New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1842-04-23
AFFGHANISTAN.

ftr physical conformation ana rnoral cohdi"O" ~
,l ,eatrs of the ate sudden and fearful di.a.ter'
hyutich ihc Briti.harms have been overwhelmed.
". therefore extract from Blackwood for the pre-
sent month that portion Of lie article on Five
Yea ia India. by II. 6. Fame, Aid-de-camP'
g. which detail. t. auth4r's experiences IN the
Afghan country, a. follows;
I.ruteaaat Fame made one Ut the memorable
e.ocd.foa 20 Afghaui.tan under Sir John keane
February 9Th. 1880. the troops marched for the
B,au Pas. From SINGAPORE. they might talris
BE-. aid 20 have entered he cucmys country.-
H,r. Shah SuIih expressed wish to see the cav
aIrr IT, came in a gl.dcd litter. and expressed
himself delighted at the coLdi,icn Of the horses
ih. IN OF ihc men, and their perfect discipline.
ono ~ bis followers. ~ be- turned away d,conient'
cl.r. .aid AN the days of Mahomedisn are
qou. by Wha' lord Of the sword j. every one
of r.rm" Til prince. Of whom so much ha-
to.a .aid. both -1od and bad D. very fine. beard
co.. ucli-looking. nand.ome man bat j. sad to BE-
i.t 700 fond of hitting, though sufficiently severe
. l. government We must have 10 scandal
p i.a-' crowned head-. and the fighting raIah
D.. AWAY. b.ood-ihir-iy savage We pay due re-
sp"rr 20 roe man Of peace.
The fr.t portion Of their route was over six-and-
fg.uty niic. OF dc-crt. This was evidently dit
Ar.t country although the troops at this lime were
marching totally nnmolcsied their camcis BEGAN
% die 100 numbers, IL was difficult 10 find food for
i.ir horsr- and the supplies for their soldiers be-
gan 90 fail of ia a formidable degree. At length
the failure of supplies became so serious. that 1t
was ncccsa ry 10 diminish the rations for both men
and horse. one half. The march of armies in H.
d,1 J.. attended with circumstances curious 10 the
human car. \ brigade Of infantry was ordered TO
Open ti. march up the hills On the I'd day, when
thrv wore about to move. they were suddenly stop
ued-ihe palanquln bearer, had run away to
m1n However. the day after, the runaways were
c1leh' logged for their iruantry, and all was well
aeiia. Al length they came to the celebrated pass
OF Bplan. Tho entrance * grand, being between
twJ mas-es of rock. about five hundred feet per
pondcl'aI, without sign of vegetation, with
-rs1'i rycr running under the on. the right. the
road being merely the shinsle. The width varied
from seventy yard, t. five hundred. They found
Ola. camp pitched miles within the mountains. AZ
Ger "a night Of storm and rain, they moved thirteen
iu.i.- .urhcr, slill in these dehos As they adj
>anc,d since Ground became more difficult, and they
lost number of their horses and camels and
though 10 was nos the middle of March, when the
~,lr is powerful iu India, they found the weather
mu.f., coll. iln snow on the ill tops, aud every
appearance Of severity of climate. Many of the
h4rra.. auif1rl- Of the officers had bv thi. time
died. and a.. public camel> were pcrishing by
lli,-. At length however, towards the end OF
iIe month, ihgi reached the valley Of Shawl, where
the country began 10 improve, where they fonnd
ilia-.. for their cattle but they had heavy han
storm in the .vcaine. and before their arrival a
hca,, now .tora had fallen, which covered all
the tents. and ha.tkiled the miserable Hndoo,.
Dmiu, all this tmc. the hin robbers. Of whi'h the
1uouuains are iul, were killing stealing the ca
mel. iu all directions.
Their movement was now on Candlhar and
they had to go through some terrible deile> STILL
bon which they los, camc-, horses, and baggage
Water was almost impss.iblc to be had, and II
was supposed lhnt in thi, pass they would have
beer attacked by the Canadian ,irdars; but they
hap .cned To come two or three days sooner than
thcy we're expected. At length, about the middle
of April mountain chief. called the Tacyrand
of the east. came To offer his allegiance, with two
hundred Morse lo the Shah. The heat now began
10 be- Intense. the thermometer standing at a hun
drcd They now met messenger from Mr.. Mac
uaghton SIR Nillian) 10 Sir John kcanc. whe
brought letter stating that the Candahar chief,
had abandoned the cry. Candahar stands IN
fine situation. in the centre of valley formed by
"a very high range of moumts ms at the back. and
two lower ranges on the opposite side; and the
valley Is well waiercd. and r'markabJ rich and
hcaliiifI The scene must hav, offered very stir
KING coutra,, 10 the country though which they
had just passed. A. daylight brc%c. they found
themselves in Il land of cultivation and villages,
Canadian itself standing near tine northern side of
the valley under a range of high rocky mountains.
II seemed very large city surrounded with good
mud wall and ditch over which the plnarets and
ZONES at the tomb of Ahmed Shah Doorauee rose
in the morning sun. The town WAS surrounded on
a sides by walled fruit gardens filled with the null
berry. peach. rcctarine and vine
Al length. the army being all rchted Cor action.
hciroop. moved from Caudahar, and on their way
received a message from the Chief of the Ghilzec
tribe. sasing that ne would not moes, the Brush
IT lhcy dd NOT attack him. and if they gave him a
considerable sum 81 money, Ire would protect their
march; bu, Sir john keanc sent out party to find
out where he was and the protector made his
escape IN good time.
We then come To- the siorming OF the famous for
ir,,. ct Ghulucc. But there seems to have been.
even in tha, brilliant instance an extraordinary
cNamplc of that deplora6le OF foresight. or
even common preparation, which explains IN, lae
disasters M Ahghani>tan. Ii We had not the dis
iinct testimony of TINS writer. who. from his stua-
iiog, had every opportunity Tor knowing the fact,
thai Tire Indian army, advanced with Sir John
krauc at its head. into the very heart of one OF
the most difficult counirie, Of Asia, to attack one
of H. strongest ortrc>.cs, without heavy ordnance
and even without scaling ladders. The case is so
unaccouuiablc that We must give il in his own
wcrds -
After STAYING talking wi,h brc,her officer for
some lutte tirc | rode ON nearer the fort. and
ioiucd SirJ. kcsuc's staff, who wrn going round
recommending. lie was iu>t giving orders for dr-
wing ia the cncmy> outpo>ts. stationed in some
(nt gardens and under walls round the towpe
This soon done by the Queen, 18th, and til
4S,h Native Infantry Two troops If horse artil
LEVY. aud battery OF foot, making in all eighteen
guns. werc now ordered into battery, but after
"A rounds. I'LL