The New York herald., 1879-09-11


July. and on the following morning his
eamp marched to Shilufzan, one OF the
! finest ana most picturesque of the upper
/ villages OF the Kuram Valley. General Roberts
met Major Csvagnari at Shllufzan and after break
| fast accompanied him the camp on the Peiwar
| Kotal where the Envoy remained until the rest of
the Embassy reached All-khel. the most advanced
position occupied by the troops OF the huram forces
tcucral Roberts with q view 10 creating proper
i,npression as to the importance OF the Embassy.
ordered the following force to escort the Envoy to
the Afghan frontier -Four guns No. mountain
battery two co canes from OF the British IN
tantry regiments located at Ali-khel-viz. The sixty
| seventh foot and the Seventy y-second and Ninety
/ second Highlanders-tour companies OF !he
| Fifh Goorkhas and a. squadron o. the
Twelfth bsngs savary Massn ne snorv as
| sumo the supreme command in Kuram IL conse-
aurnce OF General Roberts having been appointed to
| serve on the Army Reorganization Committee which
il 10 assemble ut Sinla to discuss military reforms.
| About eieh O'Clock on the morning Of the 18th of
| Juy news was received a. the British camp at
Khsratga that the Afghan official appointed by the
Afseer 10 superintend the arrangements for the
Epyoy's tourney to Cabul had arrived within short
distance of the camp ana Mr.. Jenkyns. secretary to
the Embassy, and Captain Conoiy, political
assistant to General Roberts. were deputea
TO conduct him to the tent where the Envoy
was waiting to receive him. After the customary
salutations and some brief conversation, Major
Cavagnari rose to take his departure. guard of
honor from the Sxty-seventh foot presented arms
as Envoy left the tent. and as ne mounted his
horse a salute Of fifteen guns was fired from the
mountain battery.
THE FATAL JOURNEY
Across a stream which is the natural boun-
Diary line between the Chilli aud the Jaji tribes,
and which forms the line OF demarcatlon
between the British administration in Kuram and
the territory of the Ameer of Atghanistan. regi-
Inent of Afghan cavalry and some hundreds of
irregular levies drawn up and sauted the
Envoy as lie passed and then formed the escort.
General Roberts and fifty officers of the Kuram
force accompanied the Embassy to the camp at
Kasm-khe which the Afghan official tShahghi.ssi
Khushdl Khan, late Governor of Afghan rurkestan)
had pitched tor the Envoy and staff. Water had
been diverted from neishboring stream and flowed
past the windows of the tent. adding considerably
to the picturesque appearance OF the whole scene.
After some light refresh1nent the officers proceeded
to the crest of the Shutargardan Pass. and had
fairly good view of the Logar Valley They then
turned to Kasim-khel and after partaking of very
substantial luncheon Khushdil Khan had prepared
they took leave of the officers Of the Embassy and
retraced their steps to the camp in the Haz-
ardarakht Valley. On the morning Of the
goth the the Embassy aan crossed @ the shutargsr, ar
western side is somewhat rough and abrupt.
but good road suitable for wheeled tillery. could
be made with but little difficulty. At the foot of the
descent the road proceeds in a northerly direction
through the bed of stream to the village Of Akhund
khel distant about two and half miles from the
crest OF the Shutargardan. Judging by the marks
the banks of the stream it is evident that large
quantity of water is carried along this channel in
food time, quite sufficient to impede the march OF
troops. A few hundred yards below Akhund-khel
the stream passes through narrow gorge.
the width Of which averages about II or Is
feet. Except in flood time this would
be obstacle to troops marching by this
line as the total length of the deile is only
seventy eighty yards and there il nothing in the
bed of the stream that Il company OF sappers could
not pat right in few hours for the passage Of
wheeled artillery. When the stream is in flood it
would be quite impossible to pass through this
gorge. and tine only way to render 1t mt for traffic at
ali Of the year would be to cut gallery
along the side of the rocks. work of this kind is
being executed in the rocky defle below the fort at
Ali MasJid III the hhybcr Pass Some three miles
western limit of the Ghilzas. This tribe owns the
hilly country which forms the eastern boundary OF
the Logar Valley and extends from the Shutargarden
Pass i'll northery direction to tho banks Of the
Cabul River, including within the above limits the
Tezin and Khurd Cabul passes, rendered SO famous
during the disastrous first Afghan war.
THROUGH THE sIIEENKI PASS
AT Dobandi Khushdil Khan had breakfast ready
for the Embassy, and after short halt the
proceeded with. Half q mile below the village the
stream passes through another narrow gorge. and
to avoid this the road leaves the bed Of the river and
ascends the Sheenki or Green Pass. The only ras0n
GetTe for such name is the sulphate of iron tngc
vegetation to warrant such an appellation. Though
the ascent was only 500 feet it was very trying to
the baggage animals, and much easier gradient
would have to be cut to allow the passage of wheeled
| guns. After an uninterestng ride OF seven miles
over plain Of conglomerate. Khushi. large
village situate on the banks of tie stream
had LETT at Dobandi reached. The Per-
! sian word ktusht implies PLEASURE" and one
| can quite imagine weary traveller, after
traversing miles OF stony, barren ground coming
suddenly upon a fertile and well-wooded village
Afghanistau il very remarkable for oases of this
sort. In almost every direction that travels
through that country. stony, waterless plateaux
have to be traversed before anything approaching to
cultivated valleys and glens they scarcely repay
the visitor for the inhospitable journey lie has
cessively at Khushi. Zarghun shahr, Zahidabad and
Chitrasiab-the country through which the road
passes is almost level. and would admit of wheeled
carriages passing along 1.-THE British Embassy
tered Cabui on the morning OF the Gath of July.
ENTERING CABUL.
About four miles from the city Sirdar Abdoolah
Khan, son OF the famous Sultan Jan. of Herat,
companied by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and
an escort of cavalry met the Envoy Two Elephants
wi Oil nd ds liver lOw wla had beer fort he
of the Envoy and his staff. Close to the city the
whole of the Cabul garrison. consisting of two
airy regiments, two batteries of artillery and nine
infantry regiments, drawn up in close column
and presented arms as the cortege passed. The
bands played what they imagined was "God Save
the Qucen;" but If the tune and time some
what faulty, the honor intended for the British
guests by giving them their anthem was none
the less appreciated AS the Envoy elephant entered
the gate OF the Bala Hissar, citadel of Cabul,
salute of seventeen guns was fired by heavy bat
terry tine siege train OF eighteen pounders which
the British government i'll former days gave to the
Ameer. Shere Ali Khan posted rising
ground in front OF the city. The housetops anu
shop windows of that part of the city through
which the procession passed were crowded with
sghtseers. but the conduct Of the crowd was or.
DERBY and respectful in the extreme. guard OF
honor was drawn up short distance from .he gate
way of the quarters appointed by the Ameer for the
alghted from his elephant. the Commauder-in-
Chief and the Finance Minister waited on him and
conveyed friendly inquiries from the Amecr. In
the afternoon Major Sir Louis Cavasnari aud staff
paid formal visit to the Ameer.
THE EMBASSY LODGED.
The building which the members Of the En-
bassy lodged is very comipodious and Is consid-
cred OF the best dwelling houses in Cabul There
two houses, four storied the other two-
storied, connected by side Walls, that there is
spacious quadrangle in the centre The superstruc-
ure of these houses is principally of wood with
small kiln baked bricks built in between frameworks
of od. This is said to be the best sty of build
ing o Withstand earthquakes, which are very tre-
qusnt in Ca0ul. The houses had been thoroughly
cleaned and whitcwashed and are by
means uncomfortable During the whole of
the journey officers and of the EN-
bassy were the guests of the Ameer. Large
trays of cooked food of various descriptions
We're three times day to the
officers. and rations served ont to the escort
ana camp followers. Fruit was supplied In such
great profusion that the baggage animals
feasting of large heap which the camp followers
were unable to dispose Of.
PEACEFUL AND UHEvESTFUL JoCRNEY.
The peaceful and uneventful journey of the En-
basay and the honorable ana ostentatious reception
1t met with when entering Cabul will, IL as to be
hoped, give quetus to the pessifnists who dis
posed TO question the Amccrs power throughout his
A1s t.r .t. fx-l.n l