Scenes and Adventures in AffghanistanTaylor, William
History
Scenes and Adventures in Affghanistan
Taylor, William
Afghan Wars; Afghanistan -- Description and travel
On returning towards the lines, from the Mohurrum, we saw a miserable
looking wretch squatted at the side of the road, who appeared to be in
deep affliction, for he was weeping bitterly and lamenting his hard
fate. I addressed him and inquired into the cause of his grief. He told
me that he had been induced to become a convert to Christianity by one
of the missionaries, and had been thrust out of the pale of social
intercourse from the moment the fact became known. He deplored his
having yielded to the arguments of the missionary, since they had
debarred him from participating in the religious ceremony which had just
terminated, its pomp and circumstance having evidently made a deeper
impression on his imagination than his conviction. We gave him some
relief and passed on, when our attention was again directed to him by
one of our companions, who had lingered behind. Several of the natives
had surrounded the poor convert, and were spitting upon him, and loading
him with the vilest reproaches. We returned to the spot and compelled
them to leave him in peace.
Amongst the British whom we found on our arrival at Kurrachee was Mr.
Masson, the author of an interesting work on Affghanistan, which has
been lately published. This gentleman had been originally a private
soldier in the Honourable Company's service, and had risen through
various grades to the profitable civil employ which he at present holds.
He rendered some important services to the company, for which they
awarded him a pension of £100 a-year, and much to his credit he settled
the whole of it on his aged mother.
After remaining at Kurrachee about ten days, the order was at length
issued for the embarkation of the Cavalry, which was now limited to my
own detachment. Upwards of thirty _pattemars_ were hired for the voyage,
and from twelve to fourteen men, and an equal number of horses, were
stowed in each. We had a quick and favourable passage, and arrived at
Bombay on the 10th of March, after an absence of nearly eighteen months.
THE END.
APPENDIX.
APPENDIX.
FROM THE DELHI GAZETTE EXTRAORDINARY, OCTOBER 1, 1842.
"The Right Hon. the Govenor-General of India having with the concurrence
of the Supreme Council, directed the assemblage of a British force for
service across the Indus, his Lordship deems it proper to publish the
following exposition of reasons which have led to this important
measure.
"It is a matter of notoriety that the treaties entered into by the
British Government in the year 1832 with the Ameers of Scinde, the
Nawab of Bahawulpore, and Maharaja Runjeet Singh, had for their object,
by opening the navigation of the Indus, to facilitate the extension of
commerce, and to gain for the British nation in Central Asia that
legitimate influence which an interchange of benefits would naturally
produce.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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