THE CAPTURE OF KANDAHAR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 5356, 16 January 1879, Page 2

THE CAPTURE OF KANDAHAR.

Kandahar has fallen ! for a second time the British flag waves over one of the aeveu cities founded by the great Alexander in Asia. The bulletin announcing the success of our arms cannot fail to give deep satisfaction to all sabj"cts of the eaipiro. The gail iutry and endurance of our soldiers in their toilsome march during the depth of an Afghan winter, whun the land is covered with snow, anil fierce, cold, icv winds blow from the mountain ranusa which intersect the country, is deserving of ail praise. If we feel great pride iu this glorious achieveraent, however dearly it may be purchased by the sufferings of some, it is because we know aud can exalt in the fact that we belong to the gr. at British nation, which of lace years has ag tin b=eu holding up its head in the councils of Europe, claim* . iug as her right to be the great arbiter of the destici-s of the world : a3 such we have crossed the snow-clad inountaiu rangr;* that separate us from the sunuy plains of India, regardless of life, or tbe inclemency of a winter in most iuhospitabl* regions, to plant the Htandardof our Sovereign on the walls of Kandahar. That the successful issue of this enterprise will give great satisfaction to India and i*s princes, few will gains ly. It shews that when tli3 soldiers of ludia are let by English officer*, they can compete with their European brethren i a undergoing the toils and hardships of a winter campaign. Nothing can be more satisfactory thau to see the empress?ment which the independent princes have offer-d their ao.rvic"3 in the present war. Mr Malar Junjr, the Prima Minister of the Nizam, our tried friend during the Indian Mutiny, offers, ou behalf of his Sovereign, to place the entire army of the Xizarn at oar diip isal ; his nephew and two s »us of his cdleague, the Amir Kabir, are attached to General Stewarts army, an I are no wat Kandahar. The Maharajah S-duuia, a general in the British army, com is to -ah -re begging to be employed. The M-iharajih of Kassimir is also at Lahore on a similar errand; besides which, numerous other princes vie with one an >ther to shew their loyalty to their Empress, aud offer their swords, hoping to partake in the h mour of vindicating the rights of the Empire. Well m.iy these priuees aspire to in our armies under the present auspices, for weseethxb the geuerals in command of our troops have not been mere idle spectators of the gre*t :uid lactscs of tre various armies of h*ur-->:>-duriug the p vsfc twelve year's. but can ap;dy the l'.'S4 oiijs received in a masterly muiiwi', worthy of their former fame ; and, if the w-.-rds of the Prussian chief of the staff come to our memory when he caop>nl his >.atchel, aayiug tj hi 3 sub >rdin ites, ' £ G j itiemen, ail is ready/' it is because we liiid that tLe genera 1 , who controls our army iu Ind;4 has not b.-en less vigilant, wh it-vor may have boen written or said to the coatraiy. The 20i;h November was the d ito fi:*: d i\>r tire Amir Sh;re i .li t> reply the IVitish ultimatum. A* noon time op. ihe the order was thuh-jd from L>!id-.ri t-j aud at 4 p.m. on tiC smie day the three different armies eomme iced their march for the second ArV an campaign, fr -in Peshawar, Thull, and Quetcah, arid novr, notwithstanding all obstacles, we tiad the one at Jellalabad, the second at ICushi, aud the third at Kandahar. The old town of Kandahar occupied an exceedingly strong position, aud was divided into three dis inct pirto, e.ich on a s parate anduapabl-s of mutu il defence, i'lie triple wails which s irrouiuled t\i j city cuc'oied a considerable space, u-ed in time of war a? an ground, and in time of p* ace as a garden It was destroyed by Nadir Shah, whj re-built the new city a cannon shoi lower down. This was again denr I>y Ahmed Shah, who installed the inhabitants in the present city, two miles to the eastward. General Ferner states tha*, although the preeut c.ty of Kandah *r is surrounded by a ditch, and fl inked with a citadel, it can bo appro-iched in all see jrity to within forty or iifty ya-ils of the walls, under cover of the numerous gardens and orchards, and tint it i 3 commanded on several points by rocky hills, the last slopes of which come aim is* up to the ditch of che forartcation. Military authorities are generally of opinion that a position ou a pbiln is stronger tYan on a hill-side, but if Kandahar i-i weak, it is became advantage has not been tak*n cf the natural emineocoH by which it is surrounded, aud which coal i eitsdy be made impregnable. It is well, al-o, to bear in mind that it was strong enough when only held by a very weak English garrison, on the memorable night of the "29:U of March, JS42, to resist the onslaught of the whole Afgh m ariny, numbering over 10,000 man. K:-;ndahar cannot be ccnsidered an Afghan city ; although it is inhabited by Afghans of the tribe of Barukzyes and Giiilje h, it is aho inhabited by Parsivans and Hindoos, the entire trade being iu the hands of the latter. From its frequent change of masters, —Persian, Afghan, and Hindoo, —it has acquired acosmopolitan nationality. But it is not its past history that will make its possession by us valuable. It is its geographical and strategical position, for it is the central pjiuc at which the roads from Herat, Seistan, Kabul, and India unite. Establishing the supremacy of the English iu Afghanistan, no foreign foe would venture to approach the frontiers of India wi'h Kandahar in possession of the English; and should European complications bring Russia into the held, the ally and patron of Shere Ali, tight days' march would bring our army before the lofty walls of Herat, which would effcctua ly bar any advance against our Eastern possessions, except over the glaciers of the Hindu Kosh. Well, therefore, may we be proud of the success of our arms, for this will bear comparison with any achievement accomplished, at a fearful sacrifice of life, in the late wars that have been devastating Europe. Isdps.