Scenes and Adventures in Affghanistan

by William Taylor

The 4th Light Dragoons were stationed at Kirkee, about 70 miles from Bombay, when orders arrived that the detachment should proceed to the Presidency, for the purpose of embarking for its destination. We left our cantonments early in November, and overtook the Artillery, which had preceded us from Poona, at the Ghauts. We halted here two days, and were joined by her Majesty's 17th regiment of Foot, shortly after our arrival. Short as was our stay, it was signalised by one of those practical jokes which so often terminate in fatal results, but which, unfortunately, seem to have no effect in rendering people cautious. Some artillerymen having been out shooting game, one of them brought home a loaded gun and carelessly left it in his tent. Several of his comrades came in, in the afternoon, and in the course of a carousal one of them took the loaded piece, and presenting it at the nearest soldier, jestingly threatened to shoot him. He had scarcely uttered the word when the gun went off and stretched his unfortunate comrade dead at his feet. Nothing could equal the distress and remorse of the homicide at the thoughtless act by which he had deprived a fellow creature of life, and it had a marked effect on his future character and conduct.

The passage through the Ghauts is romantic and picturesque in the extreme, the road lying over stupendous mountains and through deep ravines for the length of about seven or eight miles. Some beautiful country houses have been lately erected here by a wealthy Parsee of Bombay, on sites which command the finest and most extensive views in the neighbourhood. These delightful summer retreats are surrounded by every luxurious accessory that wealth and taste can supply, and the Governor is occasionally glad to fly to them for a short respite from the cares of office.

We arrived at Bombay on the 15th of November, and found it a scene of busy excitement. The streets were filled with troops and artillery proceeding to the place of embarkation, and the inhabitants flocked in thousands to the Bunder Head, to witness their departure. The harbour was literally alive with the numerous small craft employed in conveying the troops to the different transports, while the blue Peter flying at the mast head of the latter announced that we had very little time for delay. We accordingly hurried down to the beach, and were immediately put on board the Cambridge. We found it so crowded that Major Daly, our commanding officer, was compelled to remonstrate with the authorities on the subject, and after some trouble, he succeeded in getting from seventy to eighty men removed to the other vessels. This did not sufficiently lessen the inconvenience to prevent sickness breaking out amongst us, and we lost one of the Horse Artillery before we were many days at sea.

The passage was short, but not unattended with danger. The Cambridge struck on a sand bank, off the Gulf of Cutch, and it was with considerable difficulty that she was relieved from her perilous position. We were kept on the bank about four hours, and it may easily be conceived that no small degree of alarm and uneasiness prevailed amongst the landsmen, who were unaccustomed to dangers of this description. The night was pitch dark, and the breakers sounded unpleasantly near us. Captain Douglass the commander of the vessel, appeared however all confidence, and after trying a variety of experiments to get her off, he hit upon one which luckily proved successful. The whole of the troops on board having been ordered upon deck, the Captain directed them to jump three times simultaneously. This was done by our fellows with a hearty good will, and had the instant effect of loosening the vessel from the bank, and enabling her to float again into deep water.

We arrived off the mouth of the Indus in about fourteen days after our departure from Bombay. The troops were immediately disembarked in pattemars, small and clumsy coasting vessels peculiar to the country. We reached Bominacote the next evening without any other accident than the sinking of three boats, two containing artillery horses, and the other officers' supplies, to the value it was said of £10,000 which had been sent on speculation with the army by an eminent Parsee firm at Bombay.

Bominacote forms a sort of harbour of refuge for the vessels which carry on a trade along this line of coast. The village itself consists of a few filthy huts, and its inhabitants spend their lives in hunting and fishing. Both males and females are in a state of almost savage nature little covering being used by them beyond the loin goity or covering for the loins common to the natives of these parts. The proverbial vanity of the weaker sex was, however, displayed in the eagerness with which they bartered their most precious articles for a few handkerchiefs of Manchester make that we happened to have with us.

As soon as the horses belonging to the cavalry, and the military stores had been landed, it was decided that we should advance upon Scinde in two divisions; the infantry under the command of Brigadier Sir Thomas Wiltshire, and the Cavalry under Brigadier Scott. Previous to our departure the troops were reviewed by Lieutenant-General Sir John Keane, who had followed us from Bombay in the Victoria steamer. Sir John expressed himself in terms of warm satisfaction at the high state of discipline and ardour of the men, who were eager to be led against the enemy. The usual precautions on entering hostile territories were now taken, the Cavalry being ordered to sharpen their sabres, and the Infantry served with sixty rounds of ball cartridge.

Before we took our departure from Bominacote, a melancholy circumstance occurred, which threw a temporary gloom over us. As the men were sitting down to dinner the report of a pistol was heard in the officers' lines. Suspecting some accident I ran to the spot, accompanied by two of my comrades, and discovered Lieutenant Fyers, one of the officers of my own regiment, lying dead in his tent, with a freshly discharged pistol in his right hand. The unfortunate gentleman had placed the muzzle of it to his mouth, and the ball, taking a slanting direction, had passed out over the left ear. For several days previous he had been observed to labour under great depression of spirits, but no immediate cause could be assigned for the fatal act. His loss was generally lamented, for he was both a good officer and an estimable member of society.

Our route lay through a country barren in the extreme, scarcely a vestige of vegetation being any where to be met with. Of the natives we saw or heard nothing, for as we advanced they fell back, deserting the villages and betaking themselves to their mountain fastnesses. It being now near Christmas the men suffered some inconvenience from the sudden transitions of temperature, the days being sultry and the nights extremely cold. The consequence was that the dysentery broke out amongst us, and several fatal cases occurred.

At the close of the third days' march reports became current through the camp that we should soon see the enemy. It was said that a force of ten thousand horse and foot was about to take the field against us, and Captain Outram was despatched towards Hyderabad, to ascertain the truth of the story. He brought back information that the enemy were ensconced within the walls of that town, and appeared to have little disposition to leave them. We now began to find the difference between quarters and camp, for the General thought it necessary to send out frequent reconnoitering parties and pickets, in order to guard against surprise.