The Dark Defile (44 page)

  10   “
[I] pushed him … passage”:
Quoted in Sir J. W. Kaye,
History of the War in Afghanistan
, vol 1, p. 69.

  10   “
imperious superiority”:
M. Lal,
Life of the Amir Dost Mohammed,
p. 8.

  10   “
to allow … French”:
22 August 1809, Treaty No. 6, P. P. Indian Papers No. 2, 1839.

  11   “
it was better … guilt and shame”:
Quoted in J. H. Waller,
Beyond the Khyber Pass
, p. 17.

  13   “
nothing … a bird”:
B. Gascoigne,
The Great Moghuls
, p. 13.

  15   “
They know … each other!”:
Colonel W. H. Dennie,
Personal Narrative of the Campaigns in Afghanistan
, p. 62.

  16   “
the dire … polygamy”:
Sir P. Sykes,
A History of Afghanistan
, vol. 1, p. 392.

  19   “
the beard … of tears”:
Captain James Abbott, quoted in G. Bruce,
Retreat from Kabul
, p.16.

  20   “
Peradventure … wordly affairs”:
J. H. Stocqueler,
Life of Sir William Nott
, p. 104.

  20   “
Russia … the keys”:
Quoted in J. A. Norris,
The First Afghan War
, p. 28.

CHAPTER TWO

    Where not otherwise indicated, all quotes describing Burnes’s journey are from his own account,
Travels into Bokhara
.

  21   “
Commerce … enlightened community”:
Quoted in N. Fergusson,
Empire
, p. xviii.

  21   “
No British … in triumph”:
9 December 1829, Edward Law (Lord Ellenborough),
Political Diary
, vol. 2., p. 144.

  21   “
Mind … languages, sir!”:
Sir G. Lawrence,
Forty-Three Years in India
, p. 2.

  22   “
on the … honour”:
Sir J. W. Kaye,
Lives of Indian Officers
, vol. 2, p. 17.

  22   “
The navigation … view”:
A. Burnes,
Travels into Bokhara
, vol. 3, p. 2.

  22   “
might … Central Asia”:
12 January 1830, quoted in J. A. Norris,
The First Afghan War
, p. 40.

  23   “
since … by water”:
A. Burnes,
Travels into Bokhara
, vol. 3, p. 3.

  23   “
the scheme … war”:
Quoted in Sir J. W. Kaye,
History of the War in Afghanistan
, vol. 1, p. 176.

  23   “
its facilities … your researches”:
J. Lunt,
Bokhara Burnes
, p. 38.

  23   “
Alas!… its conquest”:
Ibid.

  25   “
horses … to England … excited … elephants”:
Burnes,
Travels into Bokhara
, vol. 3, pp. 152–53.

  28   “
The Home … they want”:
Burnes’s letter to his sister of September 1831, Kaye,
Lives of Indian Officers,
vol. 2, p. 20.

CHAPTER THREE

    Where not otherwise indicated, all quotes describing Burnes’s journey are from his
Cabool Being a Personal Narrative of a Journey to and Residence in That City in the Years 1836–38.

  37   
Everything … saddled”:
Quoted in J. A. Norris,
The First Afghan War
, p. 68.

  37   “
religiously … neighbours”:
20 October 1832, P. P. 1839 Indian Papers No. 3.

  41   “
fly … elephant”:
J. H. Waller,
Beyond the Khyber Pass
, p. 79.

  43   “
the law … of nations”:
L. Mitchell,
Literary Review
, October 2010, p. 6.

  43   “
doing … in India”:
Quoted in Sir J. W. Kaye,
History of the War in Afghanistan
, vol. 1, p. 167.

  43   “
the right … obligations … it is … extensive”:
Quoted in Anon.,
Progress and Present Position of Russia in the East
, pp. 150–51.

  44   “
to interfere … Afghanistan”:
Quoted in Norris,
The First Afghan War
, p. 90.

  44   “
would not … possessions”:
Quoted in ibid., p. 85.

  44   “
a dry … Sanskrit”:
Quoted in
Dictionary of National Biography
entry for Macnaghten and J. Lunt,
Scarlet Lancer,
p. 171.

  44   “
dry … rude”:
Quoted in Lunt,
Scarlet Lancer
, p. 171.

  45   “
The field … Paradise … reckless … Sikhs … [I hope] … own”:
31 May 1836, P. P. 1839, Indian Papers No. 5.

  45   “
depute some gentleman … My friend … benefit”:
22 August 1836, P. P. 1839, Indian Papers No. 5.

  45   “
the best … Afghanistan”:
Lord Auckland to Dost Mohammed, 15 May 1837, P. P. 1839, Indian Papers No. 5.

  46   “
All … applied”:
H. Mackenzie,
Storms and Sunshine of a Soldier’s Life
, p. 145.

  47   “
a narrow … of the pass”:
G. Lawrence,
Reminiscences of Forty-Three Years in India
, p. 33–34.

  48   “
either … men:”:
G. Whitteridge,
Charles Masson of Afghanistan
, p. 123.

  48   “
My house … each other”:
Undated letter dispatched April 1837, P. P. 1859.

  49   “
In any case … sovereign”:
15 May 1837, ibid.

  50   “
under any … Ranjit Singh”:
11 September 1837, ibid.

  50   “
placing … bosom”:
Quoted in P. Macrory,
Kabul Catastrophe
, p. 57.

  50   “
In a settlement … ends”:
23 December 1837, P. P. 1859.

  51   “
The chiefs … Kandahar?”:
Quoted in Kaye,
History
, vol. 1, p. 190.

  51   “
In the critical … Indus”:
23 December 1837, P. P. 1859.

  51   “
We are … here … Herat … dinner”:
Quoted in Kaye,
History
, vol. 1, p. 196.

  51   “
knew … and us”:
Ibid.

  52   “
the one strong man … now … side”:
Quoted in J. Lunt,
Bokhara Burnes
, p. 182.

  52   “
conform … guidance”:
20 January 1838, P. P. 1859.

  52   “
asked … return”:
Quoted in Lunt,
Bokhara Burnes
, p. 183.

  52   “
had often … own”:
Quoted in Kaye,
History,
vol. 1, p. 206.

  53   “
at a … Turkestan … Were the Afghans … British?”:
Quoted in ibid., p. 205.

  54   “
I expected … disappointed”:
23 April 1838, P. P. 1859.

  54   “
I came … arrived”:
Quoted in Kaye,
History
, vol. 1, p. 183.

CHAPTER FOUR

  55   “
It is … Russia’s”:
Quoted in J. A. Norris,
The First Afghan War
, p. 176.

  55   “
If dirt … filth”:
Lieutenant A. Conolly,
Journey to the North of India
, vol. 2, pp. 3–4.

  56   “
We gave … come”:
Sir J. W. Kaye,
History of the War in Afghanistan
, vol. 1, p. 162.

  56   
By late November
… a course: All quotes in these paragraphs are from Pottinger’s journal, quoted in Kaye,
History
, vol. 1, pp. 229, 231 and 245.

  58   “
leave … fate … intrigue … frontiers … attempt … Afghanistan … most expedient”:
Lord Auckland’s partly unpublished memo of 12 May 1838, quoted in Kaye,
History
, vol. 1, p. 319 and partly given in P. P. 1839, Indian Papers No. 4.

  59   “
where … Hindustan”:
Kaye,
History
, vol. 1, p. 312.

  59   “
this would … milk”:
Quoted in ibid., p. 326.

  59   
Negotiations
… great deal”: All quotes in these two paragraphs are from a letter of 2 June 1838, P. P. 1859 except for “not as … produced,” which is from a letter in Sir J. W. Kaye,
Lives of Indian Officers
, vol. 2, p. 65.

  61   “
55 high-bred horses … paces … musk … quinces”:
Tripartite Treaty, P. P. 1839, Indian Papers No. 1.

  61   “
oppose … ability”:
Ibid.

  62   “
the fact … consequence”:
Macnaghten’s letter of 17 July 1838, quoted in Kaye,
History
, vol. 2, p. 347.

  62   “
could be induced … countrymen”:
Kaye,
History
, vol. 1, p. 328.

  62   “
Every … weakness”:
Letter to Sir Charles Metcalfe, in ibid., p. 359.

  62   “
Make …
west
”:
Quoted in A. Bilgrami,
Afghanistan and British India
, p. 15.

  63   “
We are … England”:
22 July 1838, Quoted in Kaye,
History
, vol. 1, pp 366–67.

  64   “
no result … support”:
Colvin to Pottinger, 15 August 1838, AUCK 37694, folio 15.

  64   “
I shall … wisely”:
Auckland to Skinner, 21 August 1838, ibid., folio 10.

  64   “
an adventurer … Kandahar”:
Kaye, History, vol. 1, 209.

  64   
Following
… is gone”: All quotes in this paragraph are from ibid, pp. 284–45 and 382.

  65   
The Simla
Manifesto of 1 October 1838 was widely reproduced, e.g., as an annex to H. Havelock’s book.

  65   
justice
…
necessity
… “in a manner … language”: P. Macrory,
Kabul Catastrophe
, p. 81.

  66   “
Auckland has … British”:
Quoted in P. Hopkirk,
The Great Game
, p. 190.

  67   “
to prosecute … frontier”:
8 November 1838, the full text is quoted in Kaye,
History
, vol. 1, pp. 383–84.

  67   
Lord Auckland wrote
to the Secret Committee on 13 August 1838 warning of unrest in neighboring states, P. P. 1839, No. 4.

  67   “
I could … Russia”:
Auckland to Hobhouse, 13 October 1838, BROU 36473, folios 331–38.

  67   “
The Afghan … with it”:
Evidence before the Official Salaries Committee of the House of Commons, 1850, quoted in H. Mackenzie,
Storms and Sunshine of a Soldier’s Life
, p. 302.

  67   “
the Russian fiend … empire”:
Quoted in Hopkirk,
The Great Game
, p. 192.

  67   “
You must … ground”:
Quoted in J. Stewart,
Crimson Snow
, p. 39.

  68   “
You will … hopeless … If you succeed … out”:
Quoted in Kaye,
History,
vol. 1, p. 379.

  68   “
an act … folly”:
G. Bruce,
Retreat from Kabul
, p. 25.

  68   “
We have … establish it”:
Quoted in Norris,
The First Afghan War
, p. 228.

  68   “
rocks … snow”:
Quoted in Kaye,
History
, vol. 1, p. 378.

  68   “
act of infatuation”:
Quoted in J. H. Waller,
Beyond the Khyber Pass,
p. 128.

  68   “
The consequences … country”:
Duke of Wellington to Mr. Tucker, in ibid.

CHAPTER FIVE

  69   “
all dressed … jewels”:
E. Eden,
Up the Country
, p. 205.

  69   “
dreadfully … drum”:
Ibid., pp. 204–5.

  70   “
I … needed … I think … under”:
Quoted in P. Macrory,
Kabul Catastrophe
, p. 84.

  71   “
From beneath … elephants … gorgeously … cloth”:
D. H. Mackinnon,
Military Service and Adventures in the Far East by a Cavalry Officer
, pp. 62 and 65.

  72   “
exactly … eye”:
Eden,
Up the Country
, p. 198.

  72   “
slight … debauchery”:
Mackinnon,
Military Service and Adventures
, p. 62.

  72   “
of frosted … gold”:
Ibid., p. 66.

  72   “
I could … Lady J’s”:
Eden,
Up the Country
, p. 208.

  72   “
unbridled … spirits”:
Mackinnon,
Military Service and Adventures
, p. 62.

  72   “
horrible … swallow it:”
Eden,
Up the Country
, p. 207.

  72   “
Nobody … vanities”:
Ibid., p. 209.

  72   “
I don’t … instructions”:
Macrory,
Kabul Catastrophe
, p. 84.

  72   “
What … bags!… What resounding … them”:
G. Bruce,
Retreat from Kabul
, p. 29.

  73   “
regarded … cologne”:
Macrory,
Kabul Catastrophe
, p. 86.

  73   “
always … in India”:
Letter of General Nott quoted in Stocqueler,
Life of Sir William Nott,
p. 106.

  75   “
the ramrod … cartridges”:
F. G. Greenwood,
Narrative of the Late Victorious Campaigns
, p. 216.

  75   
[To cross … deserted
… were … unclean”: Quoted in Subedar Sita Ram,
From Sepoy to Subedar
, pp. 85 and 88.

  75   “
I should … visited … What … moon”:
T. W. E. Holdsworth,
The Campaign of the Indus,
p. 3.

  76   “
neither … frontier”
Sir: J. W. Kaye,
History of the War in Afghanistan
, vol. 1, p. 401.

  76   
The task
… Indus: All quotes in this paragraph are from W. Broadfoot,
The Career of Major George Broadfoot
, p. 7.

  77   “
Not content … this”:
Quoted in Kaye,
History
, vol. 1, p. 419.

  77   “
the cool … sand”:
J. Atkinson,
The Expedition into Afghanistan
, p. 105.

  78   “
marched … abstinence”:
Sir H. Durand,
The First Afghan War and Its Causes,
p. 92.