English
IJohnFothergillWest,studentoflawintheUniversityofSt.Andrews,haveendeavouredintheensuingpagestolaymystatementbeforethepublicinaconciseandbusiness-likefashion.
Itisnotmywishtoachieveliterarysuccess,norhaveIanydesirebythegracesofmystyle,orbytheartisticorderingofmyincidents,tothrowadeepershadowoverthestrangepassagesofwhichIshallhavetospeak.
Myhighestambitionisthatthosewhoknowsomethingofthemattershould,afterreadingmyaccount,beabletoconscientiouslyindorseitwithoutfindingasingleparagraphinwhichIhaveeitheraddedtoordetractedfromthetruth.
ShouldIattainthisresult,Ishallrestamplysatisfiedwiththeoutcomeofmyfirst,andprobablymylast,ventureinliterature.
Itwasmyintentiontowriteoutthesequenceofeventsindueorder,dependingontrustworthyhearsaywhenIwasdescribingthatwhichwasbeyondmyownpersonalknowledge.
Ihavenow,however,throughthekindcooperationoffriends,hituponaplanwhichpromisestobelessoneroustomeandmoresatisfactorytothereader.
ThisisnothinglessthantomakeuseofthevariousmanuscriptswhichIhavebymebearinguponthesubject,andtoaddtothemthefirst-handevidencecontributedbythosewhohadthebestopportunitiesofknowingMajor-GeneralJ.B.Heatherstone.
InpursuanceofthisdesignIshalllaybeforethepublicthetestimonyofIsraelStakes,formerlycoachmanatCloomberHall,andofJohnEasterling,F.R.C.P.Edin.,nowpracticingatStranraer,inWigtownshire.
TotheseIshalladdaverbatimaccountextractedfromthejournalofthelateJohnBerthierHeatherstone,oftheeventswhichoccurredintheThulValleyintheautumnof‘41towardstheendofthefirstAfghanWar,withadescriptionoftheskirmishintheTeradadefile,andofthedeathofthemanGhoolabShah.
TomyselfIreservethedutyoffillingupallthegapsandchinkswhichmaybeleftinthenarrative.
BythisarrangementIhavesunkfromthepositionofanauthortothatofacompiler,butontheotherhandmyworkhasceasedtobeastoryandhasexpandedintoaseriesofaffidavits.
portraitofSirArthurConanDoyle
MyFather,JohnHunterWest,wasawell-knownOrientalandSanskritscholar,andhisnameisstillofweightwiththosewhoareinterestedinsuchmatters.
HeitwaswhofirstafterSirWilliamJonescalledattentiontothegreatvalueofearlyPersianliterature,andhistranslationsfromtheHafizandfromFerideddinAtarhaveearnedthewarmestcommendationsfromtheBaronvonHammer-Purgstall,ofVienna,andotherdistinguishedContinentalcritics.
IntheissueoftheOrientalisches_ScienzblattforJanuary,1861,heisdescribedas”Der_beruhmte_und_sehr_gelhernte_Hunter_West_vonEdinburgh”—apassagewhichIwellrememberthathecutoutandstowedaway,withapardonablevanity,amongthemostreveredfamilyarchives.
Hehadbeenbroughtuptobeasolicitor,orWritertotheSignet,asitistermedinScotland,buthislearnedhobbyabsorbedsomuchofhistimethathehadlittletodevotetothepursuitofhisprofession.
WhenhisclientswereseekinghimathischambersinGeorgeStreet,hewasburiedintherecessesoftheAdvocates’Library,orporingoversomemoldymanuscriptatthePhilosophicalInstitution,withhisbrainmoreexercisedoverthecodewhichMenupropoundedsixhundredyearsbeforethebirthofChristthanovertheknottyproblemsofScottishlawinthenineteenthcentury.
Henceitcanhardlybewonderedatthatashislearningaccumulatedhispracticedissolved,untilattheverymomentwhenhehadattainedthezenithofhiscelebrityhehadalsoreachedthenadirofhisfortunes.
TherebeingnochairofSanscritinanyofhisnativeuniversities,andnodemandanywherefortheonlymentalwareswhichhehadtodisposeof,weshouldhavebeenforcedtoretireintogenteelpoverty,consolingourselveswiththeaphorismsandpreceptsofFirdousi,OmarKhayyam,andothersofhisEasternfavourites,haditnotbeenforthekindnessandliberalityofhishalf-brotherWilliamFarintosh,theLairdofBranksome,inWigtownshire.
ThisWilliamFarintoshwastheproprietorofalandedestate,theacreagewhichbore,unfortunately,amostdisproportionalrelationtoitsvalue,foritformedthebleakestandmostbarrentractoflandinthewholeofableakandbarrenshire.
Asabachelor,however,hisexpenseshadbeensmall,andhehadcontrivedfromtherentsofhisscatteredcottages,andthesaleoftheGallowaynags,whichhebreduponthemoors,notonlytoliveasalairdshould,buttoputbyaconsiderablesuminthebank.
Wehadheardlittlefromourkinsmanduringthedaysofourcomparativeprosperity,butjustaswewereatourwit’send,therecamealetterlikeaministeringangel,givingusassuranceofsympathyandsuccour.
InittheLairdofBranksometoldusthatoneofhislungshadbeengrowingweakerforsometime,andthatDr.Easterling,ofStranraer,hadstronglyadvisedhimtospendthefewyearswhichwerelefttohiminsomemoregenialclimate.
Hehaddetermined,thereforetosetoutfortheSouthofItaly,andhebeggedthatweshouldtakeupourresidenceatBranksomeinhisabsence,andthatmyfathershouldactashislandstewardandagentatasalarywhichplacedusaboveallfearofwant.
Ourmotherhadbeendeadforsomeyears,sothattherewereonlymyself,myfather,andmysisterEsthertoconsult,anditmaybereadilyimaginedthatitdidnottakeuslongtodecideupontheacceptanceofthelaird’sgenerousoffer.
MyfatherstartedforWigtownthatverynight,whileEstherandIfollowedafewdaysafterwards,bearingwithustwopotato-sacksfuloflearnedbooks,andsuchotherofourhouseholdeffectsthatwereworththetroubleandexpenseoftransport.
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