New-York tribune., 1897-08-26

or- .,JN1-sJID EVACUATED AND BURNED BY
TUE ArRIDIs-TIiE AMEER or AFGHANIsTAN
swpARs TO HIS PEACEFUL INTENTIONS
s,r,s Aug. o5-It is officially announced to-
sav that Fort An-Musjid in the Khyber Pass
was evacuated after eleven Of the garrison, COM
nosed of Khyher Rifles inative levies). had de-
..r,as No news has been received Of the re-
roinder Of the garrison. and there IS no confr-
walton OF the report that the Afridis have mas
sacred three hundred Of this force. Au-MusJd
WAS afterward burned by the enemy.
Fort Jehangera which has been occupied by
the Afridis. is only a tower. and OF not nuch
importance.
A force Of four thousand Afridis has advanced
70 Iukarai twelve miles from Fort Bara, which
&c southeast Of Jamrud General Ellis will at
,cyort 10 cut off the retreat Of the enemy. foyt
1undiko;al has not yet been attacked. The lit
surgcnts are reported to be short of food and
ammunition.
Bombay. Aug 25-The latest dispatches re-
ce,ved from the front indicate that the situation
on the frontier is getting worse. 1t is evideh'
that the Indian Government must face grave
crisis. involving heavy expenditure ana propa-
bIv great loss of life.
SERIOUS NATURE OF THE REVOLT.
The Government is confronted with the fol-
INT, the hands Of the Afrds, the posts in Kur-
ram Valley are threatened by the powerful tribe
~ the Orakzais the Mohmand trbesmen are
,,aditating a renewal Of hostities around Fort
Sbahkadr while thousands Of troops are en-
Gagged in crushing the revolt in the Swat Valley
and two large brigades holding the Tochi
Valley where the Mahsud- Mazris are again
restless.
The authorities are convinced that Fort ALI
Nusjd could only nave fallen after desperate
fighting. as the native garrison of khyber
Rifles. grand fighters. was made up of men who
rendered valuable assistance ir the Black Noun
tain expedition of 1883. The fall Of the fort is
serious blow. for it isolates Fort Lundikotal
which is at the extreme end Of the Khyber Pass
garrisoned by three hundred Khyber Rifles. and
makes necessary the prompt reconquest of the
Pass.
This is certain prove a most formidable
task Of which the British troops had a fore
taste on Monday. when a body Of artillery, cav
airy and infantry left Fort Bara south or
PeshaWur, IN order To rcpel the Afrldls. VINO
were then advancing down the Bazai Valley
The troops returned early yesterday morning
and reported that many Of the men had dropped
out from want Of water, none being procuraDle
along the ro,lte: while the Afrids. although
shelled by the British, maintained their position
on the heights threatening the loyal village or
Kadam and the British position, Fort Janrud.
al the mouth or the Pass
Fort Jamrud is held by strong force OF Brit
Ssh and native troops. and the British front ex-
tends about thrty-fve miles from Shabkadr
along the north side Of the Cabul River and
southwark to Peshawur. where the troops are
Ynassng as the base Of a demonstration against
The Orakzais who occupy the region south Of
the Afridis but have not yet assumed the being
erert proportions Of their northern neighDors
There is an uprising. however, of small parties
which is proving troublesome, near kohat' and
II is expected that both tribes will try TO close
the Kohat Pass Numbers Of trhesmen are
moving up toward Khyber from Kohat and that
district making the salt tariff the pretext for
hostilities
EXCITEMENT or KURRAM RIVER.
The widest excitement prevails among the
Hindoo traders at Banu Kurram River. II
IS rurnored that seven thousand Waziris intend
70 swoop down there tonight, sack the town
and massacre the inhe bitants. The Muah and
his emissares especially those from the Afshan
Governor Of Khost. are actively stirring UP the
Waziris who are also affected by the dlsloyai
attitude Of the Kurram tribes and emboldened
bv the knowledge that the garrison at Banu Is
very weak 49,,
There is one ground for satisfaction In the
fact that except in a few instances. the Afrldl
levies remain loyal i'm the face Of temptation 10
Join their kinsmen as was conspicuJusly the
case at Fort Maude.
Somewhat more hopeful intelligence comes
from the Swat Valley. where the I}onerwals have
opened up peace negotiations the authorities
expect that this viii have widespread inllu-
ence especially II il Is followed hy SUBMISSION
II appears that toe BOncrwals have suffered far
heavier losses during the recent fighting than
has been supposed.