FANNA ICISM AT CANDAHAR.

Western Star, Issue 295, 3 May 1879, Page 6

FANNA ICISM AT CANDAHAR.

- The special correspondent. jof the “ Standard’’ writes as folldws regarding the dangers experienced by, r the troops at : tlandahar::—-., ■ A) The throng was dense, and though'wb, made a lane, every one might have been stabbed every instant. Nowhere have I beheld such a khbvf of villanoiis faces. Not a well-dressed man, appeared, but a 1 iscowling, filthy ( crety; ruffi.H'na flooded the roadway. ifh/r<?6rs, lia!f idiotic ahd wholly malignant, hurried front'group to group. The r' matted hair/arid a cloth about their necks, made all their clothing. :The scum ol the town had aasernah d, hill of hatre » agai st the infi 1 1. and wanting '.burage pnly for 'a massacre; ?<Presently the nevys Caine up that an officer had been murder. d,and that.the Sahibs yye're standing imia b -dy, under' :th,e central id.»ine/ We pressed forward, each man’s hind!, upon fais^ pistol, I'ut iio precautions would have avail -d us in that crush bid we met an "assasuo; It; Was/ curious, to observe the .Bustained' f ranqui’ifcy i if pur so!diets under •tbisLexcitemeni. /THose not.called,, upon fop-pickets bought their apples and leisurely ate them on the ‘deseited side/ walks, while’.;iv;e t mass in the centre... Many, w -re.unarmed, I but these were not at alii dismayed. . At i a signal they would have thrown them- ! selves upon i’tbe townsmen,* nor have doubted the result. We found the dome empty, guarded at each' exit by company, .of the 25th, who roll d the thronging natives pver . with a push of their stalwart arms if they approached too near. A few* yards further lay the as-dasin in a pool of blood. It se -ms that - Lieutenant Willis, of B-4‘ ba'tenr,' was buying something outside,' a show/ whem, a fanatic crept behind him and drove a long curved knife to the hilt in bis j shoulder. . Mr Willis dropped instantly, [ _ • •• | *i' - ... *

but h:a companion struck the mag, who turned and ran. The oncers close r by fired their revolvers, and ' three . bullets hit t'im, it appears. It happened, that several gunners of the same batterysaud several of the 60th rifles were about the plat-e, dn’d thede.' drew their' A» 11 ual, they proved hseless r rjth© blows tailing to cut even the murderer's posteeii. A bombardier- who struck him full on bis bare head, withdut injury; 1 received a s ab thr ugh the* hand. ‘ A rifieman, after an eff o rt.equally ineffectual, was wounded in the shoulder and the arm. Captain Harvey, of the first • Punjab Cavalry, delivered his point and " thrust t if villiiThi BSjugh the throat, but received hints If as ab hand. A; lucky shot rolled tbe lell-vv over, but be ruse again'staggering. At his instant a mounted troUper overtook him, and with one blow of his tulwar cut deep into trie throat, altbost severing the neck. And so he died at length, and we him weltering in the street. A few yards back, in the road which leads to the Cabal Qate, lay*. Mr Willis, su l rounded. b> crowded officers and a crowd oh men, who. kept the roadway clear. T e knife had passed behind the rlt.'S and had' probably injured the lung,.but it is still. tuo ' shun for, the doctors to pronounce definitely. .There is Ji tie bleeding, but, upon The other hand, be breathes without suj^..difficulty as wouhr be expected if . the .lung e were seriously hurt- 1 He has' been' l biro ugh t into camp to-night, and hopes continue to rise. The injuries of,the otherwere slight, though paiuful,.:!, j h,- ,j