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-- , e . Two , a colonel and a captain-, volunteered at once-to go in search of Shamil ' sresidence among 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 off in the arms of the Gheehnians and Lesgbians , they were sometimes placed on horseback , and sometimes compelled to walk ; "but their route lay towards fche high valleys , through a wild and rough country , tie robbers dividing into several parties , of which -it is necessary to follow only one in order to give an idea of the curious history translated by Mr . Sutherland Edwards . The lovely young Princess Baratoff , the Russian narrator says , was seized simultaneously with the Princess Chavchavadzey by a youthful Checlmian , who tied her arms behind , her back , but was courteous enough to leave her rich costume untouched . Beyond the Alazan river the ligature about her
arms was removed ; but not until she Lad been drenched by a fall into the water . Nevertheless , her position was better than thTit of her sister princess , who had been stripped to her last garment by the marauders struggling for her person . She performed the 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 winch 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 Prineess Chavchavadzey , letting her 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 tleir limbs ; at length one of them , even when menaced
with daggers , could no longer struggle with the fatigue , and fell . After this the mountaineers bore her upon their shoulders . By the time they had reached the Lesgbian camp , prior to being conducted to Shamil , they had been ' almost entirely stripped ; their hair was tangled , their skins were torn , their feet bled , and they tottered into the room in which they were to be temporarily confined . Here they -were less in the power of the ruffians who had brought them up the bills , and were presented with garments of various quaint descriptions . Thus arrayed , they set forth from ShaunTs < camp _ witb . 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 aoul , or permanent camp , was reached at length . First th-er cavalcade passed through a row of palings ,
there crossed a ditch , and then , entering : through gates in a . rampart , were met by Shamil ' s youthful son at the head of a mounted party . The ladies , in apite of their sufferings ,, 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 niinute 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 stature , 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 with , 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 thai 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 a 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 Shamil ' s seraglio , is unique in . its interest . The clieftain ' private room , which they once visited by 3 tealth , 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 , pr ince , and reformer : —
One evening ,-when it was late , the Princesses went out into the gallery of their room in . order to enjoy the pure air of the moonlit winter night . Aminette went with them , when suddenly Shamil appeared . Ho was dressed in a white sltouba , and he waa gping from Ilia own room to Aminette ' s . Perceiving this , and without saying a word , the young girl concealed herself beneath the bench on which , the capttvea were sitting . At last Shamil returned from her apartment , and walked up and down the gallery J as if waiting for her to come out of some of the other rooms ; but as she did ja . ot appear he locked the door , took out the key , and concealed himself behind one of tile corners of his residence . Thus , tat a considerable time , the illustrious saint , the powerful Iman of Chechni 4 « ad Dagtiestan , waited freezing in the cold , like an ardent and not particularly saintlike young man , for the sake of a love-meeting with a girl of seventeen . At last , the severity of the might , and tho evident inutility of waiting any longer , made him leturn to hw ovu apartments .
During the -whole of thia scene the position of the captives was moat perilous . It « an be imagined how dearly thoy would hava had to pay for having helped to conceal the wife of tho Iman , more especially a * they had been the involuntary witnesses of Ida , dmnaing nocturnal adventure . The princess sketches the portrait of a lady Among the mountains : Karimat's outward appearance also deserves to be mentioned . She -was tall , woll ibrcmed , slcndor T and graceful , with haael eyes , a-short , straight , and rather sliarp ' nose , . a beautifully formed mouth and admirable teeth . She had long , thick black hair Jblack eyebrows , long silken oyplashes , and white delicate hands . Her costume corresponded with her beauty . She wore a long , lino , white chemise &o long- that tho extremity touched the ground and concealed hor feet . Above the chemise she , wore an . ahalooch of dark crimaon aatin , lined with green taffetas and trimmed with & satin ribbon of the same colour . The slashed sleeve of the . ahalooch was held together with loops and buttons of gold , which also adorned the front of tho body . Beneath the satin sleeves of the atialooch were seen the long white one of the chemise . On her head she wore a small black silk handkerchief , and over that a White mauflui . voil which hung in folds down hor back . Hor earrings were in the form
of a crescent , like those of Shamil ' s wives ; but while theirs were of < rf 1 ™ r „„ . * - "" plain , hers were of gold and ornamented with predous stonea * qUUe When the princesses were liberated after their , long- captivity a thrill « f joy , according to the Russian writer , was felt by the whtle population of " Tiflh and the provinces around We may well believe that they themselves were ^ W ^^ Pf S - Safe at hoxae > out of the reach of tes « hian Sn ' and Chechman ^ flagellations . The story of their adventures Ts certaS oS of the most curious we have read j it contains the best popular notice vet published on the social polity of Shamil and the manners of his people and it has been vigorously and gracefully translated by Mr . Edwards
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OUTRAM AND HAVELOCK'S PERSIAN CAMPAIG N Outram andHaveloclfs Persian Campaign . By Captain G . H . Hunt , 78 th Hi ^ Mandew To which la prefixed a Summary of Persian History , an Account of variwwDif ' " j ^ g ^ S ^^^^^^^ ^ Man y circumstances conduce to make a narrative of the dasuin « r camnai < m in Persia interesting at the present moment . Names with which the world has recently been dazzled are to be found on the master-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 iJengal , displayed a valour and vigour on the banks of the Karooa 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 that we accept a retrospective view of the careers of Outram and Havelock on the gleaming Persian plains / assisted as we are by the personal experience of Captain Hunt , whose interesting narrative , as " an eye-witness and actor in the scenes be describesis before us .
, It was towards the close of 1855 that the English Government determined to invade the territories of the Persian monarch ; and effect the restoration of Herat . No sooner was this resolution formed than Sir James Outram 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 , 1856 , an army consisting of the 14 th iting ' s -Lin-ht Dragoons , one troop of horse artillery , two field batteries , one thousand Jacob ' s Schide horse , 78 th Highlanders , 23 rd Native Infantry ,-26 tli Native Infantry , and a light battalion composed of ten light companies of different native infantry regiments , encamped outside the walls of Busliire , 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 vvith eighteen guns . On the 3 rd of February the little band of heroes was in motion , marching 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 evening fourteen miles more were accomplished ; the next move was rapid , and by one o ' clock the 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 tho enemy ' s powder , searching for hidden guns , and burning their carriages an < l -wheels . The return march commenced , and was continued till midnight , when an unexpected sharp rattle of musketry in the rear and the booni of two guns gave life and hope to the desponding soldiery , In loss than half an hour the entire force was enveloped in a skirmishing fire ; horsemen galloped to and fro , discharging their muskets , yelling like fiends , and dashing close up to the front of the Highlanders ; the buglemen artfully sounding the ' Cease fire , ' 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 . Soojn-ool-Moolk , reputed the best office ! in the Persian army , had disposed his men behind two rising mounds , on which the guns were phinted ; the right rested on tlie walled village of Koosh-aub and a date-grove , the left on a hamlet , protected by a round fortaJice tower , whilst deep nullahs afforded admirable shelter , and were thickly lined with skirmishers . As the English regiments deployed , they advanced rapidly and steadily over thes rising ground , the glorious Highlanders in front , the artillery with perfect practice playing upon tlie Persian batteries , and tho 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 ia rigid rank the enemy lost heart and fled , casting away their arms and accoutrements and even their 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 regiment , gave the order to charge , Jie and his adjutant , Moore , placed themselves in front of the 6 th troop , which was the one directly opposite the nearest face of the square . Moore , Malcolm , and Spena , came tho least thing behind their leader . In spite of steel , fire , and bullets , they tore down upon the nearest face of the devoted square . Aa they approached , Forbes wus shot through the tliigh , and Spens ' s horse was wounded ; but , unheeding , they went onward . l ) aunted by tho Hushes and tho lire and the noise and crackle of the musketry , tho
Jrpung er Moore ' s horse swerved , aa thoy came up ; dropping hid sword trom lis hand and letting it hang by the knot at his wrist , lie caught up the reins in both hands , screwed his head straight , and then coolly , aa if riding at a fence , leaped him in at the square . If any man could lie said to have been first , tho younger Moore was that man . Ilia horse fell stone dead upon tho bayonets ; so did his brother ' s , ridden with equal cou-
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sisterinlawthPrincess Orbeham Russian officers H 94 THE LEABEE . fNo ^ oa , December 12 , 1857 :
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Dec. 12, 1857, page 1194, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2221/page/18/
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