Five Years in India: Comprising a Narrative of Travels in the Presidency of Bengal, a Visit to the Court of Runjeet Sing, Residence in the Himalayah Mountains, an Account of the Late Expedition to Cabul and Affghanistan, Voyage Down the Indus, and Journey Overland to England, Volume 2Henry Colburn, 1842 - India |
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16th Lancers Affghan Affghanistan Ameer army Arnold arrived artillery attack Attock baggage bank bazar beautiful Bengal boats Bolan Bolan pass Bombay breakfast brought Buhawul Buhawulpore Bukkor Cabul camels camp Candahar chief Colonel column cultivation daylight December Dera desert dinner Dost Mahommed Dost's encamped excellent February feet four Ghuznee grain ground guns half halt head-quarters hills horse-artillery hour Hyderabad India Indus jungle Keane Kelât Khan kind long march Lord Auckland lucerne Malabar Point matchlock morning mountains moved native Nautch Nautch girls nearly night o'clock one's ourselves party passed pitched plain Quetta regiment remain river road rode Rohree Runjeet running rupees scene Scinde Seikhs semianas sent Sepoys Shah Shah's side Sir Henry Sir Henry Fane Sirdars Skinner's horse soon stream supplies Sutlej tents thing three miles to-day to-morrow town trees troops Turnuk twelve valley village whole wretched yards
Popular passages
Page 207 - ... mile, in which there were two short but very steep ascents, which brought them to a stockade, and a strong party of our irregulars, posted to defend this end of the pass. The whole length of this difficult portion was about thirteen miles. •' To say that this pass is bad," observes the writer, " is far too mild a word. I never contemplated any thing at all to be compared to its strength ; and I can only say, that if a position is wanted to depend on, this spot would be totally impregnable if...
Page 211 - ... like the road or mountain footpath (for it was nothing else) I never saw. It was, for some three miles, at first up and down the rocky mountains, and then along a pathway on the side of one, about three feet wide, which at length led down to a dry nullah, leading out into the plain of Peshawer, near the new fort of Jumrood ; so that we have at last got into the plains, and away from those cursed mountains.
Page 280 - The ordinary method of fishing for this kind of trout, is with a powerful rod, from a boat rowing at the rate of from three to four miles an hour, the lure a common trout from three to ten inches in length, baited upon six or eight salmon hooks, tied back to back upon strong gimp, assisted by two swivels, and the wheel-line strong whip-cord.
Page 205 - ... fact the northern gate of India. From our camp on the river bank we moved across a barren shingly plain for a couple of miles, when we entered the pass, two mountains rising on either side to a height of 2000 feet, leaving a space between their feet of about 100 yards in width. Beyond this the passage opens out to about a quarter of a mile, which continues with slight variation for about eight miles over a tolerably good road, and then begins the work.
Page 206 - Each piquet of ours is posted, you begin to ascend up the very steep side of the mountain, on a road cut out of the solid rock. This continues about twelve feet wide for three quarters of a mile, during which you ascend nearly 2000 feet. It is very much the same as .one of the hill roads of the...
Page 142 - ... a mode of death, perhaps, the quickest and least cruel of any : one of the unfortunates, the only one I saw executed, being blown to shivers in a second ; his legs and head, both severed from the trunk, being the only portions we could recognise afterwards as having belonged to the human form.
Page 201 - Affghanistan generally presents more changes in scenery and climate than any country in the world, and a striking instance of both occurs at this place : in the first, in the immediate change from the barren and stony track we have so lately been travelling through, to the rich valley of Jellalabad ; and again, from the extreme cold of the mountain highland of Cabul, to the heat of the country around us.
Page 208 - It is very strongly situated on the top of a solitary mountain, rising direct from the mountain-stream below, which here runs through a passage of certainly not more than twelve feet wide. Though the place is in fact commanded by the heights around, so cragged and steep are they, that no hope of a gun being taken up them could be held out.
Page 92 - Quetta, of which the drawing is a sketch, is beautifully situated in the centre of the valley of Shawl, of which it is the capital.
Page 214 - It is by far the strongest fort I have seen in the country, and quite impregnable, except to a very heavy battering train and regular approaches. It is built on a scarped artificial mound, with double wall, flanking town, and faux bras.