The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-03-08 00:00:00

FAMINE AND PESTILENCE IN
BRAZIL.

A Brazilian correspondent of the New York Herald
gives an appalling account ef a series of terrible visi-
tations which have afßictel a large tract of Brazil
since March, 1877. The scene of these disasters is the
region known as the Sertao, which stretches away
inland towards the south, Lehlnd the coast ranges, as
far down as the latitude of Rio. It comes down to the
sea in the neighbourhood of Fortaleza, a roadstead on
the northern Brazilian coast, about 350 miles east
of the mouths of the Amawn. The portion of this
region which seems to have suffered most is the
maritime province of Ceara. The population of
this province was 900,050 at the end of 1876,
but by the end of list year it was reduced
to 400,000, and was oeing still further dimi-
nished by disease. In the other portions of the
Sertao the corresponden; estimates the number of
deaths from famine and consequent diseases at over
300,000. The rainy seasaa is ordinarily from January ,
to June; but early in :877 a drought set in, and '
already in March of that year people were dying of
hunger. Things became worse, and a regular exodus
ensued from the interior to the coast. Thousands
perished by the way. o.7er 150,000 strangers were at
one time bivouacked outside Fortaleza, whose usual
population is about 25,001 Over 200 a day were dying
among these last May. Then came pernicious Noels,
cholela, yellow fever, and at last small-pox.
Over 1,000 died on December 10. Finally, a mysterious
blackspotted disease has appeared, from which people
die in a few hours. The correspondent ends his tale
thus —" There is nothing in history that will compare
with it. God grant that there never may be again."

DEATH OF THE AMEER, SHERE ALL

The following has been sent to the papers from the India
Office for publication
(From Viceroy, March 1, 1879.)

"Following letter received from Yakoob Khan,
dated 26th of February :
" ' Since despatch of my last letter, news reached
Cabal on the 26th February, of the death of my father
on the 21st of February. As my father was an old
friend of the British Government, I send this intermit.
tion out of friendship.' Letter ends.

-"Bearer of the letter was urged to convey it as
speedily as possible. He was only two days on the
road, and is nephew of Shaghasi Sherdil Khan."

In a leader on the above, The Times remarks :

"The death of Shere All is a most important piece of in-
telligence, affecting our future relations with Afghanistan.
The evidence before us seems to leave no room for doubt as
to the fact. It comes, in its most authentic form, in a
letter sent direct from Yakoob Khan to the Indian Viceroy,
and communicated to us from the India Office. We may
proceed, therefore, to consider its probable results.
There is abundant room for speculation where so
little can be as yet certainly known. Who will suc-
ceed to the throne which Shere Alt's removal has left
vacant? What extent of power is he likely to possess? What
policy will he adopt towards ourselves? These are some of
the most obvious questions which suggest themselves, and we
cannot be sure about the answer which should be given to
any of them. Opinion points to Yakoob Khan as the pro-
bable successor to his father. Ile has the advantage of
present possession, and in the absence of any formidable
rival it seems likely that he will retain it. The degree of
goodwill with whicla he is regarded by the Afghan chiefs
is, however, somewhat doubtful. In Oriental govern-
ments a successor is not always to be found.
Kingdoms not unfrequently break up with the disappear-
ance of the strong hand that has united them and held
them together. That this will happen in the case of
Afghanistan is, of course, possible, but it is a result which
we should not desire to see, and which we should rather
endeavour to avert in the interests of future peace. If
Yakoob Khau can succeed in establishing himself on the
Afghan throne, it would be the policy of the Indian Govern-
ment to recognize him as the de facto ruler' and to meet
favourably any advances he may make with a view to the
termination of the war. His letter to the Viceroy announc-
leg his father's death seems at first sight to give proof of a
disposition to come to terms. It may possibly be nothing
more than a bare act of courtesy, and insignificant as such.
. Bat Yaboob Khan is said to have been a good deal
disturbed by the fear that some other claimant than
himself might be placed in power under the protection
of England, and he may be desirous, therefore, to thrust
himself forward as a candidate for England's good-
will, and not to allow himself to be supplanted by Walt
Mahomed, or any other rival who may be raised up. Another
conjecture is that the Afghan people are desirous that this
war should continue, and this under Yakoob Khan's leader-
ship, their motive being one of hostility to Suer° All's whole
family, and their hope toeing that in this way they may be
most certain to get rid of the detested house. On the other
hand, the Correspondent of the New York Herald, reporting
a conversation be has had with the Afghan Grand Vizier,
gives an entirely different view of Yakoob Khan and of his
policy. The Grand Vizier, it would appear, accepts him as
his father's successor, and looks forward to his bringing the
war with England to a triumphant close.

"We cannot be indifferent to the course taken by the
internal history of Afghanistan, but we are a good deal less
concerned with it then we were before our late military suc-
cesses. English troops are now in possession of the strong
places wines are the keys of the north-western frontier of
India. There is no reason to doubt that they can maintain
themselves at all points, and cars remain quiet or advance at
their own time. The main objects of the war with Afghanis-
tan have thus already been secured. The affront given
at All Masjid has been signally and sufficiently punished.
The north-western frontier line is safe against attack
In a sense in which it was never safe before.
This done, England can afford to wait, and need
not embarrass herself by premature meddling in affairs in
which she has ceased to have her old concern. The thing
most to be desired is that some friendly ruler should establish
himself beyond our borders, and should conclude a formal
peace on terms which we could agree to accept. It Yakoob
Khan will do this, England will be ready to acknowledge
him and to aid him with moral support. But she will not
again try to force on Afghanistan a ruler whom the country
dislikes, and whom she would be compelled, therefore' tJ
maintain on the throne or to abandon with some dis-
credit. It will be necessary before we attempt to
enter into negotiations with any new Afghan Sove-
reign to have some assurance as to his probable tenure of
power. A. treaty is no perfect security in any case, but it
„ would be less than valueless if it were concluded with a
phantom monarch, who could speak for nobody but himself.
, Our position is at the present moment BO far safe that we
ought not to depart from it without good cause shown.
Even to advance further into the country, however success-
ful it might be as a military operation, would be politi-
• cally a very doubtful step. The English standard will
not be permanently planted beyond the posts at which
It now rests. Its temporary presence might lead to en-
barassing engagements with friendly local chiefs, whom its
subsequent withdrawal would leave exposed to the resent-
ment of their unfriendly fellows. For the present, there-
fore, a waiting game is marked out for us by the force of
circumstances. The first advances in the direction of per-
manent peace ought to come, and may be expected to come,
from the other side. Some timq must be allowed for the
course of events to clear itself, and we shall do well not to
interfere as principals in matters which we are not disposed
to carry through with a high hand.
"The death of Shere Ali increases the chance of a settle-
ment of the Afghan difficulty. Whoever may be his suc-
cessor, he will come to the throne not necessarily com-
mitted to a hostile policy, not inflamed with the memory of
fancied wrongs he will also have no room for doubt as to
the reality ot the power which Sbere All ventured ignorantly
to defy. Shere All allowed himself to be guided by Russian
ad' ice, but the reward given to his easy confidence has not
been such as to dispose his successor to imitate it. There
are, on the whole, good reasons for concluding that Yakoob
Khan, it he comes to his father's throne, will see the wisdom
of reversing his father's policy. A letter to the Viceroy is
mentioned, written before his father's death, and con-
veying overtures for the renewal of friendly relations.
Whether these were made on his own account or at his
father's bidding is not certain. They prove, in either case,
the effect produced by the successes of the English troops,
and the recognised uselessness of prolonging a resiLtance
which had been completely beaten down at every point.
The next news may be that Yakoob Khan has renewed his
application from his new place as de facto ruler, and when
this comes the end of the war is not likely to be far
distant. Shere All has paid dearly for his last and
greatest mistake. The account of his life which we
give to-day shows that be had many of the • proper
qualities of a ruler of men, and that he held his
place by virtue of them. His energy, his personal courage,
his persistence, and his general sagacity were beyond all
question. It was in an evil hour that he lent himself to the
designs of Russia, and to the suspicions of England which it
was the aim of Russia to foster, His lault has been suffi-
ciently punished. His ohequered career has been most un-
happy at its close. He has gone to his grave broken-hearted
with the misfortunes which have gathered around him and
have darkened his concluding days. He has left a memory
and a warning. If Afghanistan is to be governed, it meat be
by a hand not less strong than his, but by a brain which
knows better to make choice of enemies and of friends,"

The morning papers of Monday publish the follow-
ing, which they had received from the London office
of the New York .fferald

TASHREND, Feb. 28(8.30 p.m.)

I have this evening had an interview with the Grand Vizier
of the Ameer. It was a very difficult affair, as it was neces-
sary to employ three interpreters; hut I can guarantee as
exact the following replies to my questions relating to the
intentions of the Afghan officials :
Correspondent : May I ask what are the intentious of your
Embassy ?—Vizier: We have come here to solicit the advice
of Russia, which the Ameer will follow implicitly.

Correspondent: But the Amer is probably dead, and if
so are you not without pp,we: to act I—Vizier : Yakoob Khan
will be Shere Ali'q successor. He is perfectly acquainted
with the objet of our mission, and will through respect for
the memory of his father, adhere to the encouragements we
may contract,
Correspondent : What do you propose to do in the event
of Russia's advising peace at any price 2—Vizier: We shall
make peace.

Correspondent: And should Russia refuse to give you any
advice on the a:Meet 2—Vizier: Then we shall continue the
war.
Correspondent: Will the Radish be able to hold the
points they have occupied 14—Vizier: No: they will be
obliged to evacuate them. Forced occupation is not possible
in territories purchased, not conquered ; and this is
eepecially true of Afghanistan. The English have up to the
present time advanced by means of the money which they
have given to the mountaineers, and the latter will attack
them at the first signal from Yakoob Khan.
Correspondent: But, by means of money, may not the
English occupy the whole of Afghanistan 4—Vizier: No
even that would not enable them to permanently conquer
the land. The more territory the English occupy the more
the Afghans will concentrate while falling back, and the
further th.? English advance from India the more they will
comproidise and render difficult their lines of communica-
tion. When the favourable opportunity arrives we shall
begin the war in earnest.
Correspondent : Do you expect to he successful I—Vizier:
We certainly do, but it WI take time.

The following has been forwarded to the papers for
publication from the India Office :
From Viceroy, March 3, 1879.
Stewart reports that, on return march from Girishk,
Biddulph's rear-guard, 3rd Sind Horse, was attacked at
linshi-i-Nakhud by 1,600 to 2000, MUM. Duran's. Enemy
were driven off, with estimated loss 160 killed, and pursued
till nightfall. Our loss, Major Reynolds and five sowers
killed, Colonel Malcolmson and eleven sowers wounded.

(From Wednesday's Times.)
ICHURKI NAKIERID, Feb. 26.
General Biddulph's rearguard was attacked by a large
force of the enemy. Colonel Malcolmeon and Surgeon
Burroughs were wounded. Many of the enemy were slain.
C )lonel Nlcholetts, with 230 Beloochis and 90 men of the
2nd Punjab Cavalry, is already marching to reinforce
Colonel Malcolmson. General Biddulph is expected here
early to-morrow ; meanwhile General Palliser is in com-
mand. All are prepared for a move forward.
FEIIIII7AItY 27.
News has just been received that Alizais, to the number
of 1,500 to 2 000, had attacked the camp vigorously. The
troops formed round the baggage and repulsed them The
3rd Scinde Horse pursued them. The ground, however, was
favourable to the escape of the fugitives, who entirely dis-
appeared, loving 160 dead behind them. Captain Rey-
noldc, whose horse fell, and four Sowars were killed, and
ten wounded. General Biddulph returns here this evening.
CANDAmiIt, Feb. 28.
•
General Biddulpb's rearguard was attacked by a band of
irregular Ali zals and other "Duranis from Zamindawar. The
Afghans fought desperately, but were repulsed with a loss of
150 killed. Major Reynolds and five Sowers were killed,
and 20 were wounded on our side. Colonel Malcolmson was
slightly wounded. Major Reynolds was wounded by a
bullet early in the action, but continued to lead until his
horse fell at a watercourse, when he was sabred while
attewpting to disengage himself. The Alizats, a predatory
tribe, gave some trouble during the last war, but would not
have moved now but for reports that the retirement from
Girishk was connected with the evacuation of the country,