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    ¦ 1TOA ITS E__j^iy> E 33^^ 12 1857.

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    OUTRAM AND HAVELOCK'S PERSIAN CAMPAIGN ....

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    The Adventuhes Of Two Russian 1tuncesses...

    sister-in-law , the Princess Orbeliani . Two Russian officers , a colonel and a captain , volunteered at once to go in searcli of Shtimil ' s residence amou ° - the mountains , and negotiate the liberation of the captives ; but their offer was not accepted , and the ladies remained in prison for several months . Carried <> ff In the arms of the Cheehnians and Lesghians , they were sometimes pla 3 ed oa horsebaok , and sometimes compelled to walk ; but their route lay towards th « high valleys ^ through a wild and rough country , the robbers dividina into several parties , of which it is necessary to follow only one in order to mve an idea of the curious history translated by Mr . Sutherland Edwards , ihe lovely young Princess BaratofF , the Russian narrator says , was seized simultaneously with the Prmeess Chavchavadzey- by a youthful Chechnian who tied her arius behind her back , but was courteous enough to leave her rich costume untouched . Bevond thn Al . >^ m r \ vnx > + i , i ;~ .+. ~~ « k-.. i . 1 .. _ rich costume untouched . Beyond the Alazan river the ligature about her

    ,, arms was removed ; but not until she had been drenched by a Ml into the water . Nevertheless , her position was better than that of her sister princess , wlo had been stripped to her last garment b y tlie marauders struo-. vli 11 ( r for her person . She performed tbe first stage of her journey on foot , and * as she went , her guards urged her on with light lashes on her half-naked body . At length the Murid , her captor , placing her behind him on his horse ' bound her hands in his girdle . Travelling in this miserable plight , she afterwards joined the party which was taking away her sister , and the whole tribe had to gallop in headlong flight from an armed Russian party skirmishing at the foot of the mountains . Some of the prisoners were killed as soon as the Russians began to fire , and the unhappy Princess Chavchavadzey , letting hex child fall , knew that the entire troop had rushed on trampling over its body . All the way , whenever any of the ladies walked , they were whipped to stimulate their limbs ; at length one of them , even when menaced

    -mth daggers , could no longer struggle with the fatigue , and fell . After this tie mountaineers bore her upon their shoulders . By the time they had reached tie Lesghian camp , prior to being conducted to Shainil , they had been . almost entirely stripped ; tlieir hair was tangled , ¦ ¦ their skins were torn , Uteir feet bled , and they tottered into tbe room in which they were to be temporarily confined . Here they were less in the power © f the ruffians ¦ who had brought them up the hills , and were presented with garments of various quaint descriptions . Thus arrayed , they set forth from Shamil ' s -camp with a strong escort of Lesghians , whose demeanour is represented as invariably insolent and brutal . We are scarcely inclined to believe all that "the Russian version sets forth as to the beating and bruising of children by these wild lieges of ShamiL That prince's aovl , or permanent camp , was reached at length . First the cavalcade passed through a row of palings ,

    there crossed a ditch , and then , entering through gates in a rampart , were laet by Shamil's youthful son at the head of a , mounted party . The ladies , in spite of their sufierings , were fascinated by the * wonderful beauty' of this boy . Next ,, the Princess Chavchavadzey was introduced with many forebodings into the chieftain ' s seraglio , of which a , very minute and interesting account is given , with a plan , sketched by the proud prisoner herself . Within the square she observed , in a . balcony , ' a solitary figure of lofty staturev dressed entirely in white . ' That was Shamil . Conducted into -comfortable apartments , the princesses were undressed by attendants , provided with a change of clothes , joined by several ladies of the harem , feasted trith tea , honey , white bread , and delicious Caucasian sweetmeats , and finally left to rest on woollen and flaxen mattresses , with quilts . Next morning , at nine o ' clock , breakfast was brought in , consisting of cheese ,

    made from sheep ' s milk , butter , onions , boiled mutton , and white bread , covered with grease .. In the evening Shamil himself came , and told them that they should be safe so long as they attempted to carry on no secret correspondence with their friends . Should they thus offend , he said , he would kill them and their children , as he killed ten Russian officers who were prisoners there , and received a letter baked in n loaf . He hinted also at the fate of a . young Russian countess who had presumed to set him at defiance . The narrative that follows , descriptive of the life led by these captive princesses in SbaxniFs seraglio , is unique in . its interest . The chieftain ' s private room , which they once visited by stealth , contained very rich carpets , a great number of books , and weapons mounted in silver . But , in addition to these sketches , we have some singular anecdotes of the famous mountain prophet , prince , and reformer : —

    One evening , when it was late , tbe Princesses went oat into the gallery of their room in order to enjoy the . pure air of the moonlit -winter night- Amiuette went with them , when suddenly Shamil appeared . He-was dressed in a white shouba , and he -was going ; from hia own room to Aminette ' s . Perceiving this , and without saying a word , the young girl concealed herself beneath the bench oa which , the captives wcro Bitting . At last Shamil returned from her apartment , and walked up and down the . gallery , as if waiting for her to come out of some of the other rooms ; but us she did not appear he locked the door , took out the key , and concealed himself behind one of tbe corners of hia residence . Tiro * , "foraconsiderable time , the illustrious saint , the powerful Iman of Chechni and TJagfcestsn , waited freezing in the cold , like an ardent and not particularly saint-Uke young maa , for the sake of a love-meeting with a girl of seventeen . At last , the severity ; of the night ,, and the evident iuutilitr of waiting any longer , made him return to his omrapartments .

    Donng tbe whole of thia acene the position of the captives was most perilous . It can be imagined how dearly they would lmve had . to pay for having helped to conceal the Wife of the bnan , more especially ; aa they had been the involuntary witnesses of his amusing nocturnal adventure . J

    The princess sketches the portrait of a lady among the mountains : — Karimaf ft outward appearance al « o deserves to be mentioned . She -was tall , well formed , slender , and graceful , with hazel eyes , a akort , atraigh ti and rather sharp nose , a beautifully formed mouth and admirable teeth . Sho had long , thick black hair black eyebrows , long silken eyelashes , and white delicate hands . ' Hor costume corresponded with her beauty ; She wore a long , fine , white chemise so . loag , thai , the extremity touched the ground aud concealed her feet . Above the chemise aha wore mix altahoch of dark crimson satin , lined wiUi green taffetas and trimmed with a . aatin ribbon of tho name colour ,. The slashed sleeve of the ahuLooch was held together with loops and buttons of gold , which also adorned the front of tho body . Beneath the . satin ulcevos of the aliahoch were soon tho long white one of ttie chemise . On her head aho wore a small black silk' handkerchief , and over that a trhite madia veil wbich hung in folds down hor back . Her oarrings wore in the form

    of a crescent , like those of Shamil ' s wives ; but while theirs were of silver a *" plain , hers were of gold and ornamented with precious stones yer ana quite When the princesses were liberated after their long captivitv a thvlll p joy , according to the Russian writer , was frit by the whole population of'T-fland the provinces around . We may well believe that they Ese l ™ deliglited enough to be safe at home , out of the reach of Lesbian iZuf and Chechnian flagellations . The story of their adventures TscertSl ^ of the most curious wo have read ; it contains the best popular nntio / -. * published on the social polity of Shamil and the manner ! , of hisneS 2 it has been vigorously and gracefully translated by Mr . Edwards

    ¦ 1toa Its E__J^Iy> E 33^^ 12 1857.

    ¦ 1 TOA ITS E __ j ^ iy > E 33 ^^ 12 1857 .

    Outram And Havelock's Persian Campaign ....

    OUTRAM AND HAVELOCK ' S PERSIAN CAMPAIGN . Outvam and Havdoctfs Persian Campaign . By Captain G . H . Hunt , 78 th Hio-hiamW To which is prefixed a Summ ary of Persian History , an Account of Wrious Dif * fereuces between England and Persia , and an Inquiry into the Origin of the litJ IVar . By George Townsencl . Boutledge and Co . AlAjfr circumstances conduce to make a narrative of tlie dashing campaign in Persia interesting at the present moment . Names with whicfi the world has recently been dazzled are to be found on the muster-roll of that little army which signalized itself in the valley of the Euphrates ; and soldiers of

    whom fame would never have sufficiently heard but for the terrible crisis in Bengal , displayed a valour and vigour on the banks of tlie Karoon which have only "been exceeded by the greatness of the work they have had to achieve beside the waters of the Jumna and the Ganges . It is , then , in this light tbat we accept a retrospective view ofthe careers pi * Outran ! and Havelock on the gleaming Persian plains , assisted as we are b y the personal experience of Captain Hunt , whose interesting narrative , as an eye-witness and actor m the scenes he describes , is before us .

    It was towards the close of 1855 that the English Government determined to invade the territories of the Persian monarch , and efiect the restoration of Herat . No sooner was this resolution formed than Sir James Outraiii was despatched to India to make preparations for a formidable expedition ,, and so energetic were the movements of that general that , by the end of January , 185 C , an army consisting of the 14 th King ' s Light Dragoons , one troop of horse artillery , two field batteries , one thousand Jacob ' s Scmde horse , 78 th Highlanders , 23 rd Native Infantry , 26 th Native Infantry , and a light battalion composed often light companies of different native infantry regiments , encamped outside the walls of Bushire , organized into two divisions under the respective commands of Stalker and

    Havelock . The enemy were reported to have entrenched themselves at Brasjoon , a place some fifty miles distant , where they were in force , and protected with eighteen guns . On the 3 rd of February the little band of heroes was in motion , inarching in two lines of contiguous quarter-distance columns . A few only were left behind to guard the camp . The first night twenty-six miles of road were traversed ; at four o ' clock the following day the march was resumed , and by ten in the evenin » fourteen miles more were accomplished : the next move was

    rapid , and by one o ' clock tlie Persian vedettes and reconnoitring parties were made out . A short halt took place to prepare for action , but whilst the regiments were getting into position the entire army in front was descried in full retreat , and at a pace which rendered all pursuit , to the disgust of the English soldier , hopeless . Only a smart brush . with the rear-guard took place , and with this modicum of glory the troops were obliged to content themselves , quietly taking possession of . the entrenched camp , destroying stores , exploding the enemy ' s powder , searching for hidden guns , and burning their carriages and wheels . The return

    march commenced , and was continued till midnight * when an unexpected sharp rattle of musketry in . the rear and the boom of two guns gave life and hope to the desponding soldiery . In less than half an hour the entire force wns enveloped in a skirmishing fire ; horsemen galloped to and fro , discharging tlieir muskets , yelling like fiends , and dashing close up to the front ofthe Highlanders ; tlie buglemen artfully sounding the ' Cease firo , ' and 'Incline to the left , ' which they had been taught by English officers formerly engaged in organizing the Persian army ; but nothing could disturb the equanimity with which every charge was received . As the dawn broke the Persian army was seen drawn up in line . Six thousand infantry and two thousand horse stood ready in position to attack or resist , and there

    seemed every prospect of a glorious field-day . Sooja-ool-Moolk , reputed the best officer in the Persian army , had disposed his men behind two rising mounds , on which tlie guns were planted ; the right rested on the Availed village of Koosh-aub and a dute-grove , tlie left on a hamlet , protected by a round fortalice tower , whilst deep nullahs afforded .. admirable shelter , and were thickly lined with skirmishers . As the English regiments deployed , they advanced rapidly and steadily over the rising ground , the glorious Highlanders in front , the artillery with perfect practice playing upon the Persian butteries , and the cavalry and horse artillery brilliantly dashing at some native squadrons which presented themselves . The charge was but for a moment ; as the infantry line moved in rigid rank the enemy

    lost heart and fled , casting away their arms and accoutrements and even tlieir clothing . The cavalry followed up the advantage , the 3 rd Regiment dashed through the hostile battalions and back again with reckless valour . When Forbes , who commanded this rughnent , gave the order to charge , he and his adjutant , Moore , placed themselves in front ofthe Gth troop , which was . the one directly opposite the nearest face ofthe square . Moore , Malcolm , and Spens , came the least thing behind their leader . In spite of steel , firo , and bullets , they tore down upon tho nearest face of the devoted h the thi and

    fiquuro . As they approached , Forbes was shot throug gh , Spena ' a horse , was wounded ; but , unheeding , tliey went onward . Daunted , by the flashes and the firo and the noisu and crackle : of the musketry , the younger Moore ' s horse swerved as they came up ; dropping his sword irom his hand and letting it hang by tho knot at , his wrist , he caughtup the reins in both hands , screwed his head straight , and then coolly , us if riding at a fence , leaped him in at the square , if any man could be said to have been first , the younger Moore was that man . His horse icll Btono dead upon the bayonets ; so did his brother ' s , ridlen with equal cou-

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), Dec. 12, 1857, page 18, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_12121857/page/18/