THE FIRST AFGHAN WAR.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIV, Issue 46, 22 February 1879, Page 4

THE FIRST AFGHAN WAR.

In connection with the present relations between England and Afgban- | istao, the following notices of the first Afghan war are instructive. __c | "Naval and Military Gazette," dcci cribing the British sack of Istaliff, fetid that " So soon as a sufficiency of provisions for the service of the trdops was tßken from inhabitants, the tdwn was directed to be set on fire, and the fortifications to be blown up. For two days Major Sanders, of the Engineers, was engaged in tho work of destructioo, and for this space the place was Kiven over to fire aud sword, not a living soul was spared, whether Bribed or unarmed ; the men were hunted down like wild beasts ; not a prisoner was taken, mercy was never dreamt of ! All the bitterness of hatred wes shown by the soldier, both European and native ; whenever the body of an Afghan was found the Hindoo Sepoy set fire to his clothes, that the curse of a 'burnt father ' might attach to his children. It is said, indeed, that the wounded when found alive were in this manner roasted to death." Sir Henry Havelock thus describes what took place at the storming of Gbuznee : " The Afghans sunk undor repeated wounds upon the ground, which was j Btrewed with bleeding, mangled, and ! convulsed carcases. The cloihes of some of the dead aud dying near (he entrance had caught fire (how, the former extract shows), and in addition to ihe agony of their wounds some were enduring the torture of being burnt by the slow fire of their thickly wadded vests, and singed and hardened coats of sheep»kin. Another writer flays :—

" ArouDd Jellalabad and Cflndahnr we wented employment for our troops, and the mild pastime we Relect. _ w^s that of pillaging the ppneanfry J We can, within the last four months bonßt. of having burnt more villages, destroyed raoro orchcrds aud fruit fret a, and done wanton damage to individual inhabitant c, where fho necessity of war could not bo urged- for thecruelti*. p xercised, tbnn Wellington could vaunt of throughout his military career." So that Englishmen may now sne that the Afphina hnve no great reason to lov. tbe British, and may bo eomewbftt ex cuspd if they don't show alacrity in welcoming them into their country.