THE AMEER OF CABUL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIV, Issue 20, 23 January 1879, Page 4

THE AMEER OF CABUL.

The writer of this paper was preheat at the Umballa Durbar in 1869 ami there saw Shere AIL His a«e was theu3s,his dress pl Q i Q en .s simple. H« is sft Sin in height, au.J rattier slightly buill, but locking strong and wiiy. His features, especially his nose, at eof a Jewish type. His complt xion, naturally dark, was sunburnt; end his besrd was t lack and curiijip. Ho has a melancholy, rather Merited expression of countenance, but full of firmness, force, and shrewdness. At first eight however, v stranger would remark oothing about him cave that ha lookad liko un Oriental Je w. A physiognomist would pronounce him to be°cruel and tho physiognomist would bu ri»ht. Even after what mijrf.t huve beau hopad to be a oivi! zi,,g visit to Lord Mayo Shere Aii brutally caused the f H ma!p B of a rebellious Sirdar (o be toriured, in order to induce them to discover whore tho saiil Sirdar wes lo he fouud ! B-jt aii Afgbacs ere by naluro ciuel sod bloodthirsty. Or.,ionrJ!y very i - mpaaaiv?, aa are alt Oriental of rack be became quite extiled on the Uraiialla race*, standing upon tho box of his carriage and eboutiug out praise and counsel (o the riders, as if they could hear or would heed him. l v military nutters, aiao, be showed au ard.nt interest, and in any discussion ab »ut them talked wiih a-rva and extraordinary knowledge of the »rt of war. Ho particularly pri les himself ou being a soldier. Lord M »yo eak*d htm if he was fond of soldier?, to which the prompt reply was '" I should think so. I * B 8 bora M sol.lier, and have done nothing but soldier for forty^five yeais." Lord Mayo then inquired if the Ameer cared about burning, and was aoswerod ' I have beeu ioj busy as a eoldirr'. I leave hunting to others. That he was very much impressed by our !L 00P nn W^ T T Viient - Wlien hQ *»w the 92ad Highlanders he declared that they Qjuat t»e Guards ; w e could not buve mauy regiments like them. Very unafLcted yet digaifial in Li 8 bearing, ihe Ameer is evidently 8 thorough man of the world. He is more enlightened and free frooj prejudices ihuii the rest of his oountrymen. Having only seen the worst Bide of human nature, hi is very suspicious; while as to principle I da not beliavo ho has any ai a!i. Tbose who know him best believe him quite capable of cutting tie throat of a man whoon he had a moment bafo--e declared to be his dearett frieu J. At the same time I do not think he ia one who would commit aa Bet o f cruelly or treachery save for some object. Ou bis passage through tbe Kuyber Pass tbe Kbyberi Cniefa demanded v sum ot money for bis Bafa-condust. He put them off with fair promises. H • never paid tbew » farlhiug, and cynically rrroarked at Peshawur, with regard so ibis affair, « That a Q Afghan did not always keep Lib promise*,'' aud that tbe Kyberia "had mistaken their mau." He is as close abargainer as aa English mere de faenills, aad out down the tngluh shopkeepers at LTmballa to tbe very lowest prices.