New-York tribune., 1901-12-13

Even ~ the death Of Abdurrahman last month
bad NOT redirected the attention OF the Western
world 10 his remote and turbulent realm, there
would be a good reason for the reissue OF Dr.
C1ray's narrative. now six years old. AT the
Court of the Amir CThe Macmillan Company.
It Is 2 good book one in which we get first hand
impressions of and an environment about
which much has been written, but about which
comparatively little is really known. In 1889
Dr. Gray put on Afghan turban, and. with
three other Englishmen. left Peshawur for Ka-
bull to enter the service Of the Amir. When at
last he found himself in the presence of the
great ruler whose surgeon he had undertaken
to be, he beheld "a swarthy heavily built man.
with broad white forehead and piercing eyes:
his STOPPING attitude, with head advanced,
showed little Of grace but seemed the personif-
cation OF watchful strength, the full Tipped
mouth and square jaw betokened the nfexible
will. Almost Persian i'll type with the aquiline
semi-Jewish features and coal black hair Of his
race he added to the courtesy of the Oriental
something of the bluff heartiness of the English
man" He did not appear an altogether sinister
/ personality but DR.. Gray soon heard things
which made him realize that he had come all
the way to Kabul to wait upon parsonage of
no ordinary traits. He thus alludes to a
versation with European who had been with
| the Amir some two years as geologist:
After dinner he sketched the character Of the
Amir and gave me a good deal Of information
as to the life in Turkestan. He had heard of the
| terrible punishment that had been inflicted on
the rebel followers Of Sirdar Ishak and their un-
| fortunate families One form of punishment
/ appeared to have been introduced from Russia.
Men described as being tied, in the bitter
| winter of Turkestan, naked, to a post; water
was thrown over them, and they were left to
freeze. a strong man would last two days.
/ Girls had been fastened TO the earth and tor
tured: women and children sold as slaves-and
much more. I came away in anything but a.
cheerful state Of mind.
| Dr. Gray had, in fact, than one expert
ence before he left Kabul calculated to remind
him that he at a more less barbaric
court He has stories which show Abdurrah-
man in genial mood, and he takes especial pains
to exhibit the Amir's sense of fairness; he was
| harsh man, who knew how to be just. But
the leopard cannot change his spots. and while
Dr. Gray has a great deal TO tell his readers
that is merely amusing and picturesque about
life In Afghanistan, his master, who is often in
the foreground, never seems much himself as
in anecdotes like this one:
BY and by there were some soldiers brought
| in in chains. His Highness called my attention
to them, and told me the story Of their offences
1t was quite long story. They had formed a
| conspiracy against their Captain, whom they
had accused Of oppression and other evils. His
Highness dilated at some length upon their in
EQUITIES. and finally said:
| What one do with such men?"
They threw themselves on the ground, crying:
| "Tobahi tobahi"-"Alas! alasi"
| The Amir said:
Nay! the time is past for 'tobah' You have
| admitted before the Priest that the accusation
you made against your officer was false"
| One began to say that he Amir Sahib's
| servant
| What word is this?" thundered the Amir
! NV servant! This General is my servant, this
man and this (the Treasury Officer and the Dep
| uty Commander-in-C Chief, these are my ser
| wants. You? You are the dog Of my servants,"
What shall l do to you?" he said, as they
stood ouaking. Then he added:
You shall be taken from here to room
apart there you shall sit and debate among
| yourselves what your punishment shall be, and
| tomorrow you shall again be brought before
me-
| Then they were hurried away.
| What the choice of each was 1 do not
know, but I had occasion to learn the choice of
some Of them. A few days later, visiting
Sherpur Hospital 1 saw four five of the men.
They each greeted me with a wan smile, and