AFGHANISTAN. Calcutta 1880 printed work on Afghanistan by a Military Surgeon.

Bellew, Surgeon Major H. W., C.S.I., late on Special Political Duty Kabul: The Races of Afghanistan, being a brief account of the Principal Nations inhabiting that Country. Thacker, Spink &Co. [Calcutta] 1880 1st edition 8vo.

124pp, 4pp publisher’s ads. Original brown cloth gilt with black decoration and title to front board, inner hinges professionally strengthened, spine cloth rather marked and a little frayed at head and tail, cloth wrinkled, mainly on rear board, old stamps From the Women of the Bombay Presidency to front free endpaaper, half title, title page and to front free endpaper,  Bellew wrote the book at the close of the 2nd Afghan War to support his view that the tribes of Afghanistan should be incorporated eventually into British India and that this could only be done if they were better understood. Chapters deal with: The Afghan, History of the Afghans, British Relations with Afghanistan, Sher Ali, The Pathan, The Yusufzai, The Afridi, The Khattack, The Dadigae, The Tajik, The Ghilji, The Hazarah. A military surgeon, Bellew was present on several important missions beyond the Indian borders led by Lumsden [Kandahar], Pollock [Seistan], and Forsyth [Yarkand]. although there are numerous modern editions of this work there are very few original copies to be found on the internet.   jul25/1