Author : Henry Walter Bellew
Release : 2013-09
Genre :
Kind : eBook
Book Rating : 780/5 ( reviews)

GET EBOOK

Book Synopsis Journal of a Political Mission to Afghanistan, In 1857 by : Henry Walter Bellew

Download or read book Journal of a Political Mission to Afghanistan, In 1857 written by Henry Walter Bellew. This book was released on 2013-09. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1862 edition. Excerpt: ... these birds passed over the country and alighted for the night on a hill a few miles to the north of the city. Here they were attacked by all the available guns in the place. Some hundred or more were shot and many others taken alive, and amongst the number the one above referred to. At this interview with the Sardar, I urged the necessity of his assistance in relieving the miseries of the famine-struck townspeople, who were also being decimated by small-pox. He appeared to enter into my proposals with some earnestness, and promised that he would place an empty sarai within the citadel at my disposal, and CHAP. IV. INSPECTION OF AFGHAN TROOPS. 241 give me every assistance in his power. At the same time, he said he did not see the use of my giving myself so much trouble, as he was sure that my labours would not be appreciated. I was of a different opinion, however, and therefore pressed my suit with ultimate success, for after two or three weeks an empty and dilapidated sarai was placed at my disposal, but the Sardar's promises of encouragement and assistance were mere empty words. A couple of days after this interview with the Sardar, Major Lumsden and his Assistant inspected the heir-apparent's infantry troops, who were paraded for this purpose on the plain to the north of the city. They were pretty well got up, and went through a few simple evolutions with tolerable accuracy. Their marching, however, was very bad, and it was a pity to see such a fine body of men rendered useless by an aping of discipline not at all adapted to their military ideas or mode of fighting. On the parade-ground we met a number of chiefs attached to the court of the heir-apparent, and entered into conversation with several of them. They were mostly very fine...