SPECTATOR'S LIBRARY.

MILITARY ADVINTCIIri,

A Journal of the Disasters in Afghanistan, 1841-2. By Lady Sale Yerray.

TaAvst.s.

Incidents of Travel in Yucatan. By John L. Stephens, Author of" Incidents of Travel in Central America. Chiapas, and Yucatan." Illustrated by 120 Engrav- ings. In two volumes Murray.

MZDICAL POLT1T.

Remarks on Medical Reform, in a Letter addressed to the Right Hon. Sir James Graham, Bart., one of her Majesty's Principal Secretaries of State, &c. By Sir James Clark, Bart., M.D., P.R.S., Physician in Ordinary to the Queen and Prince Albert Second Letter, by the Same to the Same }Murray.

LADY SALE'S JOURNAL IN AFGHANISTAN.

THIS volume will owe its principal attraction to the celebrity of Lady SALE, as its chief interest arises from the personal charac- ter of the writer, and the peculiarity of an Eillish lady being placed in scenes of such difficulty, danger, and distress, and daily transcribing her thoughts and feelings. With respect to novelty of information, the volume has little. The great features of the dis- aster—the preliminary outbreak, the weakness and misconduct which produced the disgraces at Cabul and the destruction of the retreat, as well as the leading character of the subsequent captivity—have all been forestalled by Lieutenant ETRE. Engaged in many of the events he narrates, and examining them all with a pro- fessional eye, the Lieutenant possessed fuller information than was likely to be obtained by a lady, who drew much of her knowledge from second-hand sources and the gossip of the cantonments. The criticism of the Artillery-officer (where he and the Lady differ, which is not often or on important points) appears to us more sound and original than that of the soldier's wife ; as his descrip- tions are more striking yet more distinct—especially of the military operations at Cabul, and the larger horrors of the retreat. Some- thing of this may, however, arise from priority. When Lieu- tenant EYRE'S book appeared, the subject was altogether fresh ; we knew nothing authoritatively of the disaster, and every thing had the interest of news. There was also a feeling in the minds of many, that a policy so unprincipled as the invasion of Afghanistan, and misconduct so gross as to lead to the most fatal military destruction on record, would receive a thorough investigation. These sources of attraction exist no longer. We have learned the history from the narrative of Erne; Sir Roamer Panes decision, on the Peachum and Lockit principle, has deprived all additional information of the interest of evidence.

In an Introduction, Lady SALE states that she has "not only daily noted down events as they occurred, but often done so hourly." She also adds—" A much better narrative of past events might have been written even by myself; but I have preferred keeping my Journal as originally written, when events were fresh, and men's minds were biassed by the reports of the day, and even hour." An explanation which accounts for the brief and jotting character of much of the diary, as if key-words to the _points of things only were noted to preserve impressions ; a style 'of composition that sometimes produces the clear and impressive effect of laconies, but at other times gives rise to rather a curt and dry meagreness. The only two points in which Lady SALE'S book differs from the conclusions already formed, are MACNAGHTEN'S treachery to the Afghan chiefs, which led to his death, and the inevitable losses of the retreat. She considers that the chiefs not having signed the treaty, and not having fulfilled its stipulations, Sir WILLIAM was right to cheat them if he could; and that, had the advice of her son-in-law been followed—to hasten the retreat by forced marches—a good part of the people might have reached Jellalabad. From both of these conclusions we dissent. Sir WILLIAM Mac- NAGniren had, on the part of the nation, entered into solemn en- gagements with certain Afghan chiefs : if he had reason to com- plain of any nonfulfilment on their part, he was at perfect liberty to declare the treaty at an end, and to act as hostilely as he pleased ; but he had no right to allow it to be supposed that he upheld the treaty while he was covertly and treacherously plotting its ab- rogation and the ruin of its authors : such conduct may be Anglo- Indian, but it is not English. As regards the retreat, we suspect that the only difference any marches, however long, would have made, would have been a difference in the position of the dead. The army started with rations for five days and a half, yet on the fourth day it was all but annihilated ; ammunition, provisions, and conveyances, scattered and gone, and the ladies surrendered. It was previous destitution and the cold that worked destruction; on the camp-followers, by killing or disabling them outright ; on the soldiers, by frost-bites, and by depression, that put an end to discipline and the disposition to defence. On every point Lady SALE'S Journal confirms the worst opinion that has been formed of the incapacity, weakness, and paralysis of mind that appear to have characterized the leaders of that miser- able business, and the depression (to use no stronger term) of many of the inferior officers. To some extent her narrative aggravates it. From communications made by Afghan friends, it would appear that, during the time a British army was kept inactive or trembling in cantonments, the enemy were quarrelling among themselves, and expecting the city to be attacked ; while even to the very last there was a strong British party in Cabul, that would have risen on the first display of energy. It seems clear that the authorities were warned, again and again, that they could not trust to Amass& : he had determined to destroy the army ; yet he was trusted to the last. More minute, perhaps more gossipy than Emu, Lady Stuat has also preserved many little trifling touches that mark the character by the manners, and lift the curtain on strange scenes of 'vacillation, meanness, selfishness, and confusion ; tempting one to parody the Highlander—Oh for one hour of WELLINGTON'S decision, no matter how unpleasant to the forward and the foolish !

Besides these points of novelty in Lady SALE, she dwells a good deal more than EYRE on the native character, having had many Afghan friends ; and she paints a fuller picture of the horrors after the retreat, when the captives were led back towards Cabul, through roads so thickly strewed with putrefying corpses, that it was difficult to avoid trampling on them, while occasionally frost-bitten wretches were seen in caves where they had taken refuge, scarcely able to crawl, and existing on dead bodies, but without a chance of eventually preserving life.

Brigadier SHELTox—who has just been acquitted, after a fashion, by a court-martial—comes out as badly in Lady SALE as in EYRE : but as some of this seems to arise from a personal feeling against him, and from opposition to his views, (which were all along for retreat,) we will pass by his particular traits' for more general matters. Here is the old soldier's wife's sketch of

THE COUNCIL IN CANTONMENTS.

Independent of —'s determination to return to India, he often refused to giverany opinion when asked for it by the General ; a cautious measure, whereby he probably hoped to escape the obloquy that he expected would at- tach to the council of war, composed of General Elphinstone, Brigadier Shel- ton, Brigadier Anquetil, and Colonel Chambers. I might say, nominally com- posed, numerically it was much more extended. Captain Grant, with cold caution, obstructed every enterprise, and threw all possible difficulties in the way ; Captain Bellew was full of doubts and suggestions, all tending to ham- per and retard operations ; and numbers of young men. gave much gratuitous advice : in fact, the greater part of the night was spent in confusing the Gene- ral's ideas, instead of allowing a sick man time by rest to invigorate his powers. Brigadier Shelton was in the habit of taking his rezai with him, and lying on the floor during these discussions, when sleep, whether real or feigned, was a resource against replying to disagreeable questions. Major Thain, a sincere friend and good adviser of the General's, withdrew in disgust from the coun- ail; and Start, who was ever ready to do any thing or give his opinion when asked, from the same feeling no longer proffered it.

CONDUCT OF THE OFFICERS.

Grand dissensions in military councils. High and very plain language has been this day used by Brigadier Shelton to General Elphinstone ; and people do not hesitate to say that our chief should be set aside—a mode of proceeding recommended a fortnight ago by Mr. Banees, the merchant. The poor General's mind is distracted by the diversity of opinions offered; and the great bodily ailments he sustains are daily enfeebling the powers of his mind. He has lost two of his belt advisers in Paton and Thain; the former confined by his wound, the latter declining to offer advice from disgust at its being generally overruled by the counsel of the last speaker being acted on.

There is much reprehensible croaking going on; talk of retreat, and conse- quent desertion of our Mnssulman troops, and the confusion likely to take plea consequent thereon. All this makes a bad impression on the men. Our soldiery like to see the officers bear their part in privation ; it makes them more cheerful: but in going the rounds at night, officers are seldom found with the men. There are those that always stay at their posts on the ramparts, and the men appreciate them as they deserve. To particularize them would be too openly marking the rest ; but their names will, I trust, be remembered to their honour and advantage hereafter. Among these, Captain Bygrove, the Paymaster-General, was conspicuous: he never slept away from his post (the battery near his house) for a single night, and took his full share of fatigue tvithout adverting to lus Staff appointment. -Colonel Oliver HI one of the great croakers. On being told by some men of of his corps, with great jee, that a certain quantity of grain had been brought in, he replied, "It was needless, for they would never live to eat it." What- ever we think ourselves, it is best to put a good face on the business.

SCARCITY IN CANTONMENTS.

This day Sturt was fortunate in purchasing a bag of otta, sent in to him by Taj Mahommed ; whose man brought another which our servants were pur- chasing. In a moment there was a cry of otta 1 and the garden was filled with camp- followers and Sipabees. I never saw such a scene : the joy of those who got a handful for a rupee, the sorrow evinced by those who were unsuccessful, and the struggles of all to get close to the man. The gentlemen had to stand with thick sticks to keep the people off. There was no weighing : at first the man gave two bandsful for a rupee ; but the quantity soon diminished in conse- quence of the great demand for it.

AN AFGHAN HEROINE.

The King is in an awful state of alarm; for he has been told that we have been making terms for our free exit out of the country, paying for the same five lace of rupees ; and leaving him to his fate, poor man. He is certainly to be pitied, (if not at the bottom of it all,) fallen from his high estate, and believing us to have abandoned him.

Jan Fishan Khan is the only chief who stands by him ; and he has had his lints and property destroyed : his wives and children, he hopes, may have been saved by some of his neighbours; but, as yet, he only knows the fate of one young boy, who was burnt alive. He had one wife with him in Cabul when the insurrection broke out, and urged her to fly to Pughman for safety : the old chief told me her reply was worth a lac of rupees—. I will not leave you: if you fall we die together; and if you are victorious we will rejoice together."

AFGHAN FRIENDSHIP.

Taj Mahommed Khan came again to see Sturt ; and through his servants we got some new cheese. He told us that Shamsuddeen's brother died last night. Taj Mahommed assures us of the intended treachery of Akhbar, and says the force will be annihilated ; and is most anxious that we should accept such protection as he is willing to afford us somewhere in the hills until the return of the English : for that a strong force will be sent to retake Cabul, and avenge the meditated destruction of our army, is a general opinion among the thinking Afghans ; several of whom, as well as Taj Mahommed Khan, ob- tained written testimonials of their friendship towards the English, that they inky hereafter produce them for their advantage. We can only thank him for his good intentions. It is difficult to make these people understand our ideas an military subjects ; and how a proceeding, which was only intended to save -a, man's life, conjointly with that of his wife and mother, can in any way affect his honour. Certain it is that we have very little hope of saving our

TIIE C•MPBELLIAN LOTS.

Previous to leaving cantonments, as we must abandon most of our property, Start was anxious to save a few of his most valuable books, and to try the ex- periment of sending them to a friend in the city. Whilst he selected these, I 6111114 among the ones thrown aside, Campbell's Poems, which opened at Hohenlinden; and, strange to say, one verse actually haunted me day and night-

" Few, few shall part where many meet; The snow shall be their winding-sheet; And every turtheneath their feet Shall be a soldier's sepulchre."

I am far from being a believer in presentiment.; but this verse is never absent from my thoughts. Heaven forbid that our fears should be realized! but we have commenced our retreat so badly, that we may reasonably have our doubts regarding the finale.

This surpasses the coincidences of CHARLES the First and Lord FALKLAND, when they tried their fate by the ./Eneid at Oxford, or of any divination from Virgil by the profane or from the Bible by the pious.

HARDSHIPS OF THE LADIES IN THE RETREAT.

The ladies were mostly travelling in kajavas, and were mixed up with the baggage and column in the pass : here they were heavily fired on. Many camels were killed. On one camel were, in one kajava, Mrs. Boyd and her youngest boy Hugh, and in the other Mrs. Mainwaring and her infant, scarcely three months old, and Mrs. Anderson's eldest child. This camel was

shot. Mrs. Boyd got a horse to ride; and her child was put on another behind a man, who, being shortly after unfortunately killed, the child was carried off by the Afghans. Mrs. Mainwaring, less fortunate, took her own baby in her arms. Mary Anderson was carried off in the confusion. [These children were saved by the Afghans, and subsequently restored to their parents.] Meeting with a pony laden with treasure, Mrs. M. endeavoured to mount and sit on the boxes; but they upset ; and in the hurry, pony and treasure were left behind; and the unfortunate lady pursued her way on foot, until, after a time, an Afghan asked her if she was wounded, and told her to mount behind him. This apparently kind offer she declined, being fearful of treachery ; alleging as an excuse, that she could not sit behind him on account of the difficulty of holding her child when so mounted. This man shortly after snatched her shawl off her shoulders, and left her to her fate. Mrs. M.'s sufferings were very great; and she deserves 'mach credit for having preserved her child through these dreadful scenes. She not only had to walk a considerable distance with her child in her arms through the deep snow, but had also to pick her way over the bodies of the dead, dying, and wounded, both men and cattle, and constantly to cross the streams of water, wet up to the knees, pushed and shoved about by men and animals, the enemy keeping up a sharp fire, and several persons being killed close to her. She, however, got safe to camp with her child; but had no opportunity to change her clothes ; and I know from experience that it was many days ere my wet habit became thawed, and can fully appreciate her discomforts.

PRIVATION.

We luxuriated in dressing, although we had no clothes but those on our barks; but we enjoyed washing our faces very much, having had but one opportunity of doing so before since we left Cabal thirteen days before.] It was rather a painful process, as the cold and glare ot the sun on the snow had three times peeled my face, from which the skin came off in strips.

THE FINALE.

We had proceeded but a short way on our journey, when a horseman arrived with a note informing us that Sale was close at hand with a brigade. I had had fever hanging about me for some days; and being scarce able to sit on my horse, had taken my place in a kujava; the horrid motion of which had made me feel ten times worse than before I entered it. But this news renovated my strength. I shook off fever and all ills, and anxiously awaited his arrival; of which a cloud of dust was the forerunner. General Nott was near Urghun- dee, and consequently close to us; and General Pollock requested he would send a brigade to our assistance. This he refused, much to the disgust of his officers ; alleging that his troops were fatigued. On this, General Pollock sent Sale with a brigade, at a few hours' notice. He left Slab Sang two miles east of Cabal, and made a forced march on the 19th (his sixtieth birthday) to Urghundee: he halted there that night, and on the following morning left his camp standing and marched to meet us. At the pass near Note Ashruffee he left his infantry to hold the position, and proceeded at the bead of the Third Dragoons. A party of Sultan Jan's men were in this neighbourhood, and some Kokhes in the immediate vicinity were driven off by the Juzailchees. Had we not received assistance our recapture was certain; but as it was, they dared not attack the force they saw. It is impossible to express our feelings on Sale's approach. To my daughter and myself happiness so long delayed as to be almost unexpected was actually painful, and accompanied by a choking sensation, which could not obtain the relief of tears. When we arrived where the infantry were posted, they cheered all the captives as they passed them; and the men of the Thirteenth pressed forward to welcome us individually. Most of the men had a little word of hearty congratulation to offer, each in his own style, on the restoration of his Colonel's wife and daughter ; and then my highly-wrought feelings found the desired relief, and I could scarcely speak to thank the soldiers for their sympathy, whilst the long-withheld tears now found their course. On arriving at the camp, Captain Backhouse fired a royal salute from his mountain-train guns; and not only our old friends, but all the officers in the party, came to offer congratulations, and welcome our return from captivity.