A GALLANT ACTION.

Waikato Times, Volume XIV, Issue 1233, 25 May 1880, Page 3

A GALLANT ACTION.

' „ Owing to the" restriction as ;to the presence of special correspondents with the troops in Afghanistan, many very gallant actions on the part of oar, soldiers have been passed over with the barest of official mention. Among them was fshe defenpe of a oonvoy by sixty men of the 6 7th Regiment, against an attack by upwards of a thousand Afghans, a defence which has been characterised by some of the Indian papers as not unworthy of a place by the side of Horde's Diift. We have received the following particulars from a correspondent :— " On the 10th of November a party of Major-Q-eueral M'Pherson's brigado, consisting of a lieutenant, four ser-' geants and fifty -six men of the 67th Regiment?, fourteen sepoys 28th Punjaubee, and a trooper of the 12th Bengal cavalry, a mounted orderly, under the command of Captain A. J. Poole 67th Kegiment, were proceeding with forty camals to the village cf Coaba, in the 4 Tagoa country,' after forage. When in site of the villago they were prevented from advancing with the camels on account of an immense convoy of Afghan camels laden with merchandise being in- the P^tss. A more precipitous | Pa«s, or a more awkward place in which i to attack it would be impossible to conceive. All'sharp rocks and cliffs, towering away with scarcely a foot-hold for a mule, and' utterly impossible for animals to pass each other.. The force had no sooner entered, and Captain Poole with about twenty men climbed the hill to look ahead, when they were attacked by about 1000 or more of the enemy The little party at once scattered on either side to guard the camels, and aa the Afghans pressed forward a ■ heavy fire was opened on both sides. The fight was of a most'exsitirig character, each man fighting for his own hand,, taking advantage of a rock hei*e and there, ascending- and debcending in order to avoid falling over precipices with /reat coat and seventy rounds of ammunition belted on. It was a most severe test on the men, but they kept up a, sharp fire every time an' Afghan shewed his head or any part of his body. Several times the Afghans .plucked, up heart and charged forward to within thirty yards of our skirmishers, and had they pressed forward must have overpowered our mes by sheer might. But the fire to which they were exposed quelled their courage, and for two loDg- hours this little body of Englishmen kept them back .until the convoy had safely emerged from the other side of the Pass. The bodies of those of our men who fell were afterwards found horribly mutilated, and our correspondent protests strongly against the accusation of cruelty against our troops, while no word is said as to the horrible mutilations executed by the Afghans against any woundpd Or stragglers who may fall into thair hands, which madden their comrades. Our loss in this gallant affair consisted of three men of the 67th killed, and Captain Poole, three sergeants, and one private of the 77th wounded.

A CnAEMiNG Story of aFbench CniLD. — Several weeks ago the little sister of baby died, and baby could not understand what had become of her. She asked where she was. " (She is in heaven, my child," replied mamma. The last day of the Old Year baby was amusing herself with one of those little toy Walloons. " Mamma, if my balloon should get away, where would it go to ?" "Up in the air." " Only in the air ?" " Maybe to heaven." Baby went to play again, and after a while came back without her balloon. "What have you done with your balloon ?" "It has gone to heaven. Little sister will have it for my New Year's gift. " The new Pure Cash System now being initiated by G. and C. will certainly prove a benefit to the public. It has becu a great success in Sydney and Melbourne, and when strictly carried out the customer who bujs at an establishment where the goods are marked low to ensure a rapid sale must be a great gainer. G. and C. sell their dr.ipery, millinary, and clothing at such pi ires for cash as gives the buj er the advantages of a shareholder in a co-operati\ c society, without the risk of being called upon to bc.iraportionof the loss should the year's business piove unsatisfactory. Garlick and Cramvell will aim to retain the confidence which the public have hitherto shown them, and are determined to gi\e the pure cash sjstem a fair tri.il ; whether they gain or lose the first j eai . Country bujers on remitting cash with order will be supplied with goods at co-operative prices ; just the same as though they made a personal selection. Furnishing goods, such as carpets, floor cloths, bedsteads, bedding, and general house iurniture, the hugest poition of -which is turned out at our own factory, will be marked at the lowest revnunLMatne pnres, and a discount of five per cent, will be allowed to those who pay at the time of purchase. G. &C. ha\ ing realised the entire value of thoir stock during their late cash sale, the piesent stock is xuv and cm vim y hol'ghi. An inspection is united. — Guuick \\D Cv VWVl'.i I , City Hall Furnishing Arcade, Qucenstrcet, Auckland.