The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-10-11

erty. By-and-by, when the authorities
In India have grown more accustomed
to the situation created by the pres
ence OF Russia in Central Asia, 1t is to
be hoped that some sort Of more stable
equilibrium may be again established
on their consideration from various
and conflicting quarters"
It Is, Of course, the Khyber pass
which Is regarded as the key to the
situation. That is why the news Of
the carrying Of the two forts located
there created such CONSERVATION
among those who knew what the lines
were along which the government had
been working all these years. Here
was long campaign for the direct
purpose Of guarding aginst European
body Of fiery natives swooped down
and took the key to the whole situation
with comparatively little trouble
What a commentary!
Only visit can make one appreciate
what a weird, uncanny place the khy-
Der pass Is. 1t is a deep slit in the
mountains SO miles long, and cut by
torrents that have rushed towards the
Indus. Its widest part is only $50 feet
wide, and it narrows down to less than
10 feet in places, while the mountain
Of slate rock rises on either side alb
solutely perpendicular. The road, or
bed, is fairly good, though in places
rough with single. Ali Musjid Is nine
and half miles from the entrance on
the Indian side. 1t is a very rough,
poor old fort, but could hardly be
taken without artillery, and absolute
ly governs the pass. The road by it
Is only 40 feet wide, and happens to be
very slippery on account Of projecting
q q riC q
on each side, and the fort looks
straight down from height Of about
300 yards Ali Musjid has figured
prominently in history. 1t was near
there that Burne'S camp had a narrow
escape from being overwhelmed by the
sudden rising of the torrent to which
the pass is subject, particularly about
this time Of the year. Then in the
first Afghan war there were many
rough skirmishes with the Afridis.
Taking the fort cost Col. Wade % men
killed, and 1853 wounded in 1889, and
400 native troops were just afterwards
massacred, for the sake of their pay.
1t is there too, that Sir Neville Cham
berlain's friendly mission to the Ameer
of Afghanistan was stopped in 1878;
there that the ultimatum was handed
to the ameer's general, and there that
Sir Samuel Browne started the last
Afghan campaign. 1t was on Sept. q,
1878, that the British mission, directed
by Sir Neville Chamberlain was turned
back from Ali Musician occurrence
promptly followed by the then vice
roy's ultimatum to the ameer, giving
Nov. q ensuing as the date by which
that potentate must accede to all Brit
ish demands or, take the consequences,
And it was with corresponding punctu-
atty that Sir Samuel Brownies legions
entered the khyber, with its blood
stained memories of the AZ, and car
ried Ali Musjid by storm on the very
day after the expiration Of the time Of
grace.
Lord William Beresford was an A.
D. c. in those days, and he 1t was
who, on Sir Samuel's asking for a
messenger for the perilous work Of car
rying an order from one storming col
umn to another under heavy fire,
stepped forward with, I'm an idle
man, sir; let me gop' With amazing
GOODNESS, not to say effrontery, and
smoking cheroot all the time, Lord
William Beresford proceeded to doff
his shoes and socks and then to cross
the intervening stream with his mes
sage-all this under a whitening
Afghan fusillade. Lundi Kotal is a
smaller place, hardly fort at all, but
a collection of bungalows along the
Kabul road, garrisoned by the Khyber
rifles, the Afridis who are in the Eng
lish service.
In and around the strategic points
the Afridis are surging in large num-
bers. The work of the Mullahs grows
more apparent. They are the learned
men of the Afridis, and their influence
is certainly tremendous.
After all is said and done, there Is
but one conclusion to arrive at and