The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1880-08-22
A MYSTERIOUS PEOPLE.
The ISntirs-A Race of Unk uOwn origin
Are They Descended From One of
Alexnudcr.s COlONteS?

Among the results that had been hoped
for from the Afghan war an accurate knowledge
Of Kaarisan the land Of mystery, which lies within
the late kingdom OF the Amecrs. Military opera
,hs black clad people as tie kars are called or
brought OF them into our camp so the campaign
bids fair to end leaving THIS truly wonderful country
place Of naryels and Its folk lore would add to
Grimm and Andersen chapter about bear kings and
the IIaitz mountains on 1hurngia kairstan iseven
Interesting than Its ncghbor for 1t Is not only
lightfuliy mysterious, but In every detail of tile life
and manners, the looks, dress, food religion and
Kafrs, and where Is their country? II the questions
were asked Of an Afghan OF Kalrl, he would answer
of his city, and that their and children are of
such surprising beauty that the agents OF rich citizens
are always on the lookout fora purchase The SIZE OF
their country no one knows exactly, hut ''thc love
herb grows thcrc-a valuable plant, Indeed,
FOR whoever possesses 1t can command the
very pale color, but pure go neverthcles is found
in their fields with their maize. They eat little grain,
however, for the Kafrs live cheese and curs, meat
and fruits chiefly the last. which grow wild all over
their hills, ami their orchards are wonderful They
have no earth In their country to spare, so the
.'black- clad - built their houses of cakes of
| dung and sand mixed together; but water they have
In abundance since every hill Is divided from the next
by stream, which the people cross by swinging
bridges made of crccpers They kill every sussunan
they find within their border AMI drink his blood: In
would probably lie the total amount of an Afghan's
knowledge of this large body If his fellow country
and the memory Of Its traditional blo,l feud with
Islam. and partly FROM the unlonbed vindictivcness
| of the people toward M0lannedans Is sealed book
to the East. tribe of mountaineers, known MS the
Nmelia Moscms, who. TO suit circumstances and to
are only true beeyerson the Molanean side OF the
frontier, and spit ut the name of Allah on the Kalr
| side act MS means of communication between the
- black clad " and their neghbors, anil were II not
for them, 1t Is probable that the katits would never
he able to hold any intercourse with the outer world
| at ALL
II the East itself Is so ignorant of this remarkable
and II their next nclghors AMI rcrutcd knsmen,
the iIaris really know nothing about them 1t is not
surprising that IN the West the Kaiir of Afghanistan
! should lie u complete mystery. who are they? some
saw they are Arabs while others believe them lie
colonies along the roadside as lie went To and re-
turned iron, India is sn'l, theory nntelahle, es-
| p.cially rs some of the MnliammcIan tribes, once
seiycs-tlr Sah Pos, 'black-c lad, ~ from their
wearing black sheepskin coats, with the hairy side
outwa-cannot win not, explain their own origin,
for the few who have been caught at intervals by
inlusitiye Engiishmen have only made matters worse
by chrerfuly accepting for themselves any lineage
that happened to he suggested-Aral Hebrew, or
have been supposed, have given clue hnthcre again
u ,linicuity arises, Tor the Kairs in communicating
with their neighi"rs use moiigre tongue, OF which
the vocabulary, far as II Is yet complied defes any
important pathological differences being drawn from
II, through Its adiNtnre OF several dnlects-rersan,
Pushioo, Hindu an Saiskr-in varying proportions,
with large percentage of words and idoms 10 which
Eastern veinacular offers any analogy. From time
to time oriental scholars have given their attention to
this etllogical mystery, aud notably Bnrnes, Wolfe,
Nigne AMI iielew, though without any conclusive
results; but DIR. Leitner, Of Lahore, has con
| tributed a further instalment Of vocabulary COM
piled from the lips Of Kai,s two of them being pris-
oners captured by the Maharaiah Of Cashmere In his
war with the tribes beyond the Indus, in lsGI-which
promises to lay the foundation of something like
sound knowledge of the linguistic acknowledgement
liar to these unknown folk lie himself however has
not rs yet any pronounced opinion upon their origin
The people AS we have said hate the Aohammelans
with surprising fervor, not only from Evolutionary
feuds but because 10 this day the Afghans and others
carry systematic briganage upon their frontiers,
for the purpose at stealing their women anh children,
Who are then sold the wealthy ~ Kail or ia
iaksan swat Baour, and Chitral. on the other hand,
they said To he kindly disposed toward indus, and
quite ready accept Englishnen rs friends Native
travellers who have visited them have come away de-
lighted with their genial hospitality, ami struck with
their activity Of temperament, Intelligence, and
singuariy high standard "f morality and elhics lhit
the Kars brave needs no telling FOR they iaV,
retained their isolated Independence In spite OF every
effort Of every conqueror from lir downward. and
the list Of their prosecutors has been well con
| tinuOus for several centuries, every Molianme'ial
chief In turn ambitious Ot becoming 'Ghazi -
having at one time or another turned his agains
this inhiel colony. In contradiction 10 of the
- compliments that have been paid them, u Is stated.
and with much truth, against the kaiirs that they arr
but little. II at all, better than their neghbors 10
many respects: that their beautiful women do all til,
hard work Of life while their lords pass their days H.
singing and drinking, and wishing Ill To Islam; that
they cruel and treacherols to their Moliammcdai
neghbors; that their whole social life, It's honois AL,
y ceremonies, turns upon the slaughter OF Noiai'
nie,ans aud that they worship idols. Apart, however
from their religion, which IL no worse than many
others, and their hatred Of the Mosem the kairs cal
fairly challenge our sympathy for their bravery, an,
| their personal resemblance to European races Will,
A | interest Is stimulated by the little knowledge W.
: already possess Of this supposed remnant Of Aexan
der's aTmy-this fair-eyed people, who claim tn,
Englishman the deiesied Fernghi Of their ncighbors
a AS ''brother by biood.' They alone share with u
the NosIsm East Of Kaar.'' This in Itself sunce
Ia make hope their secret VIII be cleared up betor
n Tie encroacl,ens Of the surrounding tribe
annilac the race of brave men and lne-eyed womeI
| ''OI the North. ''-LUadUn Teiegrdph.