ATKINSON ' S EXPEDITION INTO AFGHANISTAN.

MR. ATKINSON was Superintending Surgeon of the Bengal division of the Army of Afghanistan ; and of course accompanied its march to Ghuznee and Cabul, remaining at the latter as head- quarters until the capture of DOST MAnomen, when he returned to India, having the deposed chief for companion part of the way. Handling the pencil as readily as the pen or the lancet, Mr. Ar- xrason filled up part of his leisure by drawing the striking objects and incidents of the march, which are given to the public in the beautiful Sketches qf Afghanistan. His observations upon the country, its chieftains, and its people, are recorded by the pen, and form the volume before us.

Except in his Indian journey to join the rendezvous of the army, and some parts of his return-route, his itinerary was that of the other troops ; nor do we recognize much novelty in his account of the operations or condition of the army : not from any deficiency in Mr. ATKINSON, but because military writers have entered more fully into the topics, and had the advantage of an earlier appearance. The most striking characteristic of the volume consists in the different view which Mr. ATKINSON takes of the Afghans, of the ability and character of Don, MAHOMED, and of the amiability of SHAH SOOJAH, compared with every previous writer that has fallen in our way. The Afghans he paints as a barbarous, cruel, and treacherous race; and it is easy to see, from some incidental passages in his work, that had he been at the head of affairs a more Vigorous line of conduct would have been adopted towards them In the march ; and that he himself would not have been surprised through over-trusting them. Mr. Arxitisoa's low opinion of DOEIT MAHOMED is contrary to that of BURNES, and rather contradicted. than supported by his own history of the Khan's adventures, and description of his bearing and discourse under the heaviest reverse of fortune that a ruler could experience. His favourable account of SHAH SOOJAH is also not supported by the opinion of other writers, and scarcely by the facts of Mr. ATKINSON. The traits of policy which our author narrates with so much gusto, merely strike us as very artful dissimulation, or rather a cunning treachery. The Shah's absurd regard to regal state, carried to such a pitch that he did not allow the Envoy to sit in his presence, but received him when he came on business in a place without chairs, himself stand- ing or walking about the whole time, is rather a trait of feminine foolishness than of kingly dignity ; especially as an observance of forms of etiquette is quite contrary to the native custom of Afghan- istan. And the caprice which sometimes induced him to claim ruffians from a court-martial, on the plea of being his subjects, and at others prompted him to a rigour beyond law or mercy either, ex- hibits any thing but judgment or capacity for rule. Indeed, the chief reasons that determine Mr. ATKINSON s judgment seem to be, the paternal anxiety exhibited by the Shah when his son was dying, and some conversations he held with Mr. ATKINSON during his at- tendance upon the royal patient. But the paternal affection is some- times strong in the greatest criminals ; and we may be allowed to hint, that an adept so accomplished as to deceive the profoundest intriguers of Afghanistan, (whose superiority in this line the Hin- doos acknowledged,) might easily impose upon the Superintending Surgeon, especially as the means were only soft words. In his opinion of the Afghan character our author is supported by the event : but still we should not receive his judgment on the Orientals so implicitly as that of some other writers. He seems to judge them too much by an European standard ; and, though undoubtedly acquainted with Eastern literature he does not seem so familiar with the native character as BInness or CONOLLY. Hence, his sketches, although interesting and true in their essentials, want the dramatic truth and spirit of those writers, and of one or two other later contemporaries. We often miss "the manners and the mind."

Notwithstanding the peculiarities we have noted, Mr. Arxxx- sox's Expedition into Afghanistan may be welcomed as a valuable addition to the library. Although not dealing much in professional or scientific topics, he brings a scientific and professional eye to bear upon matters, so as not only to observe things different from those of previous writers, but to present the same kind of things under a different aspect. His style is neat and clear, with a per- vading vitality ; though it has not the buoyancy of CONOLLY, or the Oriental liveliness of Bermes's last work. One of the largest topics, and which approaches history, is time narrative of the dangers and escapes of DOVE MAHOMED, from the period of his quitting Cabal after the taking of Ghuznee until his final surrender. According to some late paragraph of Indian news, the detection of Sir WILLIAM M`NAGarint in some "treachery" was the cause of his death. The "treachery" might have existed without justifying his murder ; and, judging from the account at page 344-346, is likely enough to have existed. According to the statement of Mr. ATKINSON, the Envoy was not merely a suborner of forgery, but a principal in forgery, for the sake of tricking and misleading Dosr MAHOMED,—an act which, if it be justifiable by the laws of war, is one of the same nature with refusing quarter, or any other atrocity, and reflects disgrace on the character of the Minister who descended to it, and no credit on the Government which passed such conduct without instant punishment.

The various fortunes of DOST MAHOMED, including his impri- sonment at Cabul, his escape in the desert from his treacherous guide, and his surrender, may be read in the volume. Here is

DOST MOHAMED ON ENGLISH POLICY.

Dost Mahomed, during the march from Cabul to Jellalabad, on several cocoa- sions' felt himself competent to comment on the existing state of things and the future prospects of Afghanistan. He recommended strongly the policy of taking the dominion of the country into our own hands. "The Suddozyes," he said, "had never been accustomed to obey, and never would obey, and by their intrigues under the anomalous sovereignty of Shah Shoojah, we should be involved in perpetual embarrassment. The only effectual mode of crushing them was to govern them in our own way. Ton will also find," he observed, "the very courtiers about the Shah, who have fur years been fattening on your bounty, the most forward in plotting against you." And this, truly, is no great exaggeration. At the moment I am writing, (December 18400 the Shah has been actually assailed by the discontented, on the ground of his nothingness, and that the Feringhees are universally considered the rulers of the land. The short-sighted fools would be glad to get rid of us, never for an instant imagining that our presence is their only safety from another revolution. But intrigue and ingratitude are prefiminently the attributes of an Afghan.

THE SAFE WAY or TRAVELLING IN AFGHANISTAN.

It appears that the Lohanees under Surwur Khan, in charge of the recently- arrived kafila of grain from Mooltan for the army, had visited the robbers on the road with Afghan severity, in the way of retaliation. Every man who showed himself armed, and seemed to meditate robbery, was cut down. Every man caught in the act was ripped op at once. At one village, the Lohanees were told that an attack would be made on them at night. " In that case. then," said the Lohanees, " we will cut the throats of every man, woman, and chili in the village." No attack was made. If the people have understand- ing, they may see the difference bet(veen our conduct on the march and theirs, anti it may tell hereafter. But man, as he is in this country, and looking no further than the present moment, seems to require that species of treatment which alone can control his rapacity. The Lohanees lost not a camel nor a load all the way from Mooltan to Candahar, whilst we have lost hundreds "at one fell swoop,r' and are losing them daily, the property of individuals as well as of the state.

EFFECTS OF TEETOTALISM ON SABRE-WOUNDS.

Only thirty.eight wound cases were receive I into our field hospital (at Ghat- Lee); six of them belonged to her Majesty's Thirteenth Light Infantry, two to her Majesty's Second or Queen's, twenty-seven to the European Regiment, and three Sepoys of the Forty-eighth Regiment N. I. Three men of the Eu- ropean Regiment died in the hospital ; one from a matchlock-ball passing through his chest and injuring the backbone, and the two others from match- lock-balls penetrating the abdomen, so as to occasion the protrusion of the bowels. Happily the gun-shot wounds, the most dangerous, were few. All the sword-cuts, which were very numerous, and many of them very deep, united in the most satisfactory manner, which we decidedly attributed to the men having been without rum for the previous six weeks, the Commissariat having none to give them. In consequence, there was no inflammatory action to pro- duce fever and interrupt the adhesion of the parts—a strong argument in fa- vour of teetotalism.

AFGHAN PICKPOCKETS.

I may now advert to a little circumstance illustrative of Afghan skill and dexterity. On my arrival at the village of Rouzah, I was met by several na- tives, who gave me the so/am one/ruts, and joined me. The path lay up two or three narrow streets, and my followers soon increased to about a hundred and fifty of all ages, but all very respectful. Still so far from camp, and alone, the fort too having been taken by storm that very morning, I was not quite easy ; and I began to think that my impatience to see the tomb of Mahniood had led me into some danger ; when fortunately observing a party of our Se- goys on duty at a well, I called one of them off guard to attend me. Two of the Afghans, one on each side, stuck close to me all the way, and were voci- ferous in their complaints against Dost Mahomed, expatiating bitterly on the oppression they had suffered, and the extortion that had been practised throughout the country. The coming of the Shah, they hoped, would put an end to all the tyranny that had been so long exercised among the people. They showed me the tomb, and accompanied me back to the place where I had dismounted, still sticking close to me, one in particular. He had seen the silver pencil with which I had made several sketches, and where I put it away. .Salam aliekum marked our parting ; and when I got to my tent I found that my pencil was gone.

CULTIVATION IN CABUL.

The valley is thoroughly cultivated, and there appears to be more agricul- tural skill manifested here than in any other part of Afghanistan I have yet seen. The road is not more than fifteen feet wide, dyked in with stones and mud, and bordered with hedge-rows of a prickly bush. The fields, too, are more in squares, and terraced where the slope of the hills requires it. One field of Indian corn was filled with water half-way up the stalk, and the vegetable looked as if growing in a vat—a mud mound on all sides keeping in the water that had been turned into it from the neighbouring hills. It would appear that agriculture could hardly be pursued to a higher limit ; every spring and stream is indefatigably brought into play to irrigate the crops. No opportunity is lost : even subterraneous passages are made, at great labour, for conveying water wherever it may be required.

AFGHAN WOMEN.

The roofs of the houses have commonly a parapet-wall round them, to allow the women of the family to take an airing unveiled, and they are generally also applied to the nastiest of purposes. The parapet-walls, formed of railwork thickly overlaid with mud, are five or six feet high, the Afghan spouses being most anxious that their females should not be overlooked. A gentleman who had gone to the upper part of the Balla Hissa to obtain a full view of the surround- ing country, was supposed to be looking at some women half a mile off below, and a ball from a matchlock whistled past him. I was told that I was in dan- ger while making *sketch of the city from the same elevated place. But not- withstanding this prodigious feeling on the score of being seen, and though an Afghan would think himself utterly disgraced by his wife's face being exposed in public, he does not hesitate for a moment in sanctioning her misdeeds, "keep- ing her purdah" all the time, for a competent consideration. Thus "keeping the purdah," is every thing to an Afghan. Behind the screen, protected by secrecy, nothing is wrong; and this mode of conjugal proceeding seems to pre- vail more or less among all classes. The women of Cabal are notoriously given to intrigue. They are allowed to go anywhere they please in their boorka-poshes, which completely cover the whole person. They leave their homes on the pretence of visiting mother, sister, or female friend, and remain as long as they like, but they must take especial care to "keep their purdah"; The Persian proverb says- - A Cabal wife in Boorka-cover

Was never known without a lover."

In some of the walls facing the streets there are little loopholes, with tiny shut- ters, through which an Afghan beauty is occasionally seen glancing furtively at the stranger passing by, and as often the old long-bearded husband may be ob- served sitting grimly in solemn stupidity at a wider aperture below.

SHAH SHOWAH'S DISSIMULATION AND AFGHAN CAUTION.

It was now the Shah's turn to be on the alert, and he performed his part with admirable tact. On the 19th August, two days after the return of the party from Bamian, Hajee Beaker, his brother Khan Mahomed Khan, and two other chiefs distinguished for their disloyalty, waited on his Majesty, and were re- ceived in the most courteous manner. Friendly inquiries and compliments

passed among them all, and the arch-deceiver, feeling assured that his genius WES still triumphant, and that his conduct in the pursuit had not been suspected, chuckled at his continued success. But that chuckle was of a very short duration. At the convenient moment they were all pronounced to be state prisoners by the Shah, and instantly conveyed under a guard of Sepoys to the place of confine- ment. Not a word was spoken, not a murmer escaped their lips till they en- tered the prison allotted to them, and then their only exclamation was "Lo- hman Take!" expressions of wonder and lamentation.

A few days afterwards five other noted characters, thinking themselves per- fectly safe and all their misdeeds forgotten or forgiven, made their salon& to the Shah. Among these were Hajee Dost Mahomed and Melia Rusbeed, a crafty bad man, and they were all secured in the same quiet way and with similar adroitness.

I went to see them all in prison shortly afterwards, and took sketches of the two Hajees, who both sat to me with great composure. They supposed, how- ever, that there must be some object in such a proceeding, and sagely conjec- tured that their pictures would be sent to London and themselves liberated. When I had completed the drawing of Hajee Kauker, I asked him to write his name upon it, and he readily took the pencil from me for that purpose; but Ha- jee Dost Mahomed, an astute stern man, prevented him, saying—" Never sign your name ; you know not to what use it may be applied."