From Cadet to Colonel Volume 1; The Record of a Life of Active Service (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. 1866 Excerpt: ...march, very distinct, when the sun rose. I cannot positively say that this phenomenon was the cause of any atmospheric disturbances, but it is very certain that the winter at Cabool this year was unusually severe, the frost being exceedingly intense, and the snow-storms unusually heavy. Perhaps some of our astronomers may have made a note of the solar phenomenon, if it was visible in England, and may have observed what influence it had on the weather. Our march from Ghuznee to Cabool, as I said before, was perfectly uninterrupted. The fear of us had fallen on the whole country. As soon as the news reached Cabool that the bulwark of Affghanistan, the " impregnable Ghuznee," was taken, the army of the Ameer, Dost Mahomed, dispersed at once, and the Ameer himself fled, for, as the people said, "Who could stand before the dreaded English?" After ascending the slight pass at Huft Asya, we descended into a long and fertile valley, bounded by hills on our right and left. The Wurduk Valley produces the finest wheat in Affghanistan, and its inhabitants are so celebrated for VOL. I. M making bread, that the "nan-i-Wurduk" (Wurduk bread) has become prevalent as a proverb. The range of hills on our right separated us from this valley, the nearest point of contact with which is at a place called Hyder Khail, where, from the top of the hill, the whole of it is visible. On an elevation of the ridge over Hyder Khail were a dozen or more of enormous upright stones, evidently planted there for some commemorative purpose. We could not, however, learn their history at the time, nor did we make any particular efforts to do so; the catastrophe of the day drove all thought of them out of our heads. The guide that was sent with us from Ghuznee, a Lohanee, ...