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many years in Kabul, and localities such as the turning and twisting
hills around Kabul, the mountains of Shair Darwaza, the Asmai
and the hillsides of Marunjan, and regions of Bibi Maro lay
white under the mantle of snow. And when in Shairpore itself,
no less than six inches of snow had fallen, and frozen snow
could only be detached from the hooves by means of hammers,
the people turned out to see the mighty evacuation of the English
forces from Kabul from such distant places as from the Suburbs
of Kabul, Chahar Deh, Logar, Kohistan, Koh and Daman. Their
numbers could not be less than ten thousand persons, which
included even children. The route upon which the English forces
were to leave Kabul was thick with spectators; they had lined
the way across the Pul Mustan, past the Darwaza Shah Shaheed
and Bala Hisar, to the village of Bibi Maro, whilst the patriots of
Afghanistan were herding the aggressors out at Shair-pore itself.
According to the account written by a contemporary historian,
Sir Percy Sykes in his history of Afghanistan, we read as follows:
".....after two months of disgraceful delay, which has no parallel
in British military history; men who had lost all spirit were ready
to vacate the city..."
At nine in the morning General Elphinstone with whose
name the troops were designated, first emerged from the fort,
followed by artillery, cavalry, foot soldiers, followers and
others, all about 17,500 men with several thousand transport
animals, making a long line. They moved on from Shairpore to the
Kabul river, and passed over a temporary bridge-built for that
occasion, near the bridge of Mahmud Khan, and the moving out of
this sorry force was hailed by the fire of the Afghan warriors
as a mark of happiness and satisfaction. The Elphinstone Force,
as it was called, or again as it was justly termed the "Hordes
Of Imperialism" moving with tremendous slowness at last reached
a point near Bala Hisar. Here throngs ofthe inhabitants (even
women and children wanted to see the retreating force of the
English) from Siah Sung to Bala Hisar increased, so that the English
force was passing through the people of Afghanistan.
Roughly two thirds of characters agree with a modern printed edition of the same text. Much of the disagreement is editorial, not misreading. Treat the transcription as a finding aid and read the page image before quoting. How this was measured.