272 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



forage and had placed themselves under our pro- 

 tection. The political officers discovered that Az- 

 matoollah was about to raid into the Lughman valley, 

 and the Khugianees were to attack Futtehabad and 

 other Tajik villages within twenty miles of Jellalabad. 

 Accordingly, troops were sent off in different directions 

 to prevent this, and if possible to seize Azmatoollah. 

 General M'Pherson started by night Avith a column 

 to cross into the Lughman valley over the Safed-Koh. 

 Colonel Campbell of the Guide Corps, with a smaller 

 column, took a different route, to co-operate ; while 

 a body of cavalry, composed of some troops of Hussars 

 and native Lancers, started to cross the Cabul river 

 near Jellalabad. It was hoped that these latter 

 would be in time to cut off Azmatoollah's retreat 

 from M'Pherson's columns. They rode gaily to the 

 ford on a bright moonlight night. The native cavalry 

 crossed over its zigzag windings in safety, but the 

 Hussars met with the fearful disaster so much talked 

 of and inquired into, by which they lost an officer 

 and forty-seven men. Those of them who escaped 

 returned to camp, but the rest of the party continued 

 their march, only to return in the evening disap- 

 pointed ; for while M'Pherson's column was painfully 

 climbing up the barren, hot, rocky slopes of the 

 Sia-Koh, Azmatoollah recrossed the Cabul river and 

 fled into the mountain fastnesses beyond. The troops 

 returned disgusted from their wearying and disap- 

 pointing march; but it was not without its effect. 



