The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-09-15
WHERE EMPIRES MEET
BRITISH.INDIAN RAMPANT ALONG
THE ROOF OF THE WORLD.


Chitral, India, is the one bordei
NState which touches the Russian front
tier and also the Chinese. It is th(
apex of the British Indian wedgei
driven to the heart of the continent
to meet the apices of two other imI
perial wedges driven home to the SAND
goal. The Russian advance first drew
attention to it, or something more thar
mere attention. Captain YounghusI
baad, travelling in that region, sud-
denly came upon Russian military
force under the famous pioneer of conf
quest, Captain Grombchevsky, or hit
colaborer, Captain Yonof. The latter
had actually come through the passed
of the Hindoo Koosh and advanced
down the slopes. On meeting thu
British party, the Russians made
mighty show of innocence, as though
merely travelling for health and pleast
ure, and so by an easy circuit moved
back to their own land. ~ ~
But the incident set Simla and Cab
cutta to thinking, andDowning street
as we'll. Chitral was closely watched
Every murder of Mehtar was take3
into account. And when a series OF
such tragedies made the throne seem
unstable, and the Kahn Of Jandd
planned to conquer it, and the Ameet
of Afghanistan prepared to seize botY
Chitral and Jandol, and Russia wat
deemed ready to seize them all, thu
gods of things as they are began ID
consider the things that are to be. 4
British force was sent to Chitral, II
make permanent garrison and keel
the throne secure. A highway wat
opened up from Peshawar, up which
the loyal legions of the Sikhs and Pun.
jabis could hasten, should need be, II
guard the passes. And subsidy wat
settled on the Mehtar, thus making
him q vassal of the British Indian Eml
pire. " 4
The masses of the tribesmen Of tht
hills are loyal to the British, unde1
constraint of circumstances, If not
through heartfelt love. They are all
Pathans, save the nondescript Kafirss
and have the well-known characters!
tics of the Pathan race. The old story
that they are Greeks. descended from
q colony planted by ''Macedonia's
Madman," is to be dismissed. Som{
traces of Greek forms, in implementi
and weapons, may be discerned; but
of Greek types of body, face or mind
not one.
More plausible by far is the selfI
cherished legend of Hebrew originl
The Semitic type is unmistakablg
evident. They call themselves Chill
dren of Israel. They observe many Of
the peculiar rites Of the Mosaic law.
They keep the Passover. They keep
the Year of Jubilee, with its release Of
debtors and redistribution of the land
They wear the historic garb of Israeli
ties. Their names are echoes from the
roll-call Of the Pentateuch. Ages Of
Mahometanism have obliterated many
Hebrew practices, and made them as
fanatically loyal to the Prophet as any
tribe of Islam. Yet he who studies
can scarcely doubt the truthfulness Of
their boast, t!We have Abraham for
our father"
The Pathan type is distinctly diff
ferent from that of any other Hindod
nationality. You can pick PathaD
out in Hindoo crowd, unhesitatingly
and unerringly. He is big and bony1
he walks with long, easy stride that
seems slow, but covers the ground
swiftly. His cheek bones are prom
inent, his lips full, his nose aquiline,
His skin is swarthy, but.not brown.
like that Of the Hindoos further south
As the men grow old, especially among
The well-to-do classes, they dye thei
boards bright red, in order that thd
grayness of age may not be visible3
Many of them have naturally fair hail
and boards and light blue eyes. In
their clothing blue and white are thd
most common colors, and both ard
mingled in the turban. Long iacketS
and cloaks are worn, and in cold
weather sheepskin robe covers both
the wool being inside and the leathe3
outside, adorned with elaborate silly
embroidery. At such times leathei
skull cap, or sometimes leather hell
met coming down over the ears, 4
worn instead Of the turban. !
The women commonly dress in red
and blue, wearing trousers and q long
cloak, with which they cover thed
faces when meeting strangers. The
men are universally armed with longl
straight Afghan knives, with ivory
handles. Another common weapon il
the jezail, which is an enormously
long musket with carved and ornate
stock and slender rod to support the
muzzle while firing. The sword com1
monty used is the common tulwar, OF
Turkish scimitar. In addition to these
a great variety of weapons of all kinds
of European makes are to be found
among them.
The Pathans of the hills are chiefly
an agricultural and pastoral people.
They cultivate wheat, rice and sugar
cane in the valleys, depending almost
exclusively upon irrigation, though
perhaps once in five years it is posi-
BILE to obtain good crops from land
that is not irrigated. Sheep, goats
and oxen make up the bulk of their
live stock, though they also use camels
and donkeys as beasts of burden.
Their trade with India and Afghanis-
tan is conducted by means of caravans
made up of camels, oxen and donkeys.
Sometimes single caravan will con-