Our Home Letter.

Otago Witness, Issue 1460, 8 November 1879, Page 21

Our Home Letter.

London, September 11th.

A great gloom has been spread over the country by the terrible news from Afghanistan, and mingled with the grief of the nation at the barbarous murder of Major Cav&gnari and his companions is an intense feeling of righteous anger and a stern determination to be thoroughly and swiftly avenged. When the first telegrams from India reached England last Saturday night, men hesitated to credit news so strange and horrible ; but message after message pouring in, and last of all the official dispatches from the Viceroy, forbade any hope being entertained. Ministers W6re scattered all over the country enjoying the hard earned recess, when this news foil like a bomb among the pleasures of tho holidays. Lord Cranbrook was at Perth, and while the Viceroy's dispatches were sent on to him with all haste, the other Cabinet Ministers were duly informed of the terrible scenes enacted at Cabul. Since the news reached him, the Indian Secretary in Scotland, and his private secretary in London, have almost monopolised the Northern wires ; but a crisis like this in Afghanistan cannot be settled from a distance, and Cabinet Ministers, hastening to London, will find all their policy in shrtds, and the famous Treaty of Gundamuck no better than waste paper. In the first excitement, no one can fathom tho oausos of the Buddea outbreak in Cabui. The news, jiißt brought to Alikheyl, our outpost station, by a native runner, ran simply to the effect that certain Afghan regiments, having assembled at the capital to receive arrears of pay, and finding the paymaster's chest empty, had mutinied and atbaoked the English Residency. It happens at this time to be the great Mohammedan Lenten season, the holy period of Ramazan, at which time continual fasts, tho preaching of the Moollahs, and religious excitement, combine to work up the savage miadis of the Afghans to an uncontrollable pitch : it is almost certain that the meeting of the regiments mast have been but a secondary causa of the revolution, and that fanaticism lies at the root of it. Whatever the oaum it was ouly too terribly successful.

The British Residency, where the Envoy, his suite, and escoit, had thtir quarters was only an ordinary wooden building, outside even the boundaries of tho Bala tlissar, or citadel part of Cabul. Hera Major Cavagnari and hia small escort of some 50 cavalry and infantry had remained since his first arrival, lulled perhaps into a Mac sense of Becurity by the splendid and apparently cordial reception accorded to him when he entered the city. At all i- vents thero was no further means of defence than were afforded by the thin wooden walla of a Cabul house. When the mutinous regiments raised the cry of edition, and, murdering their officers,

called on the populace to join them, the savage crowd responded with yells and cheers. Fraternising with the soldierß, a rush was made on the arsenal, and in a twinkling every man was armed to the teeth. It was then that some evil spirit raisod the cry, "To the Residency!" and forthwith the whole mob made their way thither ; first, however, taking oare to shut np the Ameer Yakoob Khan in his own palace. The English Mission could have reoeived but the shortest notice of the angry ■torm that was brewing in the BaU Hiasar, and their hearta must have sunk within them as they looked out from the upper windows of the Residency and saw the fanatical mob rushing down upon them. They must have known at that supreme moment that, few in number, and hopeless of Bupport, death inevitably stared them in the face, Yet, like brave soldiers, they determined to sell their lives dearly. Tha gates were closed, the windows barricaded, and every man stood to his arms. On came the armed mob, to be met by a volley from the Martini-Henrys that laid many of them low. A second determined rush was checked by a further volley, and then the little garrison felt some taint hope, as General Daoud Shah, the Ameer's commander-in-chief, was seen issuing from the Bala Hiasar on horsoback. His mission was to endeavor to pacify the mob, but it was now altogether beyond control, and Daoub Shah, wounded by. stones, torn from his horse, and trampled under foot, paid with his life for his generous attempt. Then, while the unequal fight still raged, the Ameer sent one of his own sons amongst the mutineers, but they mortally injured him also, and never for a moment desisted from the fierce assault on the Residency. The gallant defenders held their weak position undauntedly until the Afghans set fire to the

wooden building, and, pouring in under oover of the smoke and confusion, a desperate hand-to-hand fight ensued, in which the greater number of the garrison were shot or stabbed. The remnant, with Major Cavagnari and his staff, sallied forth gallantly, and died fighting to the last, for their bodies were leen lying about the streets near the Residency, each where it had fallen. The exultant murderers now set about rousing the whole country to aid them in warding off the vengeance they must know Will follow. Many of the disaffected eagerly responded to the call, and it seems not at all unlikely that the whole Afghan War will have to be fought over again more fiercely than ever. The Ameer's authority is a mere nonentity, established by the fact: that according to his own statement he is being kept a close prisoner by his own rebellious subjects. If Yakoob Khan had any influence at all it would be exerted in our favour, as his visit to India recently has profoundly impressed him with our power and resources, and convinced him of the ntter inability of a half-civilised State like Afghanistan assuming to cope with an Empire like the British. But with the Ameer a captive, there is imminent danger of some fanatical native chief obtaining a preponderating influence over his fellows, and exciting the whole country against jus once, more by preaching the Jehad, or crusade against infidels. '

Ui'UUHUO BgaiUßb lUUUOIB. Misfortunes never come singly, and this one finds us unprepared, though not so muoh eoaß if we bad not just invaded the country. The terrible mortality amongst the camels during last winter, and the disorganisation of-the transport train threaten to be serious drawbacks to theßwiftness with which we shall deliver our vengeance. Nevertheless every effort is making to pußh on a force to Cabul at onoe if possible. General Six F. Roberts, who so well led the Khurum Valley force during the late war, will again assume oommand of his old troops, and advance' by ihe famous Peiwar Pass he stormed so cleverly with the Ghoorkas and Highlanders. No one doubts that a month hence British troops will be in possession of Cabul. They must be, or farewell to our prestige in Central Asia. The whole Indian army is animated, the telegrams say, by one feeling only, to dare everything to wipe out the insult to it implied in the murder of

Oavagnari. ' As no one doubts our speedy capture of Cabul, the only question asked is,, what next? There is a universal cry that the city — Bala Hisaar, fortifications and all — should be razed to the ground, and the Afghan nation, who have a most superstitious veneration for their capital, be Btrongly , taught, once for all, the power of the British arms and the just severity of British vengeance. Nothing we could do, no battles we could win, would go half so far to convince the Afghanß that we were irresistible as the destruction of Oabul. Political and other considerations may prevent this idea being oarried out, when excited have given way to calm views of the situation ; but it; is very certain that two things will ensue : the one, a salutary lesson to the murderers 'which will need no repetition; the other, reparation in some unmistakable form from the country for the deeds of the Cabulese. Continental opinion declares we must annex the country in Bpite of Russia ; and Russia deolares that in that case she will assuredly take Merv, if not Herat. So this second Afghan complication is worse than the first. It is fortunate for the Government that it happened during the recess, for Opposition patriotism could hardly have resisted the temptation of such a peg whereon to hang strlnga of orations against the foreign policy of the Conservatives. Lady Cavagnarl was staying with some friends in Scotland when the terrible news reached her, and the unfortunate lady long refused to believe it ; nor could she be per•auaded of the extent of the calamity that had befallen her, until a kindly message ■of sympathy and condolence from her Majesty at once put an end to all doubt, and assuaged her grief. By the Queen's command the Lord Provost himself conveyed her message to Lady Cavagnari. It is in these oases that the gentle sympathy of the Queen with all her subjects in distress is always made early manitest. The spectacle of Europe really at rest, and thankful, is too unnatural to be long endured Journalists must have something to write about, and special correspondents must invent, if events take an even course. There is little more than the exigencies of journalism in the tremendous pen-and-ink warfare that for the last month has been pgipg w taia wicl Germany ; although,

with the enormous power the Press nowadays wields, mischief may easily grow out of it. Formerly such good frienda, and backing each other up in every poßsible subject, the organs of Russian and German public opinion have come to a complete split. _ Enmity is always severest where friendship has preceded it, and these old-time friends have turned against each other with unmeasured virulence. The Russians are terribly vexed at Bismarck's decided tendency to make fast friends with Auatro-Hungary ; they were hurt at the modicum only of encouragement given at Berlin to the Russian claims ; they are more hurt that Germany does not even by a word seek to hinder the designs of Austro-Hungary in the Balkan Peninpula ; and to crown all, Bismarck and Count Andrassy have been paying affectionate visits to one another, while Gortschakoff remains un visited. So fiery had bocome the paper contest, and so excited were people becoming at the violent arguments put forward, that the meeting of the Czar and the German Emperor was hastily arranged to prove the absence of any real quarrel. Since these august personages "kissed and embraced each other again and again" in the presence of assembled crowds, as an enthusiastic correspondent telegraphs, there have been less acrimonious articles in the papers, and a danger, which at one time threatened to become serious, is fortunately averted

Not a little surprising amongst the arguments put forward during the dispute by German writers "was that advocating a firm alliance with the Emperor of China. In case of a war between the two Eastern Empires of Europe, China would be a very ugly thorn in tho side of Russia were she disposed to be hostile. It is a mistake to think that the Chinese are contemptible as soldiers. They have learnt a vast deal in the art of warfare since the English and French troops made such sharp work of them, and there are now numerous Chinese regiments as well organised, and what is more, as well armed as any in the great armies of Europe, while the Pekin Government are Blowly but steadily building up a not contemptible fleet. As a proof of the desire of Germany to enter upon more cordial relations with China, the reception of the new Celestial envoy by the Emperor William was markedly cordial. Unfortunately Germany has no coloniea to which her new-found friends might direct themselves instead of coming to ours. The intrepid Swedish explorer, Nordsjenkold, has at length succeeded in making the North- West Passage, and has safely reached Japan, after a long and weary struggle with the ice of the Northern seas. Letters from the Vega, while she lay icebound, arrived in Europe only very shortly before the news from Yokohama that the ship had safely arrived there ; and speculation was rife whether Nordsjenkold would be successful in his attempt at the very time that he was gaily steering down Behrings Straits with all his difficulties conquered. The importance of the Vega's voyage cannot be overrated. Besides rendering immense services to the cause of science by the deep-sea dredging and other observations systematically carried on, she is the pioneer vessel on what will some day be a great commercial highway. Now that the possibility of a passage round the North Cape is demonstrated, there will be an outlet for the produce of Siberia, which the great rivers of Lena and Obi and Yeneaei will bring down to the sea. Then the great trade which, is carried on by caravan between China and Rußsia will more than double itself If the produce of the Celeßtial Empire can be brought round by Bea to Archangel. But there seems to be a little too much of the sanguine in the expectations so abundantly founded on Professor's Nordsjen* kold's voyage. At the best of it, the great Northern Sea will only be open for a very few weeks in the course of the year; and until the times and manner of its navigation become clearly known, there will probably be more unsuccessful than successful followers in the track of the Vega. It is curious that a well-equipped steamer, which was sent out to the assistance of Nordsjenkold when, no news having been received from him for a long time, he was believed to be wrecked, went ashore and was totally lost just at the time that the Vega arrived all safe in Japan.