A Personal Narrative of a Visit to Ghuzni, Kabul and Afghanistan (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1843 Excerpt: ... attack, and a distant view of foreign invasion. The poorest of them drink wine, made in the country; and their fondness for the liquor is shared by many of the WINE or THE COUNTRY. 239 inhabitants of the valleys on the north-east of them. The Gilghitees, for instance, drink wine in abundance. I have tasted it; it was not bad, but required clarifying. Whilst their drinking-vessels would assimilate them to the Greeks, their exposure of the dead rather bespeaks for them a descent from the Guebers of Persia; and they themselves say that their forefathers were Arabs. I have no remark to make upon the numerous places which, according to Arrian, Alexander met with and took in his march from Nicaea to the Attok; excepting, that as elephants and a large breed of cattle are mentioned, they must certainly, with the exception of Aornos, have been in the plains. Dost Mahomed Khan and his brother the Nawab had furnished me with a paper to Saadut Khan, the chief of the Mohmunds; and I passed the insolent scrutiny of that lawless and largest tribe of Afghans with safety, and a reasonable amount of black mail. Saadut Khan sent me word that he waived his share, but that the tribe must have theirs, and would take no denial. I arrived at Peshawur on the third of November, 1836. Saadut Khan's servant attended me over the Kabul river, and did not return till he said that he dared go no further on account of the Sikhs. I called upon Shere Sing, the eldest adopted son of Runjit, who was encamped near the place, and presented him with a handsome telescope, which I had intended for Murad Beg of Kunduz, and which only arrived as I was entering Peshawur. I got in return, by way of compliment, a guard of twelve horsemen as far as Attok. I have twice seen Attok: the first time th...