The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1897-08-26
THE UPRISING in INDIA.
The Situation Oil the Frontier Grow
ing More Serious,
HOSTILE TRIBES STRENGTHENING

Inc he-COnqucSt OF the khNDer PnSs,
which Has Fallen Into the Hands OF
of the Arridls, VIII BE n Formidn-
BILE Task For British Troops.
Bombay, Aug. &C. - The latest dis
patches received from the front indi-
cate that the situation on the frontier
Is getting worse. 1t is evident that the
Indian government must face a grave
crisis, involving heavy expenditure
and probably great loss OF life.
The government is confronted with
the following state Of affairs: Khyber
pass has fallen into the hands Of the
Afridis; the posts in Kurram valley are
threatened by the powerful tribe Of the
Orakzais; the Mohmand tribesmen
are meditating a renewal Of hostlities
around Fort Shabkadr, while thousands
of troops are engaged in crushing the
revolt in the Swat valley, and two
large brigades are holding the Tochi
valley, where the Mahsud-Wazcys are
again restless.
The authorities are convinced that
Fort AliMusjid could only have fallen
after desperate fighting, and the native
garrison of Khyber rifles, grand fight
ers, was made up of men who rendered
valuable assistance in the Black noun
tain expedition Of 1888. The fall Of the
fort is a very serious blow, for it iso-
lates Fort Landi- -Rotal which is at the
extreme end Of Khyber pass, garrisoned
by 300 Khyber rifles, and necessitates
the prompt re-conquest Of the pass.
This is certain to prove a formidable
task, of which the British troops had a
foretaste on Monday when body of
| artillery, cavalry and infantry left
Fort Bara, south of the Peshawar, in
| order to repel the Afridis, who were
then advancing down the Bazai val
ley. The troops returned early Tues
day morning and reported that many
of them had dropped out from want
Of water, none being procurable along
the route, while the Afridis, although
shelled by the British maintained their
position on the heights, threatening
the loyal villages of Kadam and the
| British position, Fort Jamrud, at the
mouth of the pass.
Fort Jamrud is held by a strong force
of British and native troops, and the
British front extends about 35 miles
| from Shabkadr along the north side
| of the CabUl river and southwark to
| Peshawar, where the troops are mass
| the Orakzais, who occupy the region
south Of the Afridis, but have not yet
assumed the belligerent proportions of
their northern neighbors There is an
uprising, however, of small parties,
which is proving troublesome near
Kohal, and it is expected that both
tribes will try to close the Kohal pass.
! Numbers of tribesmen are moving up
towards Khyber from Kohal and. that
| district, making the salt tariff the pre-
| text for hostilities.
The widest excitement prevails
among the Hindoo traders at Banu, on
| Kurram river. 1t is rumored that
| 1000 Waziers intended to swoop down
there. sack the town and massacre the
| inhabitants. The mulla and his ennis
sares, especially those from the At
| CHAN governor of Khost, are active
! ly stirring up the Wazcys, who are
also affected by the disloyal attitude
of the Kurrum tribes and emboldened
by the knowledge that the garrison at
Banu is very weak.
There is one ground for satisfaction
in the fact that, except in a few in
stances, the Afridi levies remain loyal
in the face of temptation to join their
kinsmen, as was conspicuously the case
| at Fort Maude.
Far more hopeful intelligence comes
from the Swat valley, where the Bon
erwals have opened peace negotia-
tions. The authorities expect that this
will have widespread influence, espec-
tally If it is followed by submission.
1t appears that the Bonerwals have
suffered far heavier losses during the
recent fighting than has been sup
| posed.