which the water, which turns the country along its banks and round
Kandahar into a garden, is brought by a wonderful system of canals
which carry it in all directions. These canals leave the river just
below Mansurabad, and the way they are planned and engineered show
great cleverness on the part of the people who made them many hundred
years ago. Leaving Mansurabad behind, we struck down the valley of
the Argandab, and set to work to find a good place for our halt for
breakfast. This was not quite so easy to do, as we wanted such a lot
of things. First and foremost, remembering the Prince Imperial's fate
(though I don't _think_ we had a Captain Carey in our party), we wanted
a place which could not be approached suddenly by the wiley Afghan,
and a place that if attacked we could have defended ourselves in.
Then we wanted shade for ourselves and horses, and water at hand for
the horses and for drinking and cooking. Eventually we got rather a
good spot though we had to sacrifice shade somewhat to the other more
material points. Having set our horses to work at their corn, we turned
out the contents of our wallets (my campaigning saddle carries 2 side
bags and a pair of holster wallets) and found we had the makings of
a capital breakfast. My contribution was first and most important, a
small kettle to boil water in, a tin of chocolate and milk, 2 tins of
potted beef and ham, a loaf of bread, 6 hard-boiled eggs, salt, pepper,
&c. Among the others there were more eggs and more bread, a Bologna
sausage, and a heap of sandwiches. We soon collected some sticks and
had a fire burning (I had brought matches and some old newspapers),
and quickly had hot water ready and chocolate made, and made an
excellent breakfast, finished off by a heap of apricots brought to us
by a friendly Afghan. His idea of our powers of disposing of apricots
was magnificent, as, after we and our two soldiers had eaten all we
possibly could (and we did our best), we fed our horses on them, and
still left a good pile behind us. In this part of the world apricots
are in millions, and our friend brought us a _few for breakfast_ in a
sack thrown over his shoulder. The reason why apricots are cultivated
up here is that there is great demand for them in India in a dried
state, and tons of them are dried in the sun and sent down to India,
and can be purchased in the smallest and most remote village in that
country, and you (the children) used to eat them stewed very often when
you were in India, and, if I don't mistake, liked them very much. They
are often called in India _Alubokaras_, which, however, is not their
proper name. We lounged about for a couple of hours, and then continued
our ride down the Argandab Valley, and for ten miles rode along a
charming rapidly flowing stream of clear water, well
[Sidenote: Various fruits of Kandahar.]
shaded on both sides by trees covered with apricots, plums, and
mulberries, a most enjoyable ride, as, though the sun was hot, there
was a very cool breeze, and the trees kept the great power of the sun
from us. We saw many vineyards with a great promise of grapes, but none
are ripe yet, and also lots of figs, apples, pears and pomegranates,
all, however, some weeks from being eatable. The people we met, though
not actually glad to see us, were not uncivil, and many of them offered
us fruit as we rode along. No doubt our being well armed helped to make
them civil. We got home at ¼ past 1 o'clock, having been 9¼ hours
away, and having had a most enjoyable excursion. The distance was, I
think, between 33 and 35 miles, and my old friend Rufus carried me like
a bird, although with my saddle bags, big saddle and all, I am afraid
I made up a good 15 stone for him to carry.
JUNE 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th.--Nothing important occurred on the 4th, but
on each of the next three days there were attempts by Ghazis to kill
some of our people. In the two first cases the men attacked were
native servants, in the third case it was a soldier of the 66th.
Both the natives were seriously wounded, but the soldier having some
suspicions was on his guard, and escaped with a slight scratch, and
bayonetted his assailant. The last idea the Ghazis have taken up, which
is rather a mean one, is to send quite young boys to make the attack,
as naturally people neither notice the approach of, nor try to avoid
a small boy, and besides men hesitate to deal out summary justice,
even in self defence, on a child. One boy who tried to stab one of
our native servants is really quite a child, but as savage untamed a
little viper as I ever saw. It is very hard to know how to deal with
the young rascal, but I think a good whipping in a public place every
other day for a month would be the best punishment. The first well
authenticated account of a Ghazi that I know of will be found in the
3rd chapter of Judges, verses 14-22, as the motives and actions there
described are exactly those of the Ghazis of to-day. However, this last
device of sending children to do the work of men is so mean, that any
little respect one might have for the motives which make men Ghazis is
entirely destroyed.
[Sidenote: Serious loss of warm clothing.]
JUNE 8th.--Shortly after I left Bombay I found I should want some
clothes I had left packed up, ready to follow, so I telegraphed to
Alfred Christopher, and asked him to send my portmanteau to me, and
I took all sorts of precautions by writing to the various transport
officers along the road, and asking them to expedite its movements. It
left Bombay on the 8th April, and exactly 2 months later it made its
appearance here, so it had travelled very leisurely, and worse still,
had been cut open and nearly everything in it abstracted. All the
things I most wanted were stolen, and nothing was left except my Ulster
and a few pair of old drawers. When the weather gets cold I shall be
very glad to have the Ulster, of course, but the loss of a first-class
pair of corduroy breeches and all my warm clothing is very tiresome.
This misfortune, and the destruction of my things in the Bolan River
leaves me rather short of clothes, and I shall not find it easy to keep
up a very respectable appearance much longer.
JUNE 9th, 10th, 11th.--Nothing new. The heat is very much greater the
last few days, and even the nights now begin to be hot.
JUNE 11th to 18th.--Nothing of any interest occurred, except that day
by day the weather became hotter, and we lost our cool nights which
had, up to this time, quite compensated for the heat of the days. A
careful record of the heat during the month of June showed that the
thermometer on one occasion rose in the shade to 124°, but that the
average maximum for the month was 114°, and the average minimum 65°.
Although the heat has, no doubt, been very great, it has not equalled
in oppressiveness and debilitating effect the heat one gets at Cawnpore
and Allahabad, and stations in the Punjab. Daily the grapes and fruit
have been getting riper, and we have had a sort of compensation for
the heat in the variety and goodness of the fruit. A great number of
officers have been ailing more or less, the result, I am sure, of the
sedentary lazy lives they lead. Great heat is, of course, enervating,
and it takes some determination after a long hot night to start off for
a good ride, and it is even worse in the evening. I am glad to say I
have steadily stuck to my exercise, and have frequently, in the morning
before breakfast, done 20 to 25 miles, and then 8 or 10 in the evening.
Whatever has been the cause, I have certainly been wonderfully well,
and, beyond the inconveniences of the heat, have not felt the slightest
bad effects. I have now visited every inch of country within 12 to 15
miles of Kandahar, and know every part of it thoroughly.
[Sidenote: March to Kelat-i-Ghilzi countermanded.]
JUNE 19th.--It was decided to send the 30th Native Infantry to
Kelat-i-Ghilzi to relieve the 29th N. I., and both regiments being in
my Brigade, General Primrose allowed me to march up to Kelat-i-Ghilzi
with one regiment and come back with the other, going up the Argandab
Valley and returning by the valley of the Tarnak. As very little was
known of the Argandab route, I was very glad to have the opportunity
of seeing it and also visiting Kelat-i-Ghilzi. Captain Leckie, my
Brigade Major, was to accompany me, and Major Leach, of the Engineers,
on surveying duty, and Mr. Gordon, a Missionary who is here, also
asked to join my party. The first there was no difficulty about, but
the advisability of the latter going was more doubtful. However, as he
wanted to make the trip only with the view to holding services, &c.,
for the English troops at Kelat-i-Ghilzi, he was allowed to come, and
we all made our preparations for a start on the 25th, but between the
20th and that date the heat increased so greatly that it was considered
unwise for us to move until a change in the weather set in, and so, to
my great disgust, our trip was postponed.
25th, 26th, 27th, 28th.--Heat very great.
29th.--We got further, and apparently more certain information that
Ayoub Khan with his army was actually on the march from Herat towards
Kandahar, and preparations were at once put in hands to equip a force
for despatch to Girishk to prevent his entrance into the Province of
Kandahar. The distance from Herat to Girishk is 280 miles, and the road
is, like all roads in this country, extremely bad, and very little
water to be found along it once the Valley of the Helmund is left.
About half way between Herat and Girishk is the town of Farrah, and
to this place it was said Ayoub Khan's advance guard had arrived. The
Wāli of Kandahar was at Girishk, with part of his forces across
the Helmund in Zamindawur, and on hearing of Ayoub Khan's movements
he wrote and asked us to come to his help. Reference, of course, had
to be made to the Viceroy and Commander-in-Chief at Simla, and in the
meantime our preparations for a move went on. The force to go out was
a Brigade of Cavalry under General Nuttall, and a Brigade of Infantry
under General Burrows, who, being senior, would command the force.
A Battery of Horse Artillery was also ordered to be in readiness.
Generals Burrows and Nuttall being senior to me, it was natural and
right that they should have the commands, and indeed in any case, of
course, the Cavalry General must have gone with his own Brigade, but,
all the same, I cannot help being envious of their luck, though I shall
have most responsible and interesting work here, as on me devolves the
command of the Kandahar garrison, and the task of guarding, with a
force reduced much below what is desirable, the whole position here.
I shall only have for this purpose 2 of the Infantry regiments of my
Brigade, one of which is weak, having detachments at the posts on the
Quetta road, 2 Batteries of Artillery, and about 300 Cavalry. We expect
two more Infantry regiments up in about a fortnight, but till then we
are certainly much below our proper strength.
[Sidenote: Force ordered from Kandahar to the Helmund.]
JUNE 30th.--The very worst dust-storm I have yet been in occurred
to-day, as it blew from 12 o'clock till 3 a.m. on the 1st July, when
the wind changed, and a most perceptible difference in the temperature
occurred. Nothing could be more disagreeable than these 15 hours
were, but the change in the heat quite repaid us for the previous
discomforts. Orders were received from Simla to send the proposed force
to Girishk at once, so the Cavalry Brigade will march on the 4th, and
the remainder of the force on the 5th, a junction being effected on
arrival, near Girishk. Girishk is about 90 miles from Kandahar, and
the road is, for the most part, through dry uncultivated country, and
there would not have been sufficient water at all the halting places
for the combined Cavalry and Infantry Brigades. Girishk is on the
River Helmund, and General Burrows has positive orders not to cross
that River, and I can hardly suppose it possible that Ayoub Khan will
venture to force the passage of the River against our vastly superior
(in arms and discipline) force. In numbers, of course, he has, it is
said, about ten times a larger force than we have, but that is not of
much consequence. Putting aside as unlikely his making an attempt to
cross the Helmund at Girishk, three courses are open to him. The first,
and it is thought by the Political people the most probable, is, that
on arriving near Girishk he will endeavour to come to terms with us,
and put in his claim for the Amir-ship, and say he does not want to
fight. The next is, that instead of making for Girishk, he might cross
the Helmund, at, or near, a place you will see on the map called _Kala
Bust_, and giving General Burrows the slip, come down the Argandab
to Kandahar. This, though the most unlikely, is what I should like.
The third course is to pass along to the north of Girishk and cross
the Helmund near _Garm-ab_ (hot water), and bearing away northwards,
pass along the Valley of the Tirin River, and eventually strike the
Ghuzni road beyond Kelat-i-Ghilzi, and so get to Kabul without coming
into collision with us at all. If Ayoub Khan does not want either to
fight or make terms, or does not fall back on Herat, on finding us in
force at Girishk, this last course seems a very likely one for him to
take. These being the various alternatives, we ought, according to my
idea, to have a small force in the Argandab Valley, near the junction
of that River with the Helmund, and we should have a strong Brigade
in the Tirin Valley, but both these moves are impossible, as we have
no men, and it will take all we have to hold our own here. Of course,
all is, at present, conjecture, and it might even be, so defective is
our information, that Ayoub Khan is still at Herat, or, on the other
hand, that he may reach Girishk before we do, and cross the river, and
either fraternize with, or fight and lick the Wāli, and the outcome
of the whole affair will be known at home long before this is received.
Whatever happens, the move of the two forces I have mentioned (if
men were available) would, I am clear, be the right thing to do, as
precautions, at any rate. As the variety of names that are mentioned in
connection with the Government of this country are very puzzling, it is
well to mention
[Sidenote: Mahomedan law of succession.]
that Abdul Rahman, who stands first for the throne, according to the
Mahomedan law of succession, is a first cousin of the deposed Amir;
that Ayoub Khan is the late Amir Yakoob Khan's full brother, and that
he comes 2nd, and that the third is the little boy, Musa Jan, who is
Jakoob Khan's son. If Abdul Rahman has refused our offers, Ayoub Khan
has a good chance, the Political officers seem to think, and so he may
be coming down here in a friendly manner. However, time will soon show
now. This is, I fear, a very dry bit of geography and history, but the
first part will be clear enough if read with the map, as then you will
see what the moves on the board might be, and, according to my idea,
should be.
JULY 3rd.--Took over command of the Kandahar garrison, and spent the
morning in trying, with as much regard to safety as possible, to
reduce the guards all over the position, but doing my best the men
will be very hardly worked for the present, as will be understood when
it is remembered that our Infantry are reduced by a whole Brigade of
2,000 men. In addition to the two Native Infantry regiments which
will possibly be here within the next fortnight, we hear that the
Viceroy has ordered up another complete Brigade from the Reserve, but
it cannot be here for at least 6 weeks. I cannot myself think this
addition necessary, as once we get the 4th and 28th Native Infantry
from Quetta, we ought to be fit for anything.
JULY 4th.--The Cavalry Brigade, with the Battery of Horse Artillery and
company of Sappers, marched before daybreak, and starting about an hour
after them, and taking a line across country on the excellent Akhbar,
who carried me like a bird, I arrived at the first camping ground
before the Brigade got in. It was a most lovely morning, as we have
suddenly gone into quite cool weather, indeed it was quite cold when I
started, and the ride was very enjoyable. This change in the weather
is extremely pleasant, but of course no one expects it to last, and
no doubt before the end of the week we shall have it as hot as ever.
Still, every cool day is a gain. This sudden change in the aspect of
affairs here is remarkable, as ten days ago the idea all over India
was, that we should all be on our way back to India in a couple of
months, and, instead of that, we are being heavily reinforced, and this
would hardly be done if an early retirement was intended. Still so many
foolish things have been, and are continually being done, in connection
with our campaigns in Afghanistan, that the present moves may mean
nothing important after all.
[Sidenote: Cavalry & infantry brigades left Kandahar.]
JULY 5th.--The Infantry Brigade under General Burrows marched this
morning, halting for the day at Kokaran. They did not get off quite
so easily and well as the Cavalry Brigade, as they were hampered by
having with them a large quantity of extra ammunition for both rifles
and horse artillery guns, and as in this country there is no such thing
as a road, and wheeled vehicles of any kind are impossible, everything
has to be carried on pack animals, and the trouble and worry of loading
and starting has to be seen to be understood. Here we use five animals
for carrying packs--viz., camels, mules, ponies, bullocks, and donkeys,
and I should be afraid to say the numbers of each which has accompanied
this column. For the extra ammunition alone there were 250 ponies and
bullocks, and as in that number there were a certain proportion of
bad tempered brutes who at first refused to carry anything at all,
delay was inevitable. However, the great comfort in marching is that
the first march is always the most tiresome, as each day the men and
animals fall more easily into the routine, and in a short time the
machine works quite easily. I went out with the Brigade to their first
halting ground, and having seen them all settled down, rode back to
Kandahar, and spent the most of the day in perfecting my arrangements,
as far as the means and force at my disposal would permit, for the
safety and protection of our painfully straggling and badly laid out
position at Kandahar. Certainly General Stewart has not left behind
him any marks of a long-seeing and provident General. On the contrary,
he seems to have trusted to good fortune, and fortune seems to have
stuck to him in a remarkable manner. I consider the position here,
from a military point of view, bad in all respects, and that even all
the advantage which might have been taken of it has not been availed
of. I have urged my view of the case, and can do more. As far as one
can judge from the appearance of things, and the reports we get, it is
extremely unlikely we should ever be attacked here, but I don't think
that is any reason why we should not take every precaution. At the same
time I must confess that the weakness of the position has one great
advantage, and that is, we should operate in the open, a much better
place for our soldiers than behind walls. I only wish the enemy would
be so badly advised as to attack us, as, with all disadvantages, I have
no doubt of the results.
[Sidenote: Rode out to General Burrows' brigade.]
JULY 6th.--I was up at 4 a.m. and out at ½ past 4, and set off across
country to catch up the Brigade and ride a few miles with them, and
then come home. They, however, had started at 4 o'clock also, and so I
did not come up with them till they were 12 miles from Kandahar, which
was not to be wondered at, as they had 6 miles start of me, and got
off half an hour earlier than I did. I could not, therefore (as I had
to be back for breakfast and work), go very much further with them,
so, after seeing them on their way a mile or so further, I struck off
through new country and went straight for Camp, which I reached at
nine o'clock. I rode Rufus, who did his 27 miles in first-class style,
and could have done half as many more without any trouble. The morning
was cool, almost cold, and a good deal of the country very pretty. The
climate just now, and the excellent forage we get, suits the horses
very well, and they are all, both public and private, in first-class
order.
JULY 7th.--Nothing of interest, except that we had news from
Kelat-i-Ghilzi that they had a small skirmish there on the 1st July.
The news made me more than ever disappointed that I did not get off to
visit that place as was originally intended, as I should then have been
in for this affair.
JULY 8th.--Rode a long way up the Argandab Valley this morning in hopes
of picking up some information, or ascertaining if there were any signs
of movement or excitement. Everything seemed very quiet, and the people
in the numerous villages I rode through were very busy thrashing their
corn. An absurd accident happened to me as I was riding home, which at
one time threatened, though quite free from any danger to myself, to
effect the destruction of my one pair of long riding boots, which would
have been an irreparable disaster. I had to ford a small water channel
about 6 or 7 yards wide, the water of which was muddy, but looked
quite shallow, so I rode in very carelessly, but had not gone 2 yards
when Mr. Akhbar went right down over his saddle, plunging violently. He
managed to get his chest on the bank, and I lost no time in springing
on to hard ground and hauling him, with some difficulty, out of the
hole, nothing the worse, I am glad to say. It appears that the people
had dug a well about 10 feet deep in the bed of the water-course, and
it was into this we had got. Of course I was wet through, and so was
the saddle, but the sun was warm, and I was an hour and a half from
home, and long before I arrived there everything was dry. I had to take
my poor boots off most gingerly, and have been nursing them greatly,
and I think they are nothing the worse. I was much more anxious about
them than anything else, as nothing of the kind is to be got here,
and parcels take 2 and 3 months coming up from Bombay. I am beginning
to get rather short of clothes, as it was a great loss having all the
contents of my portmanteau, which were principally strong warm clothes,
looted on the way up here. The orchards of peaches and nectarines in
the Argandab Valley are just now quite beautiful to look at. The trees
are loaded with most splendid looking fruit, which, however, are rather
disappointing when picked, as they don't seem to ripen thoroughly.
JULY 9th.--We had an unofficial rumour that the advance guard of the
Wāli's army had been met at Washir by the Cavalry of Ayoub Khan's
army and defeated, but as no confirmation of the rumour has come
from General Burrows, we are not inclined to credit it, though it is
received as quite true by the people in the city, who are only too glad
to believe anything to the detriment of the Wāli. Of course we must
expect all sorts of rumours now, and I am, for curiosity, writing them
all down as we get them to see how many eventually prove true, and how
many are incorrect.
[Sidenote: Chief of Kokaran deserted the Wāli.]
JULY 10th.--To-day it was reported that considerable disaffection
exists among the Wāli's Chiefs and Officers, and that the most
important man of the lot, the Chief of Kokaran, a place about 6 miles
from this, has deserted, and this--July 11th--was so far confirmed that
we received official news that he had, with 80 followers, withdrawn
himself from the Wāli's force, although it does not appear, so far,
that he has joined Ayoub Khan. In accordance with Afghan customs, the
Wāli's representatives here at once took reprisals by seizing the
son of the Chief of Kokaran (a small boy in a bad state of health) and
putting him in prison, and taking possession of the house and property
of the deserter at Kokaran.
JULY 12th.--Employed during the morning in endeavouring to make
arrangements for making the Citadel safer and more in accordance
with the rules of war, but the task is hopeless, as the place is
radically bad in a military point of view, and surrounded with houses
on 3 sides. Strictly speaking these houses should have been knocked
down for at least 300 yards all round the wall of the Citadel, but
General Stewart appears to have set his face against any military
precautions, insisting that they were quite unnecessary, "as the people
were friendly to us." The consequence is that the whole position here
is, strictly speaking, untenable--that is, if an enemy with either
organization or means were to come against it. As, however, there is no
possibility of any scientific attack being made on us, we feel that,
bad as the position is, we can quite engage to hold it, and lick the
enemy outside into the bargain. The City of Kandahar is a parallelogram
about 1¼ miles long, and ¾ of a mile wide, something like this--
[Illustration:
The Citadel +-------|----|-------+ is close to the
| |
north | +---+---+--+ | end, and
| | | |
the outer --- | Citadel | --- wall of
| | | |
the City --- +---+---+--+ --- forms then a
| |
sort of | | double wall
| |
to the --- --- Citadel.
| |
--- ---
| |
| |
+-------|----|-------+
]
There are 6 gates in the wall of the City, which is fully 20 to 30
feet high, and very thick and strong. At each of the city gates there
is a guard of Native Infantry, and we hold the keys of the gates which
we lock every night at sunset, after which hour neither entrance nor
exit is permitted to anyone. The guards are stationed on the ramparts,
and their posts should, from the first, according to the most ordinary
rules of war, have been put in a state of defence, but nothing was done
to them, and General Primrose has been unwilling to make a change in
the matter. Now, however, he has allowed me to take measures to make
them safe in the event of any outbreak.
[Sidenote: Rumoured advance of Ayoub Khan.]