The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-10-28
IN THE BLACK MOUNTAIN.
Where Fighting and Plumber Are the Chief
Business In Hand.

Where Fighting and Plumber Are the Chief
Business In Hand.
London Times.
When we remember that the northwest
frontier Of our Indian empire extends along q
line Of 200 miles, bordered by one Of the most
mountainous regions on the face or the earth,
with q population whose chief business 10
plumber and fighting, the wonder 10 that our
punitive expeditions are not more frequent
tnan they are. One OF the most inaccessible
aud most troublesome of these northwest
frontier districts il that Of Black mountain, to
whose people We are at this moment engaged in
reading q lesson which they are not likely to
forget, and In which We ourselves will not some
of scathless. This Black mountain lies
in the southwest corner OF our Hazara
frontier, almost Enclosed by the Indus
tributaries on the east. Dsrbsnd, which may
be regarded as the gateway to it. and which Is
Just within our frontier. lies about fifty miles
furths. up the Indus than Attock, which is
about the same distance BY rail east or
Peshawur; so that the Black mountain seems
within easy reach of civilization. And, indeed,
on the map. and even when looking up the Indus
from Darbaud, it seems easy enough to get into
the heart of the Black mountain by the way. Of
the river valley. For the river looks as If it
flowed through q reasonably broad valley, be.
tween two steep mountain blocks. AS n matter
of fact. however, the column which marches up
the Indus from Darband has had q much more
difficult task than the other which marched
across the croSJS OF the mOu0taIuH from OgQls
The Indus here really flows through o deep
gorge into which great spurs abut from the main
ridge which cannot be rounded, but must be
crossed. Thus often q steep climb OF q thousand
feet, with g steep descent on the other side, 10
necessary in order TO make half q miles
progress. Moreover. the Indus for a long stretch
here il quite uuexplored and may harbor all
sorts of unforeseen difficulties.
The Black mountain itself is described In
Colonel Pages record of the expeditions under
faEan Catna nnrthW0Rt fr0nfiQP trlhaR RQ n
district Of comparatively small extent, but Of
the most rugged character. It 10 only about
thirty miles long, with au average breadth of
ten miles. and an average hight of 5000 feet
above sea level. 1t is really a long crest run
ming in a generally northern direction, at some
little distance east of the Indus, from near OAR
band on the south to whore the river
takes . sharp turn eastward on the
north. The ridge 10 in general more
rounded than sharp. sends up high peaks at in
teryals, is crossed here and there by deep passes.
and shoots out great spurs east aud west. which
are often precipitOus and rocky. with deep. mar
row Rlens or gorees lying between them, 10
which are planted the villages of the tribes. The
soil Of the hillsides is described as, for the
most part, rocky and stony. When unculti-
waited, the lower slopes are covered with
thorny bushes and grass; further up, forest re-
places thsse, and the whole OF the upper portion
of the spurs and crest is thickiv wooded. Along
the crest Frequent open glsdes occur in the for
est, which. with the exposed slopes Of higher
peaks, are covered with short grass. The Indus
in this part is deep ana rapid, from 20 to loo
yards wide. and crossed at eleven different points
by ferries, the boats accommodating from twen-
ty to thirty passengers. The natives also cross
the river, at nearly every point, on inflated
skins, which they can do with great rapidly,
and in great numbers. The scenery in some
parts lie magnificent, as might be expected. and
with its general features We are pretty familiar
from the information obtained during the troub-
lesome punitive expeditions of 1923. and 1865.
The climate OF the Black mountain is beautiful
in spring, simmer aud autumn, but severe in
the winter. when snow falls in sufficient quanti-
ty to stop Communications over the crests. along
which are the main routes for a military .expe-
dition.
day. lies on the Indus, between mountain spurs,
about 6fteen miles north from Darband. 1t was
destroyed IN the expedition OF 1888. Oghi,
where we have maintained an OUTPOST for some
time-an attack on which led to the present ex-
peditioD-isa about fifteen miles east Of Kotkai,
on the other side of the main crest, and lying
itself In a mountain region with peaks rising TO
the height of eighteen thousand feet IL Is the
starting point OF three of the columns which
form the present expedition. Although the pop
ulation OF the Black mountain, like that OF other
parts Of the northwest frontier, is somewhat
mixed. the people with whom We bad an en-
counter on Friday at Kotkai are the Hassanzais,
a branch OF the Yusufzais, q section Of tho
bloodthirsty and treacberous Patbans. about
whose afinities there 10 SO much controversy.
They are Mohammedans OF . somewhat lax
type. Many who have settled on the British
side OF the border have become quiet and indus
trious citizens. The Hassanzais reside on both
sides OF the Indus, those on the Black mountain
side occupying the most southern portion Of its
western slope. They are divided into ten sub
divisions, and can command about 800 fighting
men, though some Of thsir neighbors would, no