On the 9th July we bade our kind friend Capt. Hay farewell, and many
were the prayers offered up for our safe return; the Goorkah soldiers
even accompanied us for three or four miles. Sturt had not been
supplied with any introductory letters from Sir William M'Naghten,
although he was sent on duty, for it was uncertain what kind of a
reception we might meet with amongst the chiefs of Toorkisth[=a]n,
and it was therefore deemed unadvisable to give us the character of
accredited agents, which would necessarily tend to mix us up with
politics. Though this plan may have been very wise on the part of
Government, yet it by no means contributed to our comfort, as we found
ourselves frequently the objects of suspicion. Some of the chiefs
plainly said, "you are come to survey our country, and eventually to
take possession;" but most of them cared very little whether we came
as friends or foes: they had little to lose and everything to gain
by a _row_. With a few of the more influential chiefs the case was
different; if we had caused Dost Mahommed, the all powerful Ameer of
C[=a]bul, to become a fugitive, what chance had they if our views led
us across the Hindoo Khoosh? Such was their mode of reasoning; but it
must be confessed that they were ignorant of the immense advantage
the rugged nature of their barren land would give them over a regular
army, and thus they were unable to form an idea of the value of the
resistance which a few determined mountaineers might oppose. Amongst
other wild schemes, I fancy that the idea was once entertained, or
at all events the question was mooted, of sending a force to
Bokh[=a]r[=a] to procure the release of poor Stoddart. Without
dwelling upon the enormous sacrifice of life and treasure which such
an expedition of magnitude sufficient to ensure success would entail,
I may be permitted to point out what from personal observation I have
been led to consider as the "least impossible" route. The line I
should recommend would be the one we pursued as far as Koollum, when
the force should so shape its route as to avoid the great sandy
desert, which extends for three hundred and fifty miles from Koollum
to Bokh[=a]r[=a], by keeping to the north, and "striking" the Oxus,
which is navigable for boats of heavy burthen for many hundred miles
above the capital. But even on this plan we must suppose the force
to have already surmounted the thousand and one passes which occur
between Cabul and Koollum. Much has been printed and a great deal more
written and wisely left _un_printed concerning the practicability of
these routes for a modern army; it savours of a useless truism to
state, that if the government making the attempt has resources
sufficient in men, transport, and treasure, and dwells not upon the
sacrifice of these three necessaries for an army, the thing may be
done; but I can hardly conceive any crisis in political affairs which
could render such a measure advantageous to the party undertaking it.
The advancing force will always suffer, whether it be Russia advancing
upon India, or India advancing towards Europe. The hand of God has
fixed the tremendous barrier; woe to him who would despise the
warning.
Our route lay along the usual green vale so often described, bounded
by barren hills, over which a few inhabitants might occasionally be
seen stalking along in their dark-coloured garments, which harmonized
with the sombre character of the country. We pitched our tents
near the little fort of M[=a]ther, about five miles from our last
encampment, and situate at the foot of the Kara Kotul, or _black
pass_. Our resting place afforded nothing remarkable; and indeed
I feel that some apology is due to my readers for the unavoidable
sameness of the details of this part of our journey; but I am in hopes
that this very defect, though it render the perusal of my journal
still heavier, will assist in conveying an accurate idea of the nature
of the country; it is not my fault if we met with no adventures, no
hairbreadth escapes, or perilous encounters. I must once more crave
indulgence.
The Affgh[=a]n soldiers of our escort did not much relish the
discipline I enforced. A complaint was made to me in the course of the
day by a peasant, that these warriors had most unceremoniously
broken down hedges, and entering his apricot orchard, had commenced
appropriating the fruit, responding to his remonstrances with threats
and oaths. I thought this a fine opportunity to read my savages a
lecture on the advantages of discipline and regular pay. I asked them
whether they were not now much better off than when employed by their
own countrymen, and whether they expected to be treated as regular
soldiers, and still be allowed to plunder the inoffensive inhabitants?
One of the men, who was evidently an orator, listened to me with more
attention than the rest, but with a look of evident impatience for the
conclusion of my harangue, that he too might show how well he could
reason. "My lord," said the man, putting himself into an attitude
worthy of the Conciliation-Hall, to say nothing of St. Stephen's,
"my lord, on the whole your speech is very excellent: your pay is
good--the best, no doubt, and very regular; we have not hitherto been
accustomed to such treatment; though you brought the evil the remedy
has come with it; your arrival in C[=a]bul has so raised the price
of provisions that we could not live on Affgh[=a]n pay; we have,
therefore, entered the service of the foreigner; but had we received
the same wages we now get from you, we should in our own service have
been gentlemen." Here the orator made a pause, but soon imagining from
my silence that his speech was unobjectionable, he boldly continued;
"but there is one powerful argument in favour of the Ameer's service,
_he_ always allowed us on the line of march to plunder from every
one; we have been brought up in this _principle(!!)_ since we were
children, and we find it very difficult to refrain from what has so
long been an established practice amongst us: we are soldiers, sir, and
it is not much each man takes; but the British are so strict, that
they will protect a villager or even a stranger:" this last sentence
was evidently pronounced under a deep sense of unmerited oppression.
"But," continued he, "look at that apricot orchard on the right, how
ripe and tempting is the fruit; if we were not under your orders,
those trees would in a moment be as bare as the palm of my hand." But
I remarked, "would not the owners turn out and have a fight; is it not
better to go through a strange country peaceably and making friends?"
"_They_ fight," answered my hero; "oh! they are Uzbegs and no men,
more like women--one Affghan can beat three Uzbegs." I was not quite
satisfied how far the vaunted pay and discipline would prevail over
the natural lawless propensities of _my army_, and in order not to try
their insubordination too much, I conceived that a compromise would be
the wisest plan, and giving them a few rupees, I desired them to make
the most they could out of them. Off they went highly delighted with
the results of the interview, clapping their orator on the back,
crying out _sh[=a]bash, sh[=a]bash, bravo, bravo_, and evidently
believing the gift of the rupees as entirely due to the eloquence
of their comrade. They are a simple people with all their savage
characteristics, but it is very sad to contemplate a whole nation as a
race of systematic plunderers.
In the afternoon the chief of M[=a]ther called to pay his respects,
bringing a present of fruit and sheep's milk; the latter I found so
palatable, that I constantly drank it afterwards; it is considered
very nutritious, and is a common beverage in Toorkisth[=a]n, where the
sheep are milked regularly three times a day. Goats are very scarce,
cows not to be seen, but the sheep's milk affords nourishment in
various forms, of which the most common is a kind of sour cheese,
being little better than curdled milk and salt. Tea is also a
favourite drink, but is taken without sugar or milk; the former is
too expensive for the poorer classes, and all prefer it without the
latter. Sometimes a mixture such as would create dismay at an English
tea-table is handed round, consisting principally of tea-leaves, salt,
and fat, like very weak and very greasy soup, and to an European
palate most nauseous. We could never reconcile our ideas to its being
a delicacy. Tea is to be procured in all large towns hereabouts, of
all qualities and at every price; at C[=a]bul the highest price for
tea is £5 sterling for a couple of pounds' weight; but this is of very
rare quality, and the leaf so fine and fragrant that a mere pinch
suffices a moderate party.
What would our tea-drinking old ladies say for a few pounds of that
delicious treasure? This superfine leaf reaches Cabul from China
through Thibet, always maintaining its price; but it is almost
impossible to procure it unadulterated, as it is generally mixed by
the merchants with the lesser priced kind. The most acceptable present
which a traveller could offer in Toorkisth[=a]n would be _fire-arms_
or _tea_; the latter is a luxury they indulge in to excess, taking it
after every meal; but they seldom are enabled to procure it without
the lawless assistance of the former.
On leaving M[=a]ther we commenced the ascent of the Kara Kotul or
Black Pass, which lasted for seven long miles and was very fatiguing.
The large masses of rock on either side the pathway were of a deep
brown colour. From the length and steepness of the ascent, this pass
must be higher than any we had hitherto surmounted; the descent on the
other side is difficult in proportion. The approach to Doa[=u]b is
through one of the most romantic glens conceivable. It is here that
the Koollum river takes its rise; it flows due north and soon reaches
a mountain meadow, where it unites with another stream coming from the
east, whence the name of the Doa[=u]b (two waters) is given to this
district. In this defile are scattered huge rocks, which have been
dislodged from the overhanging precipices by the effects of frost or
convulsions of the elements: in vain do these masses obstruct the
progress of the waters of this river. The torrent dashing in cataracts
over some of the large boulders and eddying round the base of others,
pursues an agitated course until it reaches the desert, through which
it glides more calmly, and combines with the Oxus beyond Koollum,
whence the confluent waters proceed uninterruptedly to the sea of
Aral.
The banks of this river differ from those of the mountain streams in
general; they were decked with the most beautiful wild flowers, which
bloomed luxuriantly on the bushes, and growing from the deep clefts in
the rock, scented the air with their perfume.
The glen is here so filled with large blocks of granite, that to
accomplish our passage through it, it was necessary to transfer by
manual labour the loads of the baggage animals across the obstructing
masses: the difficulties we encountered, and more particularly the
romantic scene itself, are still imprinted on my memory.
The wind whistling round the jutting points, the dashing of the
waters, and the cries of one of the most timid of our followers, who
to save himself from wet feet had mounted an overladen pony, and was
now in imminent danger both of Scylla and Charybdis, added to the
interest of the picture; but, occasionally, the reverberation caused
by the fragments of rock, which, detaching themselves from the upper
regions, came tumbling down, not far from where we stood, warned us
not to dwell upon the spot. We took the hint, and hastily extricating
man and beast, though not until they had experienced a severe ducking,
we proceeded onwards to where the waters enclose within their
fertilizing arms the grassy fields of the mountain Doa[=u]b. Here it
was that we caught the first glimpse of the extensive plains where the
Toorkm[=a]n mares are turned out to graze; those in foal are left for
several months; and after foaling, the animals are put into smaller
pastures provided with enclosures, where they are shut up at night.
The extent of the larger savannahs is very great, some of them
exceeding twenty miles, and the horses that are allowed to range in
them become so shy, that their owners only can approach them, and the
animals are considered safe from depredators.
As we gradually emerged from the hard bosom of the mountains, we were
struck with the simple beauty of this little garden of nature. The
vale is triangular, its greatest breadth being about five miles;
its whole extent is covered with a rich turf, intermingled by just
sufficient cultivated land as to supply the inhabitants with
grain. Every wild flower that enlivens our English meads grew here
luxuriantly, while the two streams crept along on either side like
silver threads bordering a jewelled carpet. This gay and brilliant
sight was enhanced by the lofty range of dark frowning hills which
encompassed it. It was worthy of being sung as the "Loveliest vale in
Toorkisth[=a]n."