The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1885-05-22
SIR. PETER LuMspEN.
aew He Gained Valuable Informatioa
Disguised ~ q Holy Man.

SIR. PETER LuMsDEN.
gov He Gained Valuable InSormaties
Disguised ~ q Holy Man.
One of the members Of the English
legation at Washington furnishes some
interesting gossip regarding General
Sir Peter Lumsden, of whom the papers
speak daily BY reason of his relations to
the Anglo Russian boundary question in
Central Asia.
"From his youth" said this gentle
man, "Lumsden has been q man Of
war. He first saw it in the service of
the East India company, and distin-
guished himself as a youngster in the
terrible meeting of 1857. Having talent
for Hindustani dialects he studied them
patiently and carefully. In this way
General Lumsden acquired knowledge
| OF the sentiments and character of the
rank and file of the Indian army. so
that his service to the country has been
simply invaluable. When Sir Frederick
Roberts was en- his way to Candahar
few years ago it was of the utmost con.
sequence that he should have some ac>
curate knowledge of the route. and the
forces likely to oppose him in the
mountain passes. This information
Sir Peter Lumsden, in his own time and
way volunteered to obtain. Three
days elapsed and he had not returned.
and General Roberts began to be seri-
ously concerned for the safety of his
daring staff officer, and finally thought
he has been murdered. The Cen
eral was sitting in his tent late
on the afternoon of the fourth day
when q dakir. or holy man. suddenly
appeared, riding furiously down the
mountain side, and wanted t. pass the
sentinel, who was q grim old High
lander. The sacred man was an extra
or1inary-looking creature, and the re-
verse of sanity. as he appeared to Eu-
ropean eyes. He was almost naked. the
only garment that he wore being pair
of dirty trousers made of goat-skin. His
hair nearly reached to his waist as it
hung down his shoulders and back, and
the lean, brawny arms were covered
with a paste made of sandalwood ashes
mixed with castor oil, a decoration of
peculiar sanctity AMI a powerful smell.
A nosegay of sandalwood. consisting of
ninety-nine Beans, completed the equip
ment of this wonderful object The
man dismounted from his beast, whose
heaving TANKS told Of hard riding. and
in a dialect of Pushtoo or Afghan asked
to see the head sahib. The Highlander
did not understand and motiOned him
hooE T,,e,f fbov, Eoparo1 oharts na,no
out. and. keeping wary eye on his Wis
itor, asked him in Hindustani what he
wanted. The visitor, in barbarous jar
gon, made the General understand that
he desired an interview. When they
were alone, the dakir said: Don't YOU
know me?' 1t was Lumsden, whose
disguise, dirt. wig and all. had been so
complete as to be even unsupported to
a man whose intimate friend he had
been for ten years.
knowing how superstitious the AZ
ghans are, Lumsden had selected dis
guise they would not readily question,
for they are dreadful!y afraid of Offend
ing those holy men whose superior
sanctity is indicated by degree of dirt
mess that is appalling to the civilized
Hlluu. I1c kUeW JDe uldleCG OI GHe
class he represented perfectly, and its
religious stock in trade in 9uota tions
from the Koran, so whenever he APP
preached an Afghan encampment he
dashed fearlessly up to it. yelling:
Fab allah MahOmued resoul allah, the
mystic words of the faithful. and,
though questioned pretty sharply once
or twice, his identity was never sus-
pected. The information he obtained
enabled Candahar to be captured. and |
made the campaign the most successful
one ever made amid those bleak mount |
aims, so often fatal to England's arms
For this distinguished service General
was. in July, 1881, commits
stoned Major-General of the Bengal
staff, and given large grant of money,
to about 100000. This is
the man on whose report and judgment,
above all others, rest the chances of
war that may change the entire map of
Central Asia. " Washington Post.