INDIA.

New Zealand Colonist and Port Nicholson Advertiser, Volume I, Issue 104, 28 July 1843, Page 4

INDIA.

The following account of the Istaliff affair will be read with interest Cabul, October 7, 1842:-—Istaliff was certainly the most dashing affair done this campaign, and there is every reason to believe, has put the finishing touch to the war,; but I deal not with the policy of thewar, its merits or demerits, and mean to confine myself only to the fight; again, I say (and having been but a mere spectator of the skirmish, conceive I have a right to say so) it was out and out the most dashing affair of this year. The. place itself, embosomed in vineyards and orchards covering an extent of nearly three miles,, rising in terraces one over the other, the town built up the side of a hill, each street* completely commanding the one .under it;its ; natural strength in the hands of a spfccfent quite to warrant the opinions ;pf thl. Kohjiatanees as to .its being impregnahie, and 4ef^ n de<l, by not less than fourteen thousand men, render, it a matter both of surprise and congratulation as to ho w it was ever taken with so small a force and so.

little loss, comparatively speaking. The force moved down on the morning of the 29th in two columns—9th foot, 26th native infantry, sappers, right column—4lst foot, 42nd and 43d native infantry, left column, moving in parallel lines, artillery in- front, cavalry in rear, looking after the baggage; well, away they went, skirmishers, thrown out exchanging shots rather sharply with the enemy till the first barricade was neared by the right column, when the shot began to whistle among them much warmer than was pleasant, so the word was passed to the 9th, 26th, and the sappers to charge; no sooner said than done, and with one wild hurrah, the brigade under a fearful, but not exactly a well directed fire, rushed forward, and never did I witness more gallant or devoted courage. The enemy surprised, and rather taken aback at the suddenness of the attack, were driven from wall to wall, and vineyard to orchard, before they had time to reload, numbers perishing with the bayonets of our men, nor did the pursuit cease till the columns of the 9tli and 26th were

.flying on the highest point of the hill, up which •the town was built, and every man in it that was not killed had bolted. About one hour and half done the business, the loss of the right column altogether being about six men killed, two officers, (Lieut. Spencer, 26th, and Lister, 9th foot,) and thirty-five men wounded; in the left column 6 or 7 wounded, but if they only came in at the end of the fight it was not their fault, but their having a longer distance to go to their point of attack, and reached it after the alarm had been given. A very melancholy accident occurred after the place was taken; Lieutenant Evans, a fine young officer of the 41st foot, going to a house in one of the streets for the purpose of protecting some women found there, was shot by an Affghan who had concealed himself in one of the rooms; the fellow succeeded in making his escape; upwards of five hundred women were ■ captured, which shows at once how confident the fellows must have been of being able to resist us, and I am very happy to be able to state, that they were all protected, nor did T hear one well authenticated instance of violence offered to any female in the place. As may be supposed after such an affair innumerable camp facetiae were in circulation, whether true or not I by no means vouch for, one is, that as the 9th and 26th were charging the first breastwork, and the rear columns of the 26th having closed off to the left, to avoid pressing on the front ones, and'secure a clear jump at the wall for themselves, a certain brigadier calling out *• 26th keep your distance,” was answered by a gallant captain, a facetious -production of the Emerald Isle, who at their head was charging the wall over his tattoo “ sure if it’s from the enemy you mane, you had better keep it yourself.” Another very good one is, that two men of the 9th, having both at the same time obtained possession of a -pretty little girl, about fourteen years old, and not wishing to fight about their prize, agreed to toss up for her, provided the winner promised to make an honest woman of her, and marry her when they could find a priest, the winner accordingly was walking off with his bride elect, when he was rather surprised by an order to deliver her over to the politicals ; the man remonstrated and declared he was pledged to marry her, but all in vain, and he at last surrendered her with a very bad grace. Another gallant captain of the 26th (in love or war the 26th do certainly distinguish themselves) having selected a little beauty for himself out of a lot of weeping damsels who had just been caught in a Taekhana, and finding that among other plunder a quantity of gold laced shirts and trousers of the description most worn by the ladies, was going very cheap, bought several lots for his Sultana, but the purchase had hardly been made, when an order came 1 to set the beauty free, and she being left to her own free will, immediately deserted her new lover, who was obliged to content himself by declaring, that had he been aware of the fickleness of the female heart he never would have bought so many pairs of “ gilt breeches. . •You may believe as-much of -these as you like, f only tell it asT heard it. For two days the place was given up to fire and sword, and great indeed was the plunder that came out of. it in the-shape of wearing apparel, horse clothing,, household utensils and donkeys, which latter animals are now a most serious source of annoyance in camp, both from their number and noisiness; very little cash was found, or shawls, or articles of very great value; of the plunder, from its bulkiness, only a small share could be brought away, all the rest was burnt. All the bitterness of hatred was shewn by the soldiery, both European and native, a hatred worked up to a climax by the various accounts they have had of Affghan attrocities, and by seeing the passes from Gundamuck to Khoord Cabul strewed with the- bodies of their unfortunate countrymennot a*, man was spared whether with or without arms, not a prisoner taken, hunted down like vermin, mercy was never thought of; verily, we have been revenged—wherever the dead body of an Affghan was found., the Hindoo. Sepoy immediately set fire to his clothes, that the curse of a “ burnt father” might attach to his children ; we trust this war will soon end, or else it must become one of extermination. ..