10 



AFGHANISTAN. 



Early in April the British reconnaissance 

 was pushed forward to Gundamuk, where the 

 forces were placed in a strong position. A 

 messenger was dispatched to Cabool to seek 

 an interview with Yakoob Khan, and was fol- 

 lowed on his return to Gundamuk by the 

 Ameer himself, who arrived at the camp on 

 the 8th of May. He was met by Major Cavag- 

 nari with an escort, and was received with a 

 parade of troops of all arms, who lined the 

 road to the camp for a distance of two miles 

 and a half, to the point where General Browne 

 and his staff were awaiting him, and with a 

 salute of twenty-one guns. He was much 

 pleased with his reception, and sent a dispatch 

 to the Viceroy expressing the hope that peace 

 would speedily be made and a permanent friend- 

 ship established between England and Afghan- 

 istan. The agreement of the negotiating parties 

 upon the basis of peace was announced in the 

 British Parliament on the 19th of May. The 

 treaty was signed on the 26th, and was ratified at 

 Simla on the 30th of the same month. Its chief 

 provisions were as follows : A British resident 

 was to reside at Cabool, who should have the 

 power to send British agents to the Afghan 

 frontier on special occasions. The foreign af- 

 fairs of the Ameer were to be conducted under 

 British advice, and Great Britain would under- 

 take to support him against foreign aggression. 

 The British authorities were to have complete 

 control over the Khyber and Michnee Passes, 

 as well as of the relations and independence of 

 the frontier tribes in the district in which the 



S asses are situated. The Afghan territory in 

 ritish occupation was to be restored to the 

 Ameer, with the exception of the Kuram, 

 Pisheen, and Sibi Valleys, which were as- 

 signed to the British for administration, on 

 condition that the Ameer should receive the 

 surplus of revenue after the administrative ex- 

 penses were paid. The Ameer was to receive 

 an annual subsidy of 60,000, contingent upon 

 his strict execution of the treaty. Yakoob 

 Khan sent a dispatch to the Viceroy express- 

 ing his satisfaction at the conclusion of the 

 treaty, and his hope that the friendship now 

 established between England and Afghanistan 

 would be eternal. He said also that he was 

 exceedingly pleased and thankful for the recep- 

 tion accorded to him by the British officers, 

 and purposed, toward the close of the next 

 cold season, to have " a joyful meeting with 

 his Excellency, for the purpose of making firm- 

 er the basis of personal friendship, and draw- 

 ing closer the bonds of affection and amity in 

 a most suitable and appropriate manner." The 

 Viceroy answered the letter in the same spirit. 

 The British troops were ordered back from 

 Jelalabad and the other advanced positions 

 they had occupied, leaving only small detach- 

 ments to hold the posts temporarily. The 

 Ameer issued a proclamation announcing per- 

 petual peace and friendship between Afghanis- 

 tan and the British Government, publicly de- 

 clared a general amnesty, and sent an expedi- 



tion in accordance with his agreement, with 

 British officers, to effect the pacification of 

 Badakshan. These proceedings were followed 

 by measures for organizing the financial ad- 

 ministration of the country, and introducing 

 good government into the provinces. On the 

 12th of July the Viceroy of India issued a 

 congratulatory address on the skillful conduct 

 and conclusion of the Afghan war, in which 

 he recognized the gallantry, steadiness, and 

 strict discipline of the troops, and the tact and 

 discretion of the political officers, and ac- 

 knowledged the loyalty of the native princes. 

 Medals were promised to the British troops who 

 had been engaged in the campaign. 



A British mission to Cabool was dispatched 

 from India early in July. It consisted of Ma- 

 jor Cavagnari as envoy and minister, Mr. Jen- 

 kyns as secretary and first assistant, Lieuten- 

 ant Hamilton, V. C., as commandant of the 

 escort and assistant, and Dr. Kelly in medical 

 charge, with an escort of twenty-six cavalry 

 and fifty infantry of the corps of the guides. 

 On arriving west of the Shutargardan pass, the 

 embassy was met by an escort of the Ameer's 

 troops to conduct it to the capital. It arrived 

 at Cabool on the 29th of July, and was received 

 with military honors by a considerable body of 

 soldiery of all arms drawn up along the route, 

 and a salute of seventeen guns. A large as- 

 sembly of people witnessed the entry with or- 

 derly and respectful behavior. On the even- 

 ing of the same day, the British envoy present- 

 ed his credentials to the Ameer, who gave a 

 friendly answer to his address. The evacua- 

 tion of the country was begun by the British 

 troops, with the expectation of completing it 

 by the 1st of September. It was considered 

 an evidence of the desire of the Ameer to act 

 up to his treaty engagements that he showed 

 Major Cavagnari three letters which he had 

 received from the Eussian General Kaufmann, 

 and consulted him as to the answers he should 

 return to them. Following the advice of the 

 British envoy, he replied courteously to them, 

 and suggested at the same time that all future 

 communications should be sent through the 

 Indian Government. 



On the 3d of September the British resi- 

 dency at Bala-Hissar was attacked by mutinous 

 Afghan troops and destroyed, and all of the 

 British officers were murdered. The attack 

 originated in a parade of some of the Ameer's 

 regiments for their pay. They were given one 

 month's pay when they demanded pay for two 

 months. They became violent, stoned their 

 officers, and rushed upon the residency, which 

 was in the neighborhood. Having seized arms 

 from the arsenals and public stores, they kept 

 up a vigorous attack upon the inclosure of the 

 residency, which was gallantly met by the offi- 

 cers and soldiers within. The fight was con- 

 tinued for several hours, during which the dis- 

 affected regiments were joined by others and 

 by bodies of the populace. The mob were kept 

 in check by the vigorous resistance of the Brit- 



