The force stationed at Bamee[=a]n consisted, at the time we were
there, of a troop of native horse artillery and a regiment of Goorkahs
in the service of Shah Seujah.
On our arrival, Dr. Lord, the political agent, sent us a polite note
of invitation to pitch our tents near his fort, and (we) become his
guests during our stay; we remained with him till the 29th, and were
much gratified by his kind attention.
The quiet demeanour of the natives here was very remarkable, and as
we can hardly attribute the circumstance to an inherent pacific
disposition, we must the more appreciate the wonderful address
displayed by the political agent in his dealings with the various
parties, who in these remote mountains, as well as in more civilised
countries, are ever ready to quarrel with each other, and only suspend
their animosity when a common powerful enemy is to be resisted or a
helpless stranger to be plundered. As it was, we reaped considerable
benefit from the favourable impression made on the peasants by the
authorities, for we were enabled to go out shooting, alone, and even
wander unarmed amongst the hills without experiencing the slightest
insult or incivility.
Indeed, at the period of which I am writing, there seemed to have
been a pause in the wild passions of the Affgh[=a]ns throughout the
country, which was perhaps one of the fatal causes which lulled us
into that dangerous feeling of security, from whence we were awoke by
the most dreadful disaster that has ever befallen the British arms.
Poor Dr. Lord was killed at Purwan Durrah during the short campaign in
the Kohistan under Sir Robert Sale; and the other British officer, Dr.
Grant, who was the medical attaché to the mission, disappeared during
the retreat from Charrik[=a]r in 1841, and has never been heard of
since.
On the 29th June we left Bamee[=a]n for Surruk Durrah (red valley),
which is situated at the mouth of the gorge; it is a place of
no importance, but the face of the impending hills has a most
extraordinary appearance from the fanciful shapes of the harder rocks
which jut out from the clayey sides of the mountains.
Here it was that Colonel Dennie, of the 13th, who afterwards fell at
Jell[=a]labad, with a small force of a few hundred men, completely
routed the Ex-Ameer Dost Mahommed Kh[=a]n, who was accompanied by all
the principal Uzbeg chiefs and the famous Meer Walli of Kulloom.
A report reached the gallant Colonel in the morning, that the enemy
had taken up a position at the head of the Bamee[=a]n valley;
he immediately ordered a reconnoitring party to proceed in that
direction, for the purpose of ascertaining whether there was any
foundation for the alarm, and accompanied them himself; he was rather
astonished on perceiving the enemy debouching from the hills in great
force; the odds were fearfully against him in numbers, but, like a
good soldier, he at once decided upon attacking without delay. He
immediately opened a fire on them from his two guns, under the able
superintendence of Lieut. McKenzie, and then dashing forward, drove
them back with great slaughter into the narrow gorge, from whence they
again attempted to advance, but were again beaten back, till at length
they lost courage and broke away in every direction.
On the 30th we marched to Akrob[=a]d, a distance of ten miles. On
leaving Surruk Durrah we entered the narrow gorge before alluded to;
it is five miles long, and has precipitous sides, at the bottom of
which rushed a foaming torrent: the formation of the hills was slate
with a superstratum of limestone. On emerging from the Akrob[=a]d
Pass, where there was not a breath to disturb the meagre foliage, we
were suddenly surprized by a bleak piercing wind, which we were told
invariably blew across the table land on which the fort is built.
Although in the height of summer, the wind was intensely cold, and we
were glad to take into wear the scanty supply of winter clothing which
we had brought with us in case of emergency. Out of the stream running
in front of the fort in less than an hour I managed to take a few
well-flavoured trout, which swallowed my bait most greedily. From
Surruk Durrah to Akrob[=a]d the road was, comparatively speaking,
good, it being under the superintendence of Lieut. Broadfoot, who
had been directed to make it practicable for artillery as far as
Sygh[=a]n; he had made good progress in his work, and at the period I
write of, it was a very fair military road as far as Akrob[=a]d. Poor
Broadfoot was slain in the gallant and desperate charge made by the
officers of the 2d Bengal Cavalry at Purw[=a]n Durrah, of which I
hope in the proper place to be able to give the reader a slight
description.
The hills about Akrob[=a]d are so situated as to form a funnel for all
the winds of the snowy range, rendering the temperature of the little
table-land bitterly cold both in summer and winter--so much so in
winter, that the Huz[=a]reh inhabitants desert the fort in autumn for
some more sheltered locality, and return again with the spring.
We now entered Toorkisth[=a]n, the pass of Akrob[=a]d dividing it from
Affghanist[=a]n. Should the traveller form his opinion of the country
beyond by the specimen now before us, he would be loth indeed to
proceed, for a more dismal corner can hardly be conceived. The outline
of the adjacent mountains was dreary and uninviting, with very little
cultivation in the valley, which also bore a most desolate aspect--it
was barren and unpromising, without participating in the wild and
grand features which generally characterize these regions. Fuel was
with difficulty procured, and our camp was but scantily furnished with
even the most necessary supplies.