The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-11-23

is, that although there are these Israel
itish traditions as to origin, there is an
almost total abstinence of the Hebrew
language, which is hard to explain if
they are really portion of the Bani
Israel. There are a few words of a
Hebrew character which are to be
found all over the East, and of course
these words are in use in Afghanistan;
but that is different thing from Il
nation giving up its language alto
gether. As an instance. although they
have traditions of the Ark of the
Covenant, it is mentioned in their
books in different name from that of
the Hebrew. The Hebrew word is
Aron, and they know it as the Talbot
i-Sakina, two terms so totally different
that they cannot be explained as
having changed from one into
the other. Now, it is hard to suppose
that such a stiff-necked race as the
Jews would have adopted name from
a foreign and heather tongue for
their Sacred Ark. We would suppose
that after a long course of mixture
with foreigners they lost their own
language and found another. There is
at the same time some confirmatory
evidence in the number of Jewish
names which are to be found in Cabul.
The 1usuf-zais are the sons of Joseph
lbrahim, for Abraham; Yacob, for
Jacob, etc. Suleiman is common
name, and it is the distinctive term
given to the prominent range of mount
aims along the west bank of the Indus,
out of which, near the center of the
range, there is a prominent peak,
known as the Tukht-i-SuIeiman, or
Throne of Solomon. On this peak,
which is not far from Dera Ismael
Khan, the Mohammedans believe that
Noah's Ark rested after the flood.
Pilgrimages are made to this, and on
the top they are admitted to a place
where they are allowed to touch what
they believe is portion of the Ark,
which still remains, and they have a
profound feeling of reverence for this
sacred relic. Many other details con-
nected with this subject could be given,
but as the ten lost tribes have been
found in so many quarters of the globe,
any particulars which would have a
tendency to place them in Cabul may
only excite feeling of skepticism in the
minds OF the ordinary newspaper reader.
Colonel Edwards, who was at one
time our Commissioner at Peshawur, if
L mistake not, came to the conclusion
that the Afghans were really the lost
tribes, and | think he published book
on the subject. would not venture to
endorse this opinion regarding these
nDnn1a lint ,Io+ I 7
think there must have been some init
mate affinity between the races of At
ghanistan and those of Palestine at
some early date, a resemblance which
repeated inroads of the Turcomans and
other Turanian races have obliterated
Let us hope by the time war is over
and the affairs Of Afghanistan are set
tied we may get something like reliable
information on this head, by which we
may understand the matter. If war is
a curse there is at times some good
which comes from it, and our modern
wars generally bring knowledge of the
region to us as slight recompense for
many evils. Bellew, in his
account of the mission which he ac-
companied into Afghanistan, tells a
most remarkable story, which may be
quoted as illustrating not only the de-
termination which the race is capable
of, but as a sense of honor-such was
the word the relator used and although
1t was only honor among thieves. there
was mixed with it a little desire of
the honor of the family to which the
hero of the story belonged, which would
be creditable anywhere The person
who tells the tale was called Khan Gul,
and he was one of the actors in it. The
whole of his family had at a former
period become band of robbers, which
occupation they practiced, seemingly
on the sly, and their neighbors were
kept in the dark about their doings.
They had determined on robbing a
house at some distance, and, going
there during the night, they made a
hole through the mud wall. Khan CUPS
brother like Oliver Twist, was passed
IN, and he began to hand out whatever
was within his reach. The people of
the house CHANGED to wake up, upon
which the brother tried to make his es-
cape; but while in the act of returning
through the hole in the wall, those on
the'inside caught him by the feet. Now
began the tug like the "tug of war;
tiercely they pulled to get him out of the
hole, but it was useless; those within had
one or two holding on to each leg, and
the burglar was held as if in a vice.
The fear that they would be recognized
and detected became at last the domi-
nant feeling; and as they could not pos
sibly pull him out, they determined on
an extreme measure, and one so very
extreme that it is hard to believe that
it could have occurred to any other than
these knife-using Afghans. The only
plan left to prevent identity was to cut
off the head, carrying it away and
leave the body; and the very striking
part of this tale lies in the fact that it
was done at the suggestion of the man
himself, and as he expressed it at the
instant, so that :" the honor of the fam
lily might be preserved undefiled."
This was done; they fled with the head
only, leaving all the spoils which had
been thrown out, and as Khan Gul
ended the story, he thanked God that
the honor of his house had by these
means been preserved. -Shumla Cor.
London Times.
HOLOCAUST" is a solid old word
| and we wouldn't saw anVthinp arainet