Triumphant Entry of Shah Soojah into Cabul.—The Cabul Races.—Death of Brigadier General Arnold.—Sale of the General's effects.—Arrival of Prince Timour.—The Sikhs.—Murder of Colonel Herring.—Arrival of money and supplies from the Upper Provinces.

It having been announced that early on the morning of the 8th of August the Shah would take formal possession of the Balar Hissar, the troops were under arms and in review order at ten o'clock. The Commander-in-Chief, the Politicals, and the whole of the general officers and staff rode up, shortly after, to the tent of his Majesty, at which I happened that morning to be stationed as orderly, and were kept waiting some time. Sir William McNaghten and Sir Alexander Burnes were at length summoned to the Shah's presence, and having remained with him a few minutes, they came out and informed the Commander-in-Chief, it was his Majesty's pleasure that the ceremony should be postponed until three o'clock the same afternoon. The reason assigned for this alteration was understood to be an augury pronounced by his Majesty's priests or soothsayers, that the hour was unpropitious, an opinion in which the troops devoutly concurred, the prospect of broiling for several hours under a meridian sun not being extremely agreeable.

At the appointed hour the troops were again under arms, and salvoes of artillery announced the Shah's departure from his tent. His Majesty was, as usual, borne on an elephant, the howdah of which was of silver, and the caparisons crimson and gold. On each side of him sat Sir William Mc Naghten and Sir Alexander Burnes, the former attired in the same court dress which he had worn at Candahar. His Majesty appeared in excellent health and spirits, and addressed much of his conversation to Sir Alexander Burnes, who seemed to be high in his favour. The Shah's costume was, as usual, magnificent, his turban being ornamented with a single diamond, whose value was estimated at £100,000. Immediately after came six elephants, containing the ministers and household of the Shah, and then followed the Commander-in-Chief, with the whole of the general officers and staff in brilliant uniforms, and decorated with their various orders. The next feature in the procession, and a ludicrous one it was, was the appearance of two burly-looking fellows, dressed in red and yellow, and wearing conical caps, out of which shot two large horns. We at first supposed they were his Highness's jesters, but instead of that they turned out to be his executioners, functionaries far more essential to the comfort of an Asiatic prince. The Shah's troops, consisting of two thousand infantry, brought up the rear, our own lining the route along which the procession passed. On approaching the city his Highness was received with loud acclamations by the populace, who gave expression to their satisfaction in barbarous music and salvoes of small fire arms. Many of the houses were decorated with flowers, and the windows were crowded with spectators. At the entrance, and in the courts of the palace, was stationed a body of about 250 horsemen, whose steel armour and splendid horses gave them a martial and imposing appearance. They received us with stern and scowling looks, which plainly indicated that their hearts were not in the ceremony which they were compelled to sanction by their presence. On the Shah's entrance into the palace he held a durbar, at which all the British officers were presented to him, and his Majesty took the opportunity of expressing to them individually and collectively his thanks for the exertions which they had made to replace him on his throne.

We had several reviews of the troops during our stay at Cabul, and on each occasion we were honoured by the Shah's presence. In order to give his Highness some notion of an English horse race, it was agreed that the officers should get up sweepstakes amongst themselves, which the Shah no sooner heard of, than he added a splendid gold hilted sword with Damascus blade. This increased the spirit of competition, and the Derby or Oaks was never looked forward to with more eager interest. The place selected for the course was a level plain immediately beyond our lines, and about a mile and a half from the city.

From sixteen to twenty horses belonging to the officers of the different regiments were entered for the sword, and it was resolved that three heats should be run for it, the first six horses of the first heat being privileged to run the second, and the third heat being limited to the first and second horses of the second heat. It was agreed that the sweepstakes, which amounted to a considerable sum, should be divided into three parts, for the different breeds and ages of cattle so as to prolong the sport for three or four days.

Six o'clock in the evening being the time fixed for the commencement of the races, the course became crowded, long before that hour, with anxious spectators, the natives not being amongst the least eager lookers on at this, to them, novel scene. The Shah took up his position near the winning post, attended by the Politicals, and the Commander-in-Chief, but his Majesty did not appear to take much interest in the sport, and he left the course before it was half over.

The officers rode their own horses and turned out in gay striped jackets and jockey caps; so that but for the dark faces and turbaned heads which every where encountered the eye it would not have been difficult to imagine ourselves suddenly transported to Ascot or Epsom. The word having been given, away started the competitors in high blood and spirits; and as the rider belonging to some particular regiment passed the others in his career, the men composing it enthusiastically cheered and hurraed him, others taking up their shouts as their favourite passed him in turn, this military favouritism imparting to the contest a degree of wild excitement such as I have never witnessed on any similar occasion.

The second heat was still more warmly contested, as, according to the regulations above mentioned only the two foremost horses could be entered for the third. Major Daly of the 4th Light Dragoons, and an officer of the 16th Lancers, whose name I now forget, obtained the precedence, after a hard struggle, the race being a neck and neck one the entire way.

As the two successful officers belonged to different divisions, one to the Bengal and the other to the Bombay army, the partizanship which before had been only regimental now extended to the two armies, and "Bravo Bengal," "Bravo Bombay," burst at every moment from the eager multitudes assembled, as the riders alternately passed or repassed each other in the final heat.

After a contest in which the competitors themselves almost appeared to feel the influence which pervaded the crowd, and to think that the honor of their respective divisions depended upon their success, Major Daly gained the race by about a neck, and was handed the sword amid the delighted cheers of the Bombay troops and the congratulations of his brother officers. The races continued two days longer, and afforded a pleasant recreation to the men after the fatiguing and harassing duties of the last few months.

Brigadier General Arnold of the army of the Indus, having been long suffering under a liver complaint, breathed his last at Cabul shortly after our arrival there. This officer was distinguished for his qualities as a bon vivant, and having laid in a good store of necessaries for the campaign, was the only one almost who fared well amidst the general privations. He kept an excellent table along the route, and an invitation to it, was always regarded as amongst the lucky chances by which fortune signified her favour. Good living could not however protect the General against disease, and he fell ill at Candahar of a malady which is often said to be the result of it. He was carried from Candahar to Cabul in a palankeen, and took no part whatever in the events which occurred between those places. His remains were interred in the Armenian burial ground, outside the walls of the city, and his effects were publicly sold by auction a few days after. The General had left Bengal with about eighty camels laden with baggage and necessaries, of which about five and twenty remained at the time of the sale. His trunks were filled with quantities of plate, a goodly provision of snuff and cigars, and such an immense stock of linen that it occupied two days of the sale. His cooking apparatus was most elaborate and ingenious, and we could not help wondering at the uses to which the infinite varieties of small and curious articles of which it was composed were devoted. The prices at which these effects were sold will appear incredible to the European reader, but it must be remembered that it was the scarcity, in fact the almost total impossibility of getting them, that enhanced their value. The cigars sold at the rate of about two shillings and six pence each, the snuff at ten shillings an ounce, a few bottles of beer, a liquor of which no other officer in the army possessed a drop, at thirty shillings each, and some choice wines at from three to four pounds the bottle. The other things brought proportionate prices, the shirts fetching from thirty to forty shillings each. The amount realised at this sale must have been enormous.

Prince Timour, the eldest son of Shah Soojah, arrived at Cabul early in September, escorted by the troops of Runjeet Singh. We expected to find the Sikhs an undisciplined horde of barbarians, but they turned out on the contrary to be nearly as well organized as ourselves, being disciplined by French officers, and marching with the same order and regularity as a European regiment. Each division was headed by an excellent military band and officered by the same number of grades as ourselves. The men were in general about the middle height, and not so muscular or well formed as the Affghans. They are made, however, of the right material for the soldier, being brave, orderly, and tractable, and though they may be considered in some respects inferior to the European troops, they are in my opinion, equal if not superior, to the Sepoys. A detachment consisting of the 4th Light Dragoons, the 16th Lancers, and her Majesty's Queen's Royals, under the command of Major-General Sir Thomas Wiltshire, was despatched to receive the Prince with fitting honors. He was met at a short distance from the town by the British escort, and conducted to the palace amid salvoes of Artillery. The Prince was a fine youth about one or two and twenty, with a frank expression of countenance and affable manners. The meeting between him and his royal father was said to be extremely affecting, and the Prince was unceasing in his expressions of gratitude to the British for bringing about this happy reunion.

Large supplies of arrack, biscuits, and rice, together with money to pay the troops, having been promised from the Upper Provinces, their arrival was looked forward to with some anxiety in the camp, as we could not leave Cabul without them. Information was at length received that Colonel Herring was on his way through the Punjaub, and after a tedious and harassing journey, in which he had to encounter frequent opposition to his progress from the mountain tribes, he at length reached Hyder Khail within one day's march of Cabul. Riding out alone next morning, for the purpose of inspecting the country, the Colonel was set upon by a body of Affghans and barbarously murdered, his body being plundered of every article of value he had about him, and his horse carried off. His mutilated remains were found in the course of the day by some troopers, who had been sent out in search of him, and brought to Cabul along with the stores, which reached that place in safety the same night. He was interred with military honours in the Armenian burial-ground, on the following day. The deceased had been long in the service, and was a gallant and experienced officer. We heard that his murderers were captured shortly after we left Cabul, and put to a dreadful death, by order of the Shah.