The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-07-05 00:00:00

AFFGHANISTAN

General Pollock arrived at Jellalabad, and effected a junc-
tion with the troops composing the garrison of that fortress,
on the 16th of April. The British force met with no oppo-
sition or annoyance after passing Ali Musjid, except that
arising from the attempts of a few marauding bands of Ky-
berries to plunder and carry off the baggage. With the
exception, however, of a few camels, everything belonging
to the troops was brought in safety to Jellalabad. General
Pollock would have arrived there two or three days sooner,
but as the defeat of Akhbar Khan on the 7th of April had
secured the safety of Jellalabad, and rendered rapid improve-
ments on the part of the advancing force unnecessary, the
general halted on the bank of the Cubal river, and sent
strong detachments of cavalry and infadtry to Liillpoora on
the opposite side, for the purpose of restoring Torabaz Khan
in lights over that place. This chief has invariably been
faiendly to the British. He supplied Gen. Sale's force with
provisions for a considerable time. By this means he drew
on himself the enmity of Ahbar Khan, and was compelled
to fly to Peshawur. The worthy chief was reinstated in his
possessions
without difficulty, but we regret to say that
three men belonging to her Majesty's 3d dragoons were
swept away by the current and drowned in attempting to
cross the river.
On the 27th of. April. Captain Cohn Mackenzie. of the
Madras army, arrived at Jellalabad. This officer had been
hasfine
dn ino t
two
released on his parole by Abkar Khan, and was the hearer of
proposals from that chief and Mahomed Schah Khan, the
Ghilzie, to General Pollock, floirtshtreoin•eslearseettoeef
tthferolmadicesabul.
and
disastrous
other persons taken in the c
How far the negotiation has progressed,, or what may have
prisoners Pollock swreetpel
ycOn
small forts in the Tezeen valley, and were tolerably well
tbreeenn s
ptiht
eed . nature
ih e
wholeo f General
of t
be
treated by their captors.
Captain Mackenzie brought intel-
ligence of General Elphinstone's death, which took place
either on the 23d or 24th of April. The General's remains
were to be brought to the British camp for interment, Akhbar
Khan having offered to forward the body to Jellalabad,
which place it was expected to reach on the night following
Captain Mackenzie's arrival. The day previous to his death
the unfortunate General signed a document containing a de-
tailed account of the proceedings connected with the Cabal
insurrection. This narrative cannot but prove highly inte-
resting; and, as Lord Ellenborough seems laudably desi-

I givin

) every

recent transactions beiond the Indus, we trust ere long to
be able to lay the deceased General's account before our
readers. All dofibt as to who took the most active part in
the assassination of Sir William Machaghten is now at an
end ; Captain Mackenzie having asserted that he saw Akhbar
Khan perpetrate the murder. _

The brigade under Colonel Bolton, consisting of Her
Majesty's 31st foot, one troop of horse, and a half battery
of Foot Artillery, the 6th Bengal Native Infantry, and the
3rd Irregular Cavalry, having under their charge a large
quantity of treasure, together with the whole of the ordnance
and commissariat stores, as also the greater Art of the pri-
vate baggage of General Pollock's army, reached Ali Musjid
on the 20th of April, without having experienced the slightest
molestation from Kbyberries. On the following day Colonel
Bolton effected a junction with Colonel Monteath; the latter
officer having been detached by General Pollock with the 33d
and 35th Regiments Native Infantry for the purpose of assist-
ing in guarding the passage of the stores and treasure through
the defiles. It was generally understood at Jallalabad, that
immediately the convoy arrived, preparations would be made
for the advance of the army towards Cabul. There is no
doubt of Shah Soojah having been murdered. The city and
adjacent country is in a state of anarchy consequent on the
dissensions between the rebels and the partisans of the late
Kihg. It is not probable, therefore, that the British will
meet with any serious opposition in their progress to Affghan
capital. The numerous followers who formerly adhered to
the standard of Akhbar Khan have dwindled down to a small
party of about 100 horsemen.

GIIIIZNI.—The following officers who were quartered in
Ghuzni at the time of its capitulation are said, on the au-
thority of a native horsekeeper, to have escaped with their
lives, and now to be in the hands of some of the insurgent
chiefs :—Colonel Palmer, Captain Alston, Ensign Williams.
Lieutenant Harris, Lieutenant Barnes, Lieutenant Crawford,
of the Bombay establishMent, a doctor, and another officer,
whose names were not known. Lieutenant Lumsden and
his wife were killed. The greater number of the Sepoys,
after having been plundered and otherwise maltreated by the
Ghilzies, were permitted to take shelter in the adjoining
villages.
SCINDE.—From Scinde our latest intelligence is also of a
favourable nature. Pursuant to peremptory orders from Ge-
neral Nott, Brigadier England with 2,500 men left Quettah,
on the 26th of April, for Candahar, a portion of the force at
the latter place having been detached so as to meet General
England, and aid him in getting the convoy through the Ko-
juck Pass. On the 29th of April the General reached the
heights of Hykulzie, the scene of his late discomfiture (re-
ported in our last summary). No time was lost in attacking
the enemy's position, and we are happy to say the attempt
was successful. A well-directed fire from the artillery com-
pelled the insurgents to evacuate their outposts whilst the
British infantry were ascending the hill. The enemy lost
five standards, and had: above fifty killed. The casualties on
our side were very trifling, no lives having been lost. Lieut.
Ashburner, of the 3d Light Cavalry, was severely wounded.
The following letter from our correspondent at Sukkur,
dated May 8, contains some further information on the sub-

" The troops under Brigadier England left Quettah agree-
ably to orders from General Nott, on the 26th ultimo, and
on the 29th came up to the heights near flykulzie, the place
of their late reverse. I have only time to say that they were
carried in the most gallant style, the enemy flying in all di-
rections. They must have suffered very severely. Our
troops succeeded in taking five standards, sundry match-
locks, &c. The 41st are amply revenged for the fall, on the
previous occasions, of their brave comrades; the whole, both
Europeans and Natives, stuck to the fighting part of the bu-
siness like bricks. Casualties are as follows :

" Lieutenant Ashburner, 3d Light Cavalry, severely
wounded.

" Her Majesty's 41st Foot.-2 privates wounded.
"3d Light Cavalry.-6 troopers and 8 horses wounded
" Native lnfantry.-2 Sepoys wounded."

THE PRISONERS.-It will be recollected that on the eva-
cuation of Cabul on the sth of January, 1842, about 300
sick and wounded soldiers were left behind the retiring army,
the charge of whom was undertaken by the provisional Go-
vernment ; and that besides these, six officers were detained
as hostages for the immediate abandonment of Jellalabad,
Ghuzni, and Candahar. These hostages were Captain
Drummond, 3d Cavalry ; Lieutenants Airie, 3d Buffs ;
Connolly, 20th Native Infantry ; Warburton, Artillery ;
Walsh, 52d Madras Native Infantry ; and Webb, 38th
Madras Native Infantry; Doctors Balfour, Berwick, and
M'Kinner remaining in charge of the sick and wounded.
Of this party little has been heard for five months ; they
have written very rarely, and all we know of them is, that
they are alive, and said to have been tolerably well treated.
In the course of the retreat which, commenced on the 6th,
terminated about the 13th of January, by the total annihi-
lation of the army, the following fell into the bands of the
enemy, and were detained prisoners :
Major-General Elphinstone, Commander-in-Chief of the
armies ; Brigadier Shelton, her Majesty's 44th Foot ; Major
Pottiuger, Captain Anderson, 59th Native Infantry ; Capt.
Boyd, 65th Native Infantry ; Captain Johnstone ; Captain
Lawrence, Captain Troup, 48th Native Infantry ; Surgeon
M'Grath, Lieutenant Eyre, Artillery; Lieutenant Macken-
zie, Madras Army ; Lieutenant Waller, Artillery ; Ensign
Mien, Her Majesty's 13th Regiment ; Captain Bygrave, sth
Native Infantry, Paymaster; Captain Gray, Her Majesty's
44th Foot; Major Griffiths, 37th Native Infantry; Lieu-
tenant Souter, Her Majesty's 44th Foot.
So far as our information extends, these appear to have
been withdrawn from the force, that their lies might be
preserved, when the army was in the act of perishing amongst
the mountains by cold or the hand of the enemy.
A letter has been received from Lady Macnaghten from
Buddiabad, dated the 27th ult., in which she says that Akhbar
Khan has treated her most kindly, and promises that she
and Mrs. Trevor shall be immediately released. The time
is approaching when we shall know whether these accounts
result from the genuine facts of the case, or from apprehen-
sion of compulsion. He might have restored his prisoners
long ago had he chosen.—Delhi Gazette.

COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.
(From the Bombay Times, May 23.)
SHIPPING PROSPECTS.—On no former occasion has the
harbour of Bombay been so crowded with shipping as it is at
present. During the brief interval which has elapsed since
the departure of the last mail, 21 days, no fewer than 43
ships, aggregating about 28,000 tons, have arrived, which,
added to those previously here, and dedivning those which
have sailed, make the number of merchant vessels at present
in harbour, exclusive of small country craft, to be 90, and
their aggregate tonnage about 54,000 tons. The greatest
difficulty is consequently experienced in procuring freights,
which will be further aggravated by the near approach of the
monsoon, when no further supplies of producetrom the coast
and interior can be received. The rate of freight to China
has fallen to 10 rupees per candy, while to England scarcely
any can be procured at all; indeed, the price of cotton, on the
Bombay Green is at present higher than in the English mar-
kets, and would leave a loss even if it could be laid down in
Liverpool freight free. Nor do matters appear to be much
better at any of the other eastern ports. Prospects for ship-
ping in this country are not, therefore, at present very &a-
tering; and the shipowners must make up their minds to
run their ships at a loss for some time to come. Their case
is a very hard ode, occurring, too, at a time when, from the
reduction in the timber duties, the value of shipping pro-
perty is depreciated by a sum equivalent to about 255. for
every load of timber used in the construction ; and when
there is at this moment in the various ports of England an
amount of tonnage laid up, almost in a state of confiscation,
which has cost the possessors many millions sterling. At
home this tonnage incurs comparatively little expense,
whereas in this country the expenditure will be heavy,

BOMBAY MARKET.
(From the Overland Price Current, May 23.)
OBSERVATIONS.—The continued depression of almost
every branch of our import trade leaves but little room for
rcmark or speculation. For some descriptions of gray and
bleached piece goods, indeed, there has been rather more
enquiry than was the case last month ; but prices have not
rallied in the slightest degree, and still exhibit a downward
tendency. The market for metals has been very dull ; and
prices are uniformaly lower than b efore. The arrivals of
shipping have been unprecedently numerous, and cotton
having risen in price, freights, both to Great Britain and
China, have considerably declined. Looking at the unfavour-
able state of commercial affairs at home, the probability of a
protracted straggle in China, and the little likelihood of any
speedy resumption of trade with the countries to the north-
west, the prospect which presents itself is anythiug but
cheering

FREIGHTS

Since the date of our last number, freights, which we then
quoted at £2 Iss. to £3, have gradually declined, and
£1 17s. 6d. has been accepted within the last few days. The
highest rate now offered is £1 15s, and we are doubtful if
even this could be obtained for a full cargo. Freight to
China has also fallen considerably. Our former quotation
was 16i rupees per candy, and it is now as low as 10 rupees,
with every prospect of a further decline. There is no ship
for the Clyde.