THE SKETCHER.

Otago Witness, Issue 2810, 22 January 1908, Page 86

THE SKETCHER.

ONE OF OUR WORST CHAPTERS.* When I found 1 myself, after so many years, handling again these, pages : which had thrilled ; 'ine. when,, first,, l read ,- them '"more, 1 than',2^)" years -ag0,,;1 .turned* inn etinctiyely and. a-t- onde .to. that chapter ' whichVjamorig, so many brilliant chapters, "i bad jnpst , public, .attentions / It ,a chapter, .which,- dealing- with- por-' 1 . tentous^ tragic,' events,' was "] .ableTto bring out -all thefe magnitude and ,~, .horror and -yet to ,d0.>60-in language simple, reserved, unforced. That always to-me the' triumph; of a"trae English ■ ltyle-r-namely," to -"' picture great, r eolemnj • moviog events, to- convey all - their, meaning, and 1 yet- to do so. in language _ which shows^-no ~sign of effort,---no 'suspicion of> exaggeration, above all, ,no sfcrainahg after effect. If I were to i name the two English classics which seem „ .to ;me' to ■ symbolise the difference - bes_ ~tween'~what I^ regsbd-'ab the true English -; style -and",, the'fatee/- 1 would choofe — the C choice ' may appear rather strange — Gold- ;; ff v smit>h : - { and:GarlyK <:' 'Th& , highest of "all ''"-prose- styles is that- 1 ; which most nearly ~ approaches -the_ language -of conversation ;.— «ie unforced " and" unaffectedi words in ' wbioh 'man communicates his > thoughte ! and "his experiences^ to his. fellow-men.^ '- The true English \style is unconscious of < . itself/ or apparently so ; tells its story so that it appears to be as inevitable as i the laws f of and leaves all-the^ j" borrow .ai^d - terrors .to the events < and "^ /not lt©' the' violence^ of the language in' ■J, which these, events , are fold. 'That* is "kwhat .(Joldsmithi does, whose wondrous '* art is so -apparently artless that ■ children X could read , most < of, his- "i>ages even before' j:- v they had^gofr muchrbeyond words of -two 1= syllables. ' r ln Carlyle' you 'are 'always' '-missing'^ th© wood because of Che -trees- f - you never- <get over-" the - idea; ihat the -writer violent 7 excitfed) thinking of ' ' his effects rather than his facts. . . t "/ Juetin-'-M'GaTthy ks. the writer; of; our generation^ whoj' on the whole, seems to me ,fo most'- • nearly" approach hjs.> great and- predecessor, ~ GoldsmitEr jla those - yitdßfines \ haiv»v , .delighted. '; Tsgw. a~''fecand;'aQd' almd^- a Ifliird; genera,' ; '.tioh of read^§,^th'ere,js not, V - ,'that!- seems 'to^gl^'e^ypu^a^ id^/bf ;elEort.» r Smooth, flowangi^TinaffiectedC unexaggej" [-rated, he tells, his tale after" the- manner fc-of the good old' - sitory^tellers - ofcvtthe [- a .world";dt is the language of L 'the Oriental- ' bazaar,. jp?~the English fair, of the Greek ." market-place, 'of ./those spots where simple ] men and women tell the stories oft their. Lrnieighibqurs. and, their "tunes. The- glow of, j the born novelist penetrates .through the language' veiy, .often ; but the language neyer for that rea6on closes that beautiful •e^quipoieef- which ;can r only be' attained by N 'great. masters of style. _ - -' '. , -If you want proof that' this is, a just 4 .estimate of .the style "of v these Toluttiesy , /bome'witham'ey amd let us read^ again "Ahai > -wonderful chapteY-^fhe chap^r' that at-tracted-most" attention 1 , and," in literary, circles, - most enthusiasm", When .first the , book; was published— the "chapter in which is described r lhe" l slibry of _ —The Dreadful. Afghan Enter- "' '. ; ,» p/ise^-. • \ ■ ' -'■" '- of "the jate -thirties the early , forties" 'of the 'last century „_ /^The chapter has \ other reoommemiations: — it points a moral, it "suggesffr- a" Very- close ; analogy- to a great war of our own .times ; . : but I Ao not pause on, th^se issues at this,- moment;'- to. me at- the- moment- the ; only interest- iji "the pages -I* am about to quote is th«> .style" in- which ~a great etory is told. First let us realise the enormous difference 'which the' train, -the steamer, ; and, above all,- the telegraph, have mad| ' between. these nob very remote times and our own. "News travelled slowly then, wriJes Mr M'Carthy of 'these forties: I • and it was quite ferue.in the , ordinary. II - ' course of things ' that" conic part of the Empire* might be forn with convulsion for months ' before London .knew that the even "and ordinary condition of things had been disturbed. In this ia- . stance, the rejoicings -at the. accession of the young Queen; were. still going -on when a series of events had begun in . Central Asia destined. ;to excite the'profoundest \ emotion- in England, and- to exercise the -most" "jfjowerful influence , * ,upon .our foreign policy down to _ the r "present hour:o- - * - ' _ ' l - - The 'scent of 1 -these catastrophes was " Afghanistan. The. firsts figure in the tra- ; gety,~is curiously " familiar- to us by -his. kinship to an * immort-al'.name ; • it" is Cap- ' tain Alexander- ! Burfles s*'5 *'«r« r connection -ot "th© family of ißSberfc Burns: . r i Burnes was a famous Orientalist and ' -traveller; the '"Furtcm" of Burn-a^y, of ■ Jiis daV; "he "had 'conducted an expedition into Central Asia, had published his travels "in Bokhara," and 1 had, been ( sent on a' mission* bjrth'e Indian, Go- j vermnent, in whose services he was toj study the navigation of the ,Indus. He . . was, it may be remarked,, a member; • of the family "of /'Robert Burns, >he j poet himself having. changed the. original spelling ;?f the;,ijame, which -all' the other "■memlbers of ,the, family. *6r SSnea. -The of^the,. journey., of Captain" Burjoes- '$> ..pajiul in , 1837« "was " in' the- first r< ipsfeuace "ta^nter-.-into; oom^ mercial relations -wilb Dost" iMohamed, ■ then " ruler ".of _Cabuiy and with - other - : chiefs', of western ] regions. - - '- Dost- ifohamed,'. to" , whom Burnes was accredited 1 , Was in reality a usurper ; he - hadi taken -the heritage of his. elder, bro : . ' 'ther, then' a? fugitive "in Ifadia; but he' 1 had apparently justified his position by I competence as a ruler, and he had gained * i the good: will of his . subjects. .He pro- ' } fessed also' great friendship for " the

t ' * " History of Our Own Times." By Justin j l£'C*rthy. . (Caxton Publishing CoU '■

British people and the British rulers of India; m short, he was willing to be a friend if he were allowed to be. In an evil hour the Indian authorities formed the insane idea that Dost Mohamed should be deposed, that his exiled brother should be r brought backhand should- be forced upon ; the people . of „ Afghanistak." Of course, ; it was ■ not put '"that way.' 1 ,^ith that, wondrous i power >of ■ self-decepi' \tioh .whiqh nations have when they' are about,. to do, a. stupid* thing;" the" lcdiai.' .authorities managed 1 to • persuade ' thfemthat the > Afghans were' longing to be . relieved from the yoke of •TDosfc .Morhamed, ani to be- '"once- - mdfe governeii' -by the exiled' -Prince' in India.' In addiition, TDost Mohamed- " had am old dispute with Hun jeet ' Singh, -then? the ruler <A tne Punjaub, and it was partly "to ' assist -Runjeet Singh that • the -quarrel "With' Dost Mohamed was taken'" tip. ~_ . - _'_ 'The begianing of the business was quite easy ; Dost 7 Mohamed 7 ■wae" conquered' and dethroned. -He "-fought obstinately for = a _ -while, and once he' practically^" gained a victory over the British." -soldiers.. But Dost 'Mohamed was J eyic?ently „a .wise man,and he had ' foresight, for ' 'this is what then happened: ,- *,"'". The . ( evening after ~. his brilliant ex- = ploit in the field Dost Mohamed rode quietly ' up to the quarters of Sir W. Maonaghten; met the envoy, who was • returning, from an evening > ride, r ~ and to Macnaghten's utter " amazement announced himself as Dost Mohamed, ten.--dered to the envoy the sword that had' " flashed so splendidly across the field of - the previous" day's fight, and surren-- ' J dered himself a prisoner. His sword was returned ; he witg.Jtreated with' all '"honour-;-; and a 'few days afterwards '- he was sent to ■ India, where- a residence- - and ,a revenue were assigned to him. ' This, however^ was not the end, but .' the beginning. Shah Soojah, the legitimate sovereign, whom the Indian authorities had imposed upon* Afghanistan, was regarded as a venal traitor by its 7 people, then, as now, fiercely jealous of the independence and savagely hostile to all foreigners. Sir Win. v Macnaghten, ;who .wate civil chief of the expedition/ and " ?Sir ■~-AtexaMec~i Burhes,— al»/;'^ie~- young 1- . -WveK^^b«d > "Be«om»-^w^'-bQtii v ---'»ined. that trouble" was brewing, but . the - opti- " ■sniism ccould not -be persttaded, • and, in the "end- RonTunejr was murdered, by\ar.mobj and the English - forces, /which .were emcamped outside IJaibul. , were, attacked. -Badly -led, ibadly" fed, ""largely* Asiatics, "'fche 1 force "_Was r -gradually reduced- to such" a condition that they were glad to offer to leave .the country ,and "retreat .back "to Tndik During the negotiations, Mac- - naghten went unarmed to' meet" Akhbar than, son:-of Dost Mohained, -who • had taken 'hie father's place . in. resisting the .Emglisti forces. "Macnaghten was shot, .'down by Akbbai Khan, ~a4d his hacked .and mangled body was exhibited. in the 'streets- of GabuL ' Dismayed! and ~demo- ■ ralised, - the commander -of British ' troops stooped to" "negotiating "with Akhbar 'Khan while still the blood 'of ! Macnaghten was prying " to" heaven." "for -vengeance: . : The ■ English were at., once to take v - themselves off, out of Afghanistan, giv- • - ing up all their: gu-ns- except .six, which • they were allowed - to" retain ' for. their necessary' defence in their mournful , journey ,home ; .they were to leave be 7 - hitfd.all ,|he treasure, and 1 /, to guarantee " the" payment of something, additional ■ for the -safe' conduct of the poor- little -„ army to^ Peaha"ivur .or to Jellalabad; ' .aiid they ■ were "to' hand "over six officers "as hostages for -the due' "fulfilment- of the conditions. It is, of course, - vn r derstood that the conditions included j the immediate release of Dosfc_ Mo- ', hamed and his family at their return, to Afghanistan ; .when these should 'return the six hostages should be released. Only -one concession had been r . obtained from, the conquerors. It was. at first demanded that gome' of the married ladies should 1 " be left as hostages-; but on the urgent - representa- ■ tions of the English officers this condition was waived— at least' for the mo- ' ment. When the treaty was signed, . ' the officers who. had been seized _ when^ , Macnaghten was" murdered were -released. ' " * And then' came the beginning of - —The Worst Horror.— The withdrawal- from Oibul began. It was , the Heart of a cruel • winter. The f-English-hadsfco make their way through tfhe awful- pass of Koord Cabul. * This • stupendous gorge runs for .Some-fiye- . , miles between mountain ranges so nar-row,-lofty, and. grim, that' in the winter Tihe *rays of the sun can .hardly pierce- its' darkness even.at t the- " noontide. -■ -Down the centre dashed, a ' precipitous jmountain torrent' so fiercely that the stem frost of that terible time / could n6fc stay, its course. The snow lay" in masses; on the ground ; the rock's and stones that raised their heads i above the snow in /the way of the unfortunate travellers' were slippery with .frost, T Soon the white, snow began to .-be stained' and splashed with- blood. Fearful 'as. this , Koord Cabul Pass waa,it: was only a degree worse than the ' ~ road . which for • two whole days the English had to traverse to reach it. ■The army which set out froni -Cabal ' " numbered more than 4000 fighting men, of whom Europeans, it should 1 "be"said;formed but a small proportion, and some 12,000 camp' followers of all kinds. There were also many women - and - children. JM? Macnaghten, 1 wi^ow of the "murdered." envoy ; Lady Sale; whose gallant husband, was holding Jellalabad at" the near end of the ' - 'Eyber -Pass towards, the Indian fron-' tier ; MrsSturt, her daughter, soon to be widowed by the death of her youn& ' " husband; -Mrs Trevor," and her seven children i and many;.<>til«r pitiable fugi-

[ tives. The winter journey would hava ' bteen cruel and dangerous enough in time of peace; but this journey had. to be accomplished in the. midst of something far. worse .than common war. At ..every step of the road, every opening .of. the' rocks, the -unhappy crowd- of . { confused^ rand-' '. heterogenous .-< .fttgitiyeji"- . ' were. beset -by , bands --©I. savage JfaUatics, ' I„. who,, jwith tbeirL lomaf .gunß • i and>"long < 1.-. •• kniyes,. were; murdering J all they « could • -reach. was all the way a? confused?" . . constant, battle, against a jguerilla enemy " of ,the most furious and. merciless +em~*' _, pec,; _ who were.- . perfectly- -familiar with.*'the ground, ; and -^could* rush-* forward • "" and retire exactly as suited- their -tactics. The English soldiers;, Wearyi- , weak, and crippled by frost, could make ■ but a- poor rfight against the savage . Afghans. "I€ was -no longer," says Sir J. W- -Kaye, "a - retreating army ;■ itl was a : rabt>le In cnaotic fligntr* Men, women," and'- children, horses, ponies, camels, the -wounded, the dying, the ' dead,' all • crowded • together "in almost inextricable confusion "among the snowi • and -amid 'the -relentless enemies.: '-'.The ' massacre',"" to quote again from "Sir "j; " • ' -W. Kaye, "was' fearful in this Koord Cabul Pass.' Three thousand" men. : are said* to have • fallen itmder ' the fire 'of -■.the enemy, or to- have dropped down . . 'paralysed and. exhausted, to-, be" slaugh1 tered. by "the Afghan, knives. ? And N 1 amidst these fearful scenes of carnage, through i a shower of matchlock balls, , r rode English "ladie> on horse-back or W .^ camel, panniers, "sometimes., 'vainly env ,. deavouring* 'to * keep their " children be--neath their eyestarid losing; tbeni 'in iho: confusion and'vbewildermentof 'the' deso» J ' lating -march." _ -,--;" Ultimately "Akhbar .K&an' reappeared, and so terrible was j the plight to^which" the unfortunate army haa been reduced,, that he" wa? hailed, 'as &■ ' saviour. ] ' & saviour, h - to- soiner. extent, he 'proyed" to b*e, for -he' Hoot the w'orn^n and" their husbands j;an dcb^ldr&n. away from, the main tody •/ and* then' "the^ march , without 'a general,", as &Er, M'Carthy pute u it well, on- again'f :, : (J ". Soon^t became the .story. 'of a general. ' j),vrithoutan J .. t airmy,; but, before; vety long< ,'- there-/ was - neitEer.. „ .tiojj.- .army. _ .the straggling remnant of. an army; . entered Jugdulluk Pass— -a dark, steeps - ( narrow,.^ascending -pa€k .between . crags. The miserable,.; toilers., found, thVt' -tha ■ fanatical, implacable tribes hud harrij'/ caded.the -^pass^. All->was,over^ - The . ' army ,of _C^b'arfw!a» i: finaHy' extingnisbedf -in JJbat - barricaded pass. " -It was a • trap, ; the British were- taken--, in-'it. t A' -_.few- more fagitivas. escaped- from the, of "actual, slaughter;,, and ..were on .-, the road to ..JeHalabody where- Bale, and ' his little, army' wer«sßo!dlng their own. n When -; they. • were within, 16 miles of ( - jellalabad the : muttber was reduced, to ' - six. Of these six,i fiva.were killed 0y.., 1 straggling mflrapdera on^thss.way. -One,, " man- alone^ reached ; Jellalabad to tell - - the tale. - Literally 'one man,\ Dr Brydon,'Ca'me to Jelialabad. out. of a moving host' -which . had- mnnfeered , in. all • some/ 16,000 when it set ,out on its marctl' The cqriqus eye -^will search through history or fiction in vain. for any picture more thrilling, with the suggestiohi of "an- awful -.catastrophe than that- -of this solitary survivor, " faint- Qndi reeling on v his^ jaded horse, as be ap-. ._ peared -.under .the- walls of JeßalabadV- \ to 'bear the, tidings of our Thermopyla of pain and shame. ->-,-. „ . ' >- And- the end of the storyJ 'fDosi Mohamed "was.reteasei from" h&- captivity^ and before long was ~ -rulfe of * Cafenl again." ' I promised to dray no morals, except this-rlsn't ttie great story greatly told?— - T. P., in T. P.'s Weekly.