Raiders of the Sarhad: Being an Account of the Campaign of Arms and Bluff Against the Brigands of the Persian-Baluchi Border during the Great WarDyer, R. E. H. (Reginald Edward Harry)
History
Raiders of the Sarhad: Being an Account of the Campaign of Arms and Bluff Against the Brigands of the Persian-Baluchi Border during the Great War
Dyer, R. E. H. (Reginald Edward Harry)
World War, 1914-1918 -- Campaigns -- Middle East
At this stage in the march we reached a height of some seven thousand
feet, and I was struck with the beauty of the scene. Around us
the slopes were covered with a profusion of flowers of every hue,
forming, so it seemed, a vast, variegated carpet. Although I know
nothing whatever of flowers from a botanical point of view the
beauty of many of them struck me so much that, later in the year, I
collected some of the seeds and preserved them carefully with the
idea of home cultivation. These seeds remained with me in all my
wanderings, but, unfortunately, on my journey home the pocket-book
containing them was lost.
One plant in particular, the asefœtida (locally known as hing), is
very striking, and most effective in the distance. The lower leaves
are very big, and the plant throws up a tall, yellow shoot, two or
three feet high, topped by a cluster of the most brilliant flowers of
the same colour. This plant is much valued by the Baluchis, and I am
told that large quantities are exported from this district to India.
[Illustration: SURRENDERED RAIDERS: HALIL (left), JIAND (centre),
SHAH SAWAR (right).]
We were lucky in finding cool camping places on the third and fourth
nights of the march. On the fifth we commenced our last march on
the plain to Galugan, the territory belonging to the Ismailzais under
their leader, Juma Khan.
Galugan is like Kamalabad, a district only populated during certain
seasons of the year, when the Ismailzais make a regular encampment
there, live in jugis, and settle down for a time to the cultivation
of their crops. The place is well watered, with a very fertile soil
capable of bearing magnificent crops of wheat and barley.
As we approached the camping ground of Galugan our scouts came back
to inform us that Juma Khan had deserted Galugan, and had gone,
with all his tribe, into the high hills surrounding the place. He
had heard of the defeat of Jiand at Koh-i-taftan, of his subsequent
surrender, and of the capture of Khwash. He had also seen our forces
approaching, and had no hope of success if he had remained to offer
battle.
As a matter of fact we really did present quite an imposing
appearance by this time. Our numbers had been augmented by small
groups of Jiand's and Halil Khan's men who had joined us at intervals
all along the route.
We accordingly marched, without any opposition, into Galugan, and
found it, as reported, absolutely deserted, with the exception of
one old woman who had utterly refused to desert her crops, and was
eventually discovered hiding in a field.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account