THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1881.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3783, 11 February 1881, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1881.

From a cablegram in another column it will be seen that an offensive and defensive treaty, drawn up by Russia and the Ameer of Afghanistan in 1878 has been discovered by Sir Frederick Robertson while in possession of Cabul. At the time when the present bellicose operations were commenced in Afghanistan, the Conservative Government of England, following the dictates of the " Jingo " Premier, Lord Beaconsfield, claimed that it was necessary to strengthen the ■ frontier on the western side of our Indian Empire. They further maintained that Eussia looked with an envious eye upon our possessions in Asia, and was desirous of adding the country brought into cultivation by us, and over which our flag proclaimed the sovereignty of Great Britain, to her own immense territory. Rumoui'S were also circulated of various treaties supposed to have been entered, into by Russia and the Ameer, having for their object the ousting of the British from Indian territory. By such means did the Conservative Government justify the action of the Viceroy of India (then Lord Lyttom) in warring against the numerous tribes of Afghans who inhabit the mountain fastnesses of Afghanistan, and the wilds beyond the Punjaub. The Liberals, who were then in the minority, but who were rapidly gaining strength, pooh-poohed the idea of Eussia having any designs on our Indian Empire, alleging that she would not undertake the vast work of invading India, in the face of so many obstructions both in regard to the nature of the country and the difficulty of gaining the friendship of Afghan potentates, who for treachery and deceit have no equals on the face of the globe. The rumours of secret treaties were also considered mere canards purposely invented by the Conservative Government to strengthen their position with the electors. Many of such rumors were, no doubt, false, but it was

definitely ascertained that while the Russian Ambassadors were entertained by the Ameer at his Court at Cabul, the English Plenipotentiary was refused audience. This circumstance gave ground to the supposition thac Russia wished to gain the sovereignly of India, and she knew perfectly well that before she could command the passes leading from Afghanistan to the Punjaub, it would be necessary to obtain the co-operation of the Ameer. In order to obtain this end she made overtures to the Ameer, Shere Ali, but with little success, as the Afghan chief, being politically between stools, was timorous that he might fall. England was coercing him on one side, and Russia, by alternate offers of assistance and menaces, strove to gain a stronger hold on the Ameer than England. The English Government were much to blame in instituting and proceeding with a war that had no tangible object in view, with the exception of exacting punishment on the Ameer for some supposed insults to the British Crown. Had the English confined themselves to the eastern side of the Afghan frontier, no power in. the world could dislodge them from the impregnable passes, which both form a natural fortress and would be completely invulnerable when manned and armed by British soldiers. Instead, however, of adopting such a course, the army penetrated into the interior of a country famed for the difficulties in the way of

transport and the ferocity of the native mountaineers, whose greatest pleasure, it appears to be, is to shed human blood. While writing this, the sad disaster of 1841, when out of 17,000 men scarcely any survived the onslaught of the Afghans, who mercilessly poured forth shot and shell upon them from the heights of the Coord Cabul Pass, after promising them a safe j retreat, comes across our memory, and makes us apprehensive that some such disaster will fall upon our army now in Afghanistan when we least expect it. The assassination of Major Cavagnari demonstrated the faithless and treacherous Afghan nature—if any such proof were necessary,—and when people are in such a state of barbarism as the Afghans, having no fear either of God or His awful power, and whose greatest pleasure is to slay their fellow man, there is little chance for Englishmen who have been foolish enough to '"consider the Afghans as having any principles of either truth, honour, or, more important still, religion. The latest news from Afghanistan announces that peace is in a fair way of once more being established, and we trust that such will soon be the case, as the present war has, so far, been fruitless, and has cost millions of money and thouj sands of precious lives, merely for the purpose of sustaining the honour of our nation.

A few days ago we published the letter from Mr Rolleston, the Minister of Mines, referring to the rock-boring machine. The Government are willing to dispose of the machine to the local authorities, and the offer should at once be accepted. Without doubt there is no district in the colony in which such a machine would be of greater use, or is more urgently required, than the Thames. By it the question of the existence of payable quartz on Tookey's Flat below the 640 level of the Pump could be determined, and the very expensive process of shaftsinking be rendered unnecessary. The authorities have undertaken to make enquiries how the machine worked at Kaneiri, near Hokitika, on the West Coast, but a moment's consideration would have shown anyone that such a machine was not suitable for working in a drift-formed country, which is the character of the West Coast Goldfields, and that its reported failure there is no reason that it would not answer in the Thames district. By all means let the machine be secured, and no delay should be permitted in replying to the letter of Mr Eolleston, accepting the ofier made by him. As to the cost and mode of payment, that should be easily settled ; the authorities would be justified in making* any terms that would secure such a valuable machine for this district.