Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-10-07
About the Afghnns.
Scottish American.)


Scottish American.)
The Afghans are very Jealous OF their
wives. Should any person on horseback
wish to pass through village he must
dismount. in order that he may not over
look the walls Of the women's court
yards Among the better classes the
Pathan women wear the 'purdah," a
flowing robe reaching from the crown
of the head TO the feet. with two small
Iattice-work openings for the eyes. This
garment effectually conceals them from
/ the gaze OF the curious. and IL is not
! till the completion of the marriage cere-
/ mony that a Pathan has any idea Of
| the beauty or otherwise Of his bride
Marriages are celebrated by feasting
/ and much noise-making, In which the
beating Of "tomtOms' and firing Of guns
| take a prominent part. The rites may
| extend over several days when the
! Bridegroom Is a man OF rank, and fire.
quently cost him large sums Of money
| in addition 10 the amount which he has
had to pay TO the relatives OF the bride
before being accepted as her sutton, and
such sums as he may have expended on
the purchase OF jewelry for the lady Of
his choice The women do not mix with
the men, and are never present at any
form of entertainment This might be
considered a mark OF respect as Pathan
songs, and acting are usually indecent,
were 1t not that woman is too insig-
nifcant a creature in the eyes of her
Lord and Master TO be treated with any
respect at ALL However the women
have their own entertainments. Among
their duties is a weekly visit. which is
fixed for Fridays. 10 the burial-places,
where they decorate the graves with
1t 4
i'm patterns of different designs. Judging
by the barbarous fortunes which Pathan
women are known 10 infiict upon wound
ed foes they are in no way behind their
male relatives in the way Of cruelty;
their doings in this respect are Of too
sickening nature TO allow of detail.
The Afghans are notorious rife-steal-
ers and British and native regiments
CHARTERED on the frontier are compelled
to furnish a number Of extra guards
and pickets. To secure a Lee-Metford
rifle is the one aim and object of the
thief Should he be successful he can
sell the weapon for at least 300 rupees,
or about go This amount enables him
TO pass the rest Of his days in affiuence.
Few rifles OF this pattern. If any. have
been stolen. however, for the simple rea-
son that sentries are furnished with Sni-
der rifles loaded with buckshot. Even
this antiquated weapon is not beneath
the notice of the Pathan. as witness the
fact that quite recently a "sepoy" OF
the Twentieth Punjab Infantry was cut
down at Peshawar while on sentry
go" and his rihe-a Snider-had ira
yelled a considerable distance before the
crime was discovered by the relief"
The thief got clear away. notwithstand-
ing the vigilance of cavalry and infan-
try patrols and numerous native police
men posted all round the environments.
Europeans keep only revolvers In their
bungalows sending other weapons TO
regimental guard-rooms. where they are
placed in arm-racks. The bolts Of the
service rifles are removed and carefully |
locked up. a rod is run through all the |
and securely padlocked. |
and sentry is mounted over each rack. |
AS an additional precaution for the safe
ty of their lives and valuables, residents |
In environments pay "choWkidar !
might watchman) the munificent salary |
Of shillings n month, in return for |
which the "chowkdar' places his |
'charpoy." or bed. in the veranda. and |
sleeps as soundly as his employer. The |
payment of one Pathan practically in
sures property against the raids OF
others
me 1dlDdn UldhtS Il EOou Splblti anu
Bengal regiments have companies com
posed solely OF these men. whose caste"
keeps them more or less apart from the
others. AS believers In Islam, the
pathans are easily persuaded by their
'mollah" to take the life Of an Infdel
IL is said that the muir
lerer of Lieutenant Stevens, of the
Twentieth Punjab Regiment. who was
stabbed on the platform OF the canton
nent railway station at Peshawar in
April Of last year. urged in his de-
ence that the "mollah" had promised
lin that he would be transformed into
white bird and fly away TO Paradise
{ he killed the first white man whom he
net i'm environments. The 'mollah" af-
erwards explained the non-fulhlment
f the promise by declaring that the
murderer had passed a white man be-
ore he saw Lieutenant Stevens. but had
cen afraid TO attack him, and had thus
allied to carry out his instructions.
|