[354] See the “Life of Hadjee Khan Khaukur, the Talleyrand of the East,” published originally in the Delhi Gazette. It is attributed to the pen of Arthur Conolly. The writer adds: “In the camp of those chiefs conspiracies against Shah Soojah and his allies were daily agitated. Their letters formed the pride, the comfort, the hope, and the amusement of the Caubul Court.... Sometimes it was proposed by the traitors to attack the English camp in concert with the Ghilzyes at night. Fear prevented this plot ripening; but had the army met with a repulse, it would undoubtedly have been attacked in rear. At last, at a full meeting—I have it from the lips of one present at it—it was determined to join Dost Mahomed en masse. At this meeting were the Hadjee Khan, Hadjee Dost, Fyztullub Khan, Noorzye, and many others. They had been deceived by a false report of a partial action of cavalry the day before; the opportunity had arrived, they thought, for giving us the coup de grace. Hardly had the conclave separated, when intelligence was received of the capture of Ghuznee. It need hardly be said that, a few hours afterwards, Hadjee Khan and the rest were congratulating his Majesty on the splendid victory.”
[355] Akbar Khan, who had by this time been withdrawn from the defence of the Khybur line, and had joined his father’s camp prostrated by sickness.
[356] Others, however, thought that his failure was fortunate, it being only too probable, in their opinion, that, if he had come up with the fugitive, his little party would have been overwhelmed by the followers of the Ameers and the traitorous Afghan horsemen whom Hadjee Khan had taken with him.
[357] He was confined at Chunar, where he seems to have borne his imprisonment with considerable philosophy.
[358] “With regard to the ordnance captured at Urghundeh, the guns were of all calibres, chiefly below 6-pounder—one a 17-pounder, and a few of different sizes, between 17 and 12-pounders.... The number of shot left at Urghundeh was 4270, of various sizes.... The shot is hammered iron, and so uneven, that, unless weighed, their weight could not be told. They are chiefly much under 6-pounder shot.... With regard to the other stores taken at Urghundeh, nothing was of the slightest service, except the old iron of the carriages, and the axle-trees, also good as old iron only, and to which purpose they have been appropriated.”—[Lieutenant Warburton to Sir W. H. Macnaghten; Caubul, August 15, 1841. MS. Records.]
[359] “Onward,” says Captain Havelock, “moved the force, and an hour had not elapsed since the day broke when it came full upon the abandoned ordnance of the fallen Barukzye. Twenty-two pieces of various calibre, but generally good guns, on field carriages, superior to those generally seen in the armies of Asiatic Princes, were parked in a circle in the Ameer’s late position. Two more were placed in battery in the village of Urghundeh, at the foot of the hills.... The route by which we had advanced was flanked by a deep, impracticable ravine, on which the Afghan left would have rested: there their artillery had been parked, and would probably from this point have swept the open plain, and searched the narrow defile by which we would have debouched upon. Their front was open for the exertions of a bold and active cavalry, and here the Ameer might at least have died with honour.”
[360] Havelock.
[361] I am indebted for this, as for much else, to Captain Havelock. There is but little in the pages of the military analist to disturb the gravity of the historical inquirer, but it is impossible to restrain a smile at the happy wording of the following: “Let me not forget to record that Moonshee Mohun Lal, a traveller and an author, as well as his talented master, appeared on horseback on this occasion in a new upper garment of a very gay colour, and under a turban of very admirable fold and majestic dimensions, and was one of the gayest as well as the most sagacious and successful personages in the whole cortége.”
[362] Burnes was of this opinion: he erred on that point in common with many others; but his views from first to last were in favour of making the Dost our ally.—H.T.
[363] Here Sir A. Burnes had inserted the words, “I have—that is, as ex-King of the Afghans, no very high opinion;” and had drawn his pen through them. He had also originally written the word “Of” to begin the sentence, instead of “As for.”