242 DESTRUCTION OF CABUL. horse gallopped to a safe distance. When the explosion took place, the guns were burst to atoms. We After we had been at Cabul about a fortnight, a force of four companies of the 31st regiment, and of some detachments from the different native corps, was ordered one evening to be in readiness to . march on the following morning into the city. The object was not stated, but we could form a pretty good idea of what we were to do, and the result proved that our expectations were correct. proceeded the next morning, and blew up all the principal chokes and bazaars where Sir W. M'cNaghten's head and others had been exposed, and set fire to the city in many places. The houses were of course gutted in a very short time, and bales of cloth, muslins, fur cloaks, blankets, and wearing apparel of every description were turned out and destroyed. Quantities of English belts and pouches, and a variety of other articles which they had taken from Elphinstone's force were also discovered. Some of the men found a number of English cases of hermetically sealed grouse, and other meats, on which, as may be imagined, they had a fine feast. In blow DESTRUCTION OF CABUL. 243 ing up the bazaars, some of our officers and men received severe contusions from the falling beams. We continued the work of destruction until night closed upon us, and then returned to camp tired enough. Many of our men looked just like chimney-sweepers from the fire and smoke. On succeeding days other parties were sent, and the city of Cabul, with the exception of the Bala Hissar, and the Kuzzilbash quarter, was utterly destroyed and burned to the ground. An immense deal of property was wasted; but we could not carry it away. The houses were nearly all built of dry light wood, and when once a fire was kindled it would have been impossible to stay the ravaging element. The conflagration lasted during the whole time we remained encamped in the vicinity; and we still saw it when entering the Koord Cabul pass, on our return. A large mosque which the Affghans had built in honour of their success over Elphinstone's army, and called the Feringees' mosque, was also blown up and destroyed. The weather was now becoming piercingly cold at nights, and on our nocturnal piquets we were half frozen. The higher range of mountains 244 APPROACH OF WINTER. became white crested, and thick black clouds hovering overhead gave token that winter was fast approaching, and warned us to depart before In Affthe passes were again filled with snow. ghanistan, the transition from summer to winter takes place almost by magic. In one night, per haps, suddenly the snow falls, and the season and whole face of the country are altogether changed. Winter of the severest and most rigorous kind at once succeeds a hot summer. We were all anxiously enough looking for orders to retrace our steps now that we had done all that lay in our power to punish the Affghans for their treachery to our unfortunate countrymen. An unwearied career of success had marked our march on Cabul. One blow of the British lion's paw had, as it were, changed the whole aspect of affairs over which our enemies had so lately rejoiced. The prisoners in their hands had all been rescued in safety; every city they possessed had been taken and destroyed; and Akbar Khan himself, the master-spirit of the whole nation, was a fugitive, with a price upon his head, and with scarcely a single follower. But a few months before, and how different was the state of our DIFFERENCE OF POSITION. 245 affairs! An army beaten at all points, and utterly annihilated; all the fortresses, with one exception, which we had taken, again in the hands of the enemy, and that solitary post but weakly garrisoned, and besieged by a large army under Akbar Khan himself. Add to this, the independent natives of lower India were looking on the operations of our relieving army with anxious suspense, and stood ready, the moment they should hear of our suffering the slightest repulse, to pounce upon the dominions of the now no longer invincible Feringees, which the formation of our army had absolutely drained of soldiers. Our successes turned the scale, and produced the greatest moral effect on the natives. They now saw, that however the sun of our prosperity might be obscured by adverse clouds, yet surely would its beams again break forth with additional splendour from the dark chaos in which it had, for a brief period, been obscured. General Elphinstone's retreat Errors committed - Dr. Brydon-His perilous escape-General Pollock issues orders to retrograde-Difficulties of the march-The Koord Cabul pass-Conveyance of an Affghan trophyNarrow escape of a courier-Jugdulluck-Engagement with the Affghans-Luxurious repast Futtiabad-Jellalabad. Gundamuck IT is difficult for any person, who has been in Affghanistan and seen anything of its people, to imagine how any set of men could have proposed the retreat of our unfortunate force, or counselled the plans by which it was preceded. would scarcely be supposed that while the army was encamped outside the town, the provisions and stores of every kind were kept in magazines It |