BELLEW, Henry Walter.

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Journal of a Political Mission to Afghanistan, in 1857, First and sole contemporary edition of this scarce and handsomely produced eye-witness narrative. "The first part of the book is the author's maiden effort to describe the history, country and people of Afghanistan - an effort repeated and expanded in his later works. The second part describes the route of the mission and tells of its purpose and results" (Wilber).Bellew (1833-1892) had a highly distinguished career: he "served in the Crimean War during the winter of 1854-5, and on 14 November 1855 was appointed assistant surgeon in the Bengal medical service, becoming surgeon in 1867 and deputy surgeon-general on 14 November 1881. He went to India in 1856 and was at once appointed to the corps of guides on the Punjab frontier, but was soon afterwards ordered to join Major Henry Lumsden on his mission to Kandahar" (ODNB). Lumsden's mission was intended to ensure that "subsidies paid by the government of India to the amir were used for the payment of troops employed to defend Afghanistan against Persia following the recent capture of Herat" (ibid.). It was also responsible for advising and assisting the amir as far as possible without arousing the hostility of the Afghan population. Subsequently, Bellew served was with the Ambela (Umbeyla) Expedition, due to his knowledge of Pushto, of which he wrote a grammar and dictionary. He provided medical services to the diplomatic missions to Seistan (1871) and Yarkand (1873-4), b

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