah as King of Affghanistan. CAPTURE OP RHEZAT. Nov. 13. Capture of Khelat by General Willshire. Mehrab Khan, the chief, slain in the conflict, and all his principal Sirdars killed or taken with hundreds of other prisoners. Th. , attack was accomplished by a weak brigade of infantry, and six light guns, at mid-day, by storming the place in the teeth of 2,000 Beloochees, the. elite of the nation. The British loss was severe-140 killed and wounded—about one-fifth of the number ac tually engaged. Khelat is a town and fortress of the same relation to Persia which Dover or Plymouth is to England. Thy attack on the citadel of Khelat was disputed, every inch of ground, at its base, and when an entry was with some difficulty made by columns under the command of Lieutenant-General Willshire, Lieutenants Creed and Pennycuick, and Brigadier Baumgardt, Mehrab Khan was found sur rounded by many of his chiefs, and at the head of the bravest of his followers. In the terrific struggle which took place, Mehrat Khan fell, sword in hand, defending his fortress and home, and the British flag soon floated over the noble citadel of Khelat. The garrison was estimated to have consisted of about 2,000 fighting men; of these 400 were killed, and above 200 taken prisoners ; the British loss not exceeding 32 killed and 107 wounded, the force employed having been about 1,000. The booty secured is believed to have been considerable. 1840, Jan. 18. Sir Willoughby Cotton orders a mi litary force to attack the fortress offPeshoot, about forty miles N.N.E. of Candahar, in which the chief Koonoor had entrenched himself. Koonoor, after the attack, eva cuated the fortress, and fled to the hills, and the detach ment took possession. The loss of the-British was sixty five killed and wounded. Recapture of Rhelat, and defeat of Major Clibborne, by the Alurrees and Beloochees in the defile of Poolajee, when four officers and 250 sepoys of the British detach ment are killed. The British authorities at Bombay order a force of 10,000 men to march upon Khelat, and revenge the insult offered to British arms. Sept. 18. Defeat of Post Mahom ed on th e northern frontier by a small force , under Brigadier Dennie. The men dead on the field, t e n n g e e m t 1 3 e , r l i o v , i oO th O rt strong, l theirc albaggag e,p ef t t ai s n OO Brown evacuates the fort and Dost Mahorned fled, seriously wounded. of Kahan, by treaty with the Diurrees. Nor. 2. Lost Mahomed suffers a second and total de feat at Perwan, in Kohistan, and having fled from the contest, rode a distance of nearly 100 miles from the field of battle, and surrendered himself to Sir W. Macnaghten. Nov. 4. The fortress of Khelst surrenders without the least resistance to General Nott, Nusseer Khan and bis troops being then at Dadur. The following day, how ever, Nusseer Khan was defeated in a severe engagement. Shere Singh, having succeeded in driving out the widow of Kurruck Singh, takes possession of Lahore. Application is made by Nao Nihil to - the British to re store her to - the throne -The 'hill tribes at Scinde enter into treaties with the English, and Nusseer Khan deli vers himself up to Colonel Stacy, of the Bengal army. Nusseer Khan, the young chieftain of Khelat, comes to terms with the British agents, and surrenders himself to their protection. The young widow of Nao Nihil brings forth a child still-born, so that the Sikh districts were likely to con tinue - - comparatively tranquil under the government of Shere Singh. , 4.. , „ 01 4 010 Al p 5 11 , 4 ;0 ;;Ig el :41