Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-02-01
The ktyber Pass

so often held the key 20 critical crisis
in the worlds history. Alexander came
through this opening from Persia to
conauer India, and Mahmond followed
him. first bringing the Mahometan re-
ligion to Hindostan. General Kauf-
mann on Thursday called on his Gov
eminent to notice that its occupancy by
the British would bea standing menace
to Russian Turkistan.
Our readers would do we'll to bear in
mind the CO. dition and situation of this
gateway in order the better to under
stand the events which most probably
will soon occur there. 1t is, in fact, u
gut or cleft in a savage Alpine region,
drained by the Cabul River, and ram-
parted by wastes of snow, and the
PEAKS of the Hindoo Kush covered with
perpetual ice. The Businesses OF these
mountains are guarded by disjointed,
tanatical tribes of Afghans. The AT
ghans are not sensual nor brutal, but
like most mountaineers, powerful in
physique and brain, bigoted, sincere
and cruel, especially in religious
war.
1t was down this great Pass and
through these people, our readers will
remember, that, o month later in
the Winter than now, the British
Army attempted to pass back into In
dia. OF 10000, including women and
children, but one man reached Jellala-
bad to tell the tale. The assailants
were in most instances said to be Cha
ices, religious enthusiasts who fought
for the love of God. The Khyberees, q
clan who lived along the heights of the
Pass. refused to join in the conspiracy
with the other tribes, but harried the
flying wretches, killing and robbing
them to within q mile of Jellalabad.
The bones of these 16, 900 are scattered
still along these defiles; even their Dor
ders never were regained. 1t is sig
nificant fact, too, which we find in the
contemporaneous accounts of this pre-
yious struggle between the British and
Afghans on their own ground, that no
reliance could be placed on the Indian
allies of the English. 1.-THE Sepoys."
says the official report, "who make such
good soldiers under the broiling sun of
India, are enervated and stupefied by
the extreme cold of these high ATTITUDES
and succumb at once" They fell by
the thousands by the wayside, or if liv-
ing were carried off as slaves to the
Voslik Tartars.
1t is the remembrance of the details
of this massacre, onlyt ;rty.six years
ago, which most probably caused the
Home Government to check the Vice.
roy in his impotence, and instruct him
to give the Amer another chance to
keep the peace. 1t is not tho Afghan
forces against which they have to con-
tend, nor even the Russian. but Win
ter and lack of transportation and pro-
visions which would parallel the retreat
from Moscow. It was the brother of
Shere Ali, too, who mannuvred the ma
rauding hordes so skillfully, and they
are equally under the guidance of the
Ameer.-N. Y. Tribune.
Russia in 1871, as a precautionary
cove against the growing power of
akoob Beg, occupied and annexed
the province of Kuldja on the frontier
of kashgar. AS this was move against
Yakoob Beg and his Mohammedan ene-
mics of China, the Chinese authorities
did not object. But last spring, after
the death of Yakoob Beg, the Chinese
re-occupied Kashgar except the natural
stronghold of Kuldja, lying north of
the mountains, and held by Russia.
The Chinese general, Tso Tsung Tang,
made demand that the province
should be receded to China. The Rus
slams declined to comply unless China
would pay SO ,000, 900 as compensation.
This was deemed excessive, and the
Chinese commander in Kashgar retail
ated by prohibiting trade on the from.
her,this was against treaty stipulations,
and there have been threatening move
ments on both sides. A Chinese army
OF $4,000 is massed at Kashgar, the
capital of Yakoob Beg's old kingdom,
while ON the other side of the noun
tains is a Russian army determined to
hold fast to the natural boundary"
Out of this situation of affairs come
the complications referred to in the
dispatches, which may have an impor-
tant bearing on the final result of the
Afghan war.-Lntsr- Ocean.
At an agricultural convention in
England, the other day, much discus
sion arose as to the reason why Ameri-
can cheese was driving the English ar
ucle out OF the market. It was as
sumed at the outset that the American
manufacture was inferior to the home
made cheese, and then they worried
over the fact that ours sold the best.
Possibly our English friends may find
upon investigation that they are mis-
taken regarding the quality of our
ASe, and that it is really superior to
@Mro own cheese.
The pauper colonies of tho Neither
lands at Fredericksvord and Veenhingen
are considered success. The Govern
ment colonies contain 2,807 persons,
LIB of them men. All of them had
been convicted Of begging, and sent to
the colonies. They prepare peat, make
coffee bags and other coarse fabrics,
cultivate 1900 acres in rye, oats, rota-
Toes, etc., and 1900 acres in grass.
Inc colonies under private direction
embrace some 5000 acres, and the COL
onists number 1856.
Ihere has been considerable in
crease In emigration arrivals at Castle