Triumphant Entry of Shah Soojah into Cabul.--The Cabul Races.--Death of
Brigadier General Arnold.--Sale of the General's effects.--Arrival of
Prince Timour.--The Sikhs.--Murder of Colonel Herring.--Arrival of money
and supplies from the Upper Provinces.
It having been announced that early on the morning of the 8th of August
the Shah would take formal possession of the Balar Hissar, the troops
were under arms and in review order at ten o'clock. The
Commander-in-Chief, the Politicals, and the whole of the general
officers and staff rode up, shortly after, to the tent of his Majesty,
at which I happened that morning to be stationed as orderly, and were
kept waiting some time. Sir William McNaghten and Sir Alexander Burnes
were at length summoned to the Shah's presence, and having remained with
him a few minutes, they came out and informed the Commander-in-Chief, it
was his Majesty's pleasure that the ceremony should be postponed until
three o'clock the same afternoon. The reason assigned for this
alteration was understood to be an augury pronounced by his Majesty's
priests or soothsayers, that the hour was unpropitious, an opinion in
which the troops devoutly concurred, the prospect of broiling for
several hours under a meridian sun not being extremely agreeable.
At the appointed hour the troops were again under arms, and salvoes of
artillery announced the Shah's departure from his tent. His Majesty was,
as usual, borne on an elephant, the howdah of which was of silver, and
the caparisons crimson and gold. On each side of him sat Sir William Mc
Naghten and Sir Alexander Burnes, the former attired in the same court
dress which he had worn at Candahar. His Majesty appeared in excellent
health and spirits, and addressed much of his conversation to Sir
Alexander Burnes, who seemed to be high in his favour. The Shah's
costume was, as usual, magnificent, his turban being ornamented with a
single diamond, whose value was estimated at L100,000. Immediately after
came six elephants, containing the ministers and household of the Shah,
and then followed the Commander-in-Chief, with the whole of the general
officers and staff in brilliant uniforms, and decorated with their
various orders. The next feature in the procession, and a ludicrous one
it was, was the appearance of two burly-looking fellows, dressed in red
and yellow, and wearing conical caps, out of which shot two large
horns. We at first supposed they were his Highness's jesters, but
instead of that they turned out to be his executioners, functionaries
far more essential to the comfort of an Asiatic prince. The Shah's
troops, consisting of two thousand infantry, brought up the rear, our
own lining the route along which the procession passed. On approaching
the city his Highness was received with loud acclamations by the
populace, who gave expression to their satisfaction in barbarous music
and salvoes of small fire arms. Many of the houses were decorated with
flowers, and the windows were crowded with spectators. At the entrance,
and in the courts of the palace, was stationed a body of about 250
horsemen, whose steel armour and splendid horses gave them a martial and
imposing appearance. They received us with stern and scowling looks,
which plainly indicated that their hearts were not in the ceremony which
they were compelled to sanction by their presence. On the Shah's
entrance into the palace he held a durbar, at which all the British
officers were presented to him, and his Majesty took the opportunity of
expressing to them individually and collectively his thanks for the
exertions which they had made to replace him on his throne.
We had several reviews of the troops during our stay at Cabul, and on
each occasion we were honoured by the Shah's presence. In order to give
his Highness some notion of an English horse race, it was agreed that
the officers should get up sweepstakes amongst themselves, which the
Shah no sooner heard of, than he added a splendid gold hilted sword with
Damascus blade. This increased the spirit of competition, and the Derby
or Oaks was never looked forward to with more eager interest. The place
selected for the course was a level plain immediately beyond our lines,
and about a mile and a half from the city.
From sixteen to twenty horses belonging to the officers of the different
regiments were entered for the sword, and it was resolved that three
heats should be run for it, the first six horses of the first heat being
privileged to run the second, and the third heat being limited to the
first and second horses of the second heat. It was agreed that the
sweepstakes, which amounted to a considerable sum, should be divided
into three parts, for the different breeds and ages of cattle so as to
prolong the sport for three or four days.
Six o'clock in the evening being the time fixed for the commencement of
the races, the course became crowded, long before that hour, with
anxious spectators, the natives not being amongst the least eager
lookers on at this, to them, novel scene. The Shah took up his position
near the winning post, attended by the Politicals, and the
Commander-in-Chief, but his Majesty did not appear to take much
interest in the sport, and he left the course before it was half over.
The officers rode their own horses and turned out in gay striped jackets
and jockey caps; so that but for the dark faces and turbaned heads which
every where encountered the eye it would not have been difficult to
imagine ourselves suddenly transported to Ascot or Epsom. The word
having been given, away started the competitors in high blood and
spirits; and as the rider belonging to some particular regiment passed
the others in his career, the men composing it enthusiastically cheered
and hurraed him, others taking up their shouts as their favourite passed
him in turn, this military favouritism imparting to the contest a degree
of wild excitement such as I have never witnessed on any similar
occasion.
The second heat was still more warmly contested, as, according to the
regulations above mentioned only the two foremost horses could be
entered for the third. Major Daly of the 4th Light Dragoons, and an
officer of the 16th Lancers, whose name I now forget, obtained the
precedence, after a hard struggle, the race being a neck and neck one
the entire way.
As the two successful officers belonged to different divisions, one to
the Bengal and the other to the Bombay army, the partizanship which
before had been only regimental now extended to the two armies, and
"Bravo Bengal," "Bravo Bombay," burst at every moment from the eager
multitudes assembled, as the riders alternately passed or repassed each
other in the final heat.
After a contest in which the competitors themselves almost appeared to
feel the influence which pervaded the crowd, and to think that the honor
of their respective divisions depended upon their success, Major Daly
gained the race by about a neck, and was handed the sword amid the
delighted cheers of the Bombay troops and the congratulations of his
brother officers. The races continued two days longer, and afforded a
pleasant recreation to the men after the fatiguing and harassing duties
of the last few months.
Brigadier General Arnold of the army of the Indus, having been long
suffering under a liver complaint, breathed his last at Cabul shortly
after our arrival there. This officer was distinguished for his
qualities as a _bon vivant_, and having laid in a good store of
necessaries for the campaign, was the only one almost who fared well
amidst the general privations. He kept an excellent table along the
route, and an invitation to it, was always regarded as amongst the lucky
chances by which fortune signified her favour. Good living could not
however protect the General against disease, and he fell ill at Candahar
of a malady which is often said to be the result of it. He was carried
from Candahar to Cabul in a palankeen, and took no part whatever in the
events which occurred between those places. His remains were interred in
the Armenian burial ground, outside the walls of the city, and his
effects were publicly sold by auction a few days after. The General had
left Bengal with about eighty camels laden with baggage and necessaries,
of which about five and twenty remained at the time of the sale. His
trunks were filled with quantities of plate, a goodly provision of snuff
and cigars, and such an immense stock of linen that it occupied two days
of the sale. His cooking apparatus was most elaborate and ingenious, and
we could not help wondering at the uses to which the infinite varieties
of small and curious articles of which it was composed were devoted. The
prices at which these effects were sold will appear incredible to the
European reader, but it must be remembered that it was the scarcity, in
fact the almost total impossibility of getting them, that enhanced their
value. The cigars sold at the rate of about two shillings and six pence
each, the snuff at ten shillings an ounce, a few bottles of beer, a
liquor of which no other officer in the army possessed a drop, at thirty
shillings each, and some choice wines at from three to four pounds the
bottle. The other things brought proportionate prices, the shirts
fetching from thirty to forty shillings each. The amount realised at
this sale must have been enormous.
Prince Timour, the eldest son of Shah Soojah, arrived at Cabul early in
September, escorted by the troops of Runjeet Singh. We expected to find
the Sikhs an undisciplined horde of barbarians, but they turned out on
the contrary to be nearly as well organized as ourselves, being
disciplined by French officers, and marching with the same order and
regularity as a European regiment. Each division was headed by an
excellent military band and officered by the same number of grades as
ourselves. The men were in general about the middle height, and not so
muscular or well formed as the Affghans. They are made, however, of the
right material for the soldier, being brave, orderly, and tractable, and
though they may be considered in some respects inferior to the European
troops, they are in my opinion, equal if not superior, to the Sepoys. A
detachment consisting of the 4th Light Dragoons, the 16th Lancers, and
her Majesty's Queen's Royals, under the command of Major-General Sir
Thomas Wiltshire, was despatched to receive the Prince with fitting
honors. He was met at a short distance from the town by the British
escort, and conducted to the palace amid salvoes of Artillery. The
Prince was a fine youth about one or two and twenty, with a frank
expression of countenance and affable manners. The meeting between him
and his royal father was said to be extremely affecting, and the Prince
was unceasing in his expressions of gratitude to the British for
bringing about this happy reunion.
Large supplies of arrack, biscuits, and rice, together with money to pay
the troops, having been promised from the Upper Provinces, their arrival
was looked forward to with some anxiety in the camp, as we could not
leave Cabul without them. Information was at length received that
Colonel Herring was on his way through the Punjaub, and after a tedious
and harassing journey, in which he had to encounter frequent opposition
to his progress from the mountain tribes, he at length reached Hyder
Khail within one day's march of Cabul. Riding out alone next morning,
for the purpose of inspecting the country, the Colonel was set upon by a
body of Affghans and barbarously murdered, his body being plundered of
every article of value he had about him, and his horse carried off. His
mutilated remains were found in the course of the day by some troopers,
who had been sent out in search of him, and brought to Cabul along with
the stores, which reached that place in safety the same night. He was
interred with military honours in the Armenian burial-ground, on the
following day. The deceased had been long in the service, and was a
gallant and experienced officer. We heard that his murderers were
captured shortly after we left Cabul, and put to a dreadful death, by
order of the Shah.