AFGHAN DIFFICULTY.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VII, Issue 1961, 10 April 1885, Page 2

AFGHAN DIFFICULTY.

COMMENCEMENT OF HOSTILI- ; TIES. (ReUTER's TEtEaK4JIS—CopYRIOHL. LQNpqN, April 9. Intelligence is to hand to the effect that General Romanoff, the Russian Governor of the Trans-Caspian provinces, attaoked the Afghans on the 30th March on the banks of the Khusk river. During the engagement the Afghan loss was fully 800 pen. They were eventually severely defeated, the whole of j-jmir artillery and gamp equipments falling jnto the hands of the Russians, whose joss comprised eleven killed and twentyoilno wounded. St. Petersurg, April 9. A dispatch has been received by the Russian Governmenfc'from Romanoff stat" ing that he made the attack on the troops of the Ameer of Afghanistan on account of a hostile movement made by them. Ho reports that defeating the Afghans he retired to his former position. London, April 9, (Later.)

The Times published a telegram from a correspondent at Ghurian, near Herat, giving details of the encounter between the Russian and Afghan troops on the s.oih. The correspondent states that the pretext for the was a change in position of the Afghan putpost. at Penjdeh. The Afghans are stated to have fought with great stubbornness, and the Russian loss was large, Romaroffs forces did not pursue the Afghans in their retreat. A number of British officers who witnessed the battle afterwards rejoined Sir Peter Lumsden at Herat, i i