The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1897-11-27
WHERE EMPIRES MEET.
BRITISH.INDlAN RAMPANT ALONG
THE ROOF OF THE WORLD.

Some characteristics of the Tribesmen OF
The HilIs-A Possible Remnant of the
Lost Tribes OF Israel-The Women
Wear Trousers-A Pastoral People.
Chitral. India, is the one border
State which touches the Russian from
,ier and also the Chinese. 1t is the
mex of the British Indian wedge, |
driven to the heart of the continent,
10 meet the apices of two other I'M
,erial wedges driven home to the same
goal. The Russian advance first drew
attention to it, or something more than
mere attention. Captain Younghus-
band, travelling in that region, sud
lenly came upon a Russian military
orce under the famous pioneer OF CON
quest, Captain Grombchevsky, or his
,olaborer, Captain Yonoff. The latter
had actually come through the passes
Of the Hindoo Koosh and advanced
down the slopes. On meeting the
British party, the Russians made a
mighty show of innocence, as though
merely travelling for health and pleas
ure, and so by an easy circuit moved
back to their own land.
But the incident set Simla and CAL
cutta to thinking, and Downing street
as well. Chitral was closely watched.
Every murder of Mehtar was taken
into account And when series OF
such tragedies made the throne seem
unstable, and the Kahn of Jandol
planned to conquer it, and the Ameer
of Afghanistan prepared to seize both
Chitral and Jandol, and Russia was
deemed ready to seize them all, the
gods of things as they are began to
consider the things that are to be. A
British force was sent to Chitral, to
make a permanent garrison and keep
the throne secure. A highway was
opened up from Peshawar, up which
the loyal legions of the Sikhs and Pun
iabis could hasten, should need be, to
guard the passes. And subsidy was
settled on the Mehtar, thus making
him a vassal of the British Indian EN-
pire.
The masses of the tribesmen of the
hills are loyal to the British, under
constraint of circumstances, II not
through heartfelt love. They are all
Pathans, save the nondescript Kafirs,
and have the well-known characters
tics of the Pathan race. The old story
that they are Greeks. descended from
colony planted by "Macedonia's
Madman," is to be dismissed. Some
traces of Greek forms, in implements
and weapons, may be discerned; but
of Greek types of body, face or mind
not one.
More plausible by far is the self,
cherished legend Of Hebrew origin.
The Semitic type is Enthusiastically
evident. They call themselves Chill
dren of Israel. They observe many Of
the peculiar rites of the Mosaic law
They keep the Passover. They keeI
the Year of Jubilee, with its release O
debtors and redistribution of the land
They wear the historic garb of Israel
ties. Their names are echoes from the
roll-call of the Pentateuch. Ages o
!, Mahometanism have obliterated man,
Hebrew practices, and made them al
fanatically loyal to the Prophet as an.
tribe of Islam. Yet he who studies
can scarcely doubt the truthfulness o
/ their boast. eve have Abraham TO
our father" -.
The Pathan type is distinctly diff
ferent from that of any other Hindo
/ nationality. You can pick Pathal
,ut in a Hindoo crowd, unhesitatingl..
| and unerringly. He is big and bony
! He walks with long, easy stride tina
, ,eems slow, but covers the groun
, ,wiftly. His cheek bones are prom
: inent, his lips full, his nose aquiline
: Ills skin is swarthy, but.not brown
ike that of the Hindoos further south
As the men grow old, especially anon
the welI-to-do classes, they dye thei
4 boards bright red, in order that th
: rrayness of age may not be visible
: Many of them have naturally fair ha1
/ and boards and light blue eyes. /
9 their clothing blue and white are tn
J, most common colors, and both al
D mingled in the turban. Long JACKIE
), and cloaks are worn, and in col
weather a sheepskin robe covers bot
: che wool being inside and the leath,
It outside. adorned with elaborate ST
:. embroidery. At such times leath
q skull cap, or sometimes leather ne
n met coming down over the ears,
worn instead of the turban.
h The women commonly dress IN r.
II and blue. wearing trousers and lol
j. cloak, with which they cover the
k faces when meeting strangers. L
" men are universally armed with Ion
;" straight Afghan knives, with Two
1T handles. Another common weapon
k the jezail, which is an enormous
long musket with carved and orni
" stock and slender rod to support t
$ muzzle while firing. The sword co
he monty used is the common tulwar,
a. Turkish scimitar. In addition to the
ly q great variety of weapons OF all kin
is of European makes are to be fou
to among them.
The Pathans of the hills are chic
an agricultural and pastoral Peep
They cultivate wheat, rice and SD,
W cane in the valleys, depending aim
II exclusively upon irrigation. thou
1t. perhaps once in five years it Is pos
NV BILE to obtain good crops from la
ok that is not irrigated. Sheep, go
L L.. A,1lH ,f