BUDEEABAD & TEZEEN (Caves between)

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

An unspecified cave, in the early days of May 1843 decorated with decomposing bodies, is said to be situated somewhere on the route from the fortress of Budeeabad (note 1) to Tezeen (note 2). CULTURAL HISTORY - cave legend, soldiering yarn & spectral figures: British prisoners of the First Afghan War (note 3) had the impression that It was a gruesome journey. Marching towards Tezeen, they found the road lined with the corpses of those who had fallen in the retreat and their nostrils were sickened by the smell of decomposing bodies. They passed a cave, round whose mouth lay corpses of many of the camp followers; some of the prisoners were sure that they could see -spectral figures- [note 4] moving about inside the cave and heard cries for help as they passed (MACRORY 1966 part 5: The Aftermath; edited 1986: 259-260).An unspecified cave, in the early days of May 1843 decorated with decomposing bodies, is said to be situated somewhere on the route from the fortress of Budeeabad (note 1) to Tezeen (note 2). CULTURAL HISTORY - cave legend, soldiering yarn & spectral figures: British prisoners of the First Afghan War (note 3) had the impression that It was a gruesome journey. Marching towards Tezeen, they found the road lined with the corpses of those who had fallen in the retreat and their nostrils were sickened by the smell of decomposing bodies. They passed a cave, round whose mouth lay corpses of many of the camp followers; some of the prisoners were sure that they could see -spectral figures- [note 4] moving about inside the cave and heard cries for help as they passed (MACRORY 1966 part 5: The Aftermath; edited 1986: 259-260).