Page:EB1911 - Volume 26.djvu/1046

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1006
TIRANA—TIRE
  

purpose a local regiment entirely composed of Afridis, who were stationed in the pass. Suddenly, however, the tribesmen rose, captured all the posts in the Khyber held by their own countrymen, and attacked the forts on the Samana Ridge near Peshawar. It was estimated that the Afridis and Orakzais could, if united, bring from 40,000 to 50,000 men into the field. The preparations for the expedition occupied some time, and meanwhile the Mohmand rising north-west of the Khyber Pass was first dealt with (see Mohmand).

The general commanding was General Sir William Lockhart (q.v.) commanding the Punjab Army Corps; he had under him 34,882 men, British and native, in addition to 20,000 followers. The frontier post of Kohat was selected as the base of the campaign, and it was decided to advance along a single line. On the 18th of October the operations commenced, fighting ensuing immediately. The Dargai heights, which commanded the line of advance, were captured without difficulty, but abandoned owing to the want of water. On the 20th the same positions were gallantly stormed, with a loss of 199 killed and wounded. The progress of the expedition, along a wretched track through the mountains, was obstinately contested on the 29th of October at the Sampagha Pass leading to the Mastura valley, and on the 31st at the Arhanga Pass from the Mastura to the Tirah valley. The force, in detached brigades, now proceeded to traverse the Tirah district in all directions, and to destroy the walled and fortified hamlets of the Afridis. The two divisions available for this duty numbered about 20,000 men. A force about 3200 strong commanded by Brigadier-General (afterwards Major-General Sir Richard) Westmacott was first employed to attack Saran Sar, which was easily carried, but during the retirement the troops were hard pressed by the enemy and the casualties numbered sixty-four. On the 11th of November Saran Sar was again attacked by the brigade of Brigadier-General (afterwards Sir Alfred) Gaselee. Experience enabled better dispositions to be made, and the casualties were only three. The traversing of the valley continued, and on the 13th of November Brigadier-General Kempster’s brigade visited the Waran valley via the Tseri Kandao Pass. Little difficulty was experienced during the advance, and several villages were destroyed; but on the 16th, during the return march, the rearguard was hotly engaged all day, and had to be relieved by fresh troops next morning. The casualties numbered seventy-two. Almost daily the Afridis, too wise to risk general engagements, Wageda perpetual guerrilla warfare, and the various bodies of troops engaged in foraging or survey duties were constantly attacked. On the 21st of November a brigade under Brigadier-General Westmacott was detached to visit the Rajgul valley. The road was exceedingly difficult and steady opposition was encountered. The objects were accomplished, and the casualties during the retirement alone numbered twenty-three. The last important work undertaken was the punishment of the Chamkannis, Mamuzais and Massozais. This was carried out by Brigadier-General Gaselee, who joined hands with the Kurram movable column ordered up for the purpose. The Mamuzais and Massozais submitted immediately, but the Chamkannis offered resistance on the 1st and 2nd of December, the British casualties numbering about thirty. The Kurram column then returned to its camp, and Sir W. Lockhart prepared to evacuate Tirah, dispatching his two divisions by separate routes-the 1st under Major-General W. Penn Symons (d. 1899) to return via the Mastura valley, destroying the forts on the way, and to join at Bara, within easy march of Peshawar; the 2nd division under Major—General Yeatman Biggs (d. 1898), and, accompanied by Sir W. Lockhart, to move along the Bara valley. The base was thus to be transferred from Kohat to Peshawar. The return march began on the 9th of December. The cold was intense, 21 degrees of frost being registered before leaving Tirah. The movement of the 1st division though arduous was practically unopposed, but the 40 miles to be covered by the 2nd division were contested almost throughout. The actual march down the Bara valley (34 miles) commenced on the 10th, and involved four days of the hardest fighting and marching of the campaign. The road crossed and recrossed the icy stream, while snow, sleet and rain fell constantly. On the 10th the casualties numbered about twenty. On the 11th some fifty or sixty casualties were recorded among the troops, but many followers were killed or died of exposure, and quantities of stores were lost. On the 12th the column halted for rest. On the 13th the march was resumed in improved weather, though the cold was still severe. The rearguard was heavily engaged, and the casualties numbered about sixty. On the 14th, after further lighting, a junction with the Peshawar column was effected. The 1st division, aided by the Peshawar column, now took possession of the Khyber forts without opposition. Negotiations for peace were then begun with the Afridis, who under the threat of another expedition into Tirah in the spring at length agreed to pay the fines and to surrender the rifles demanded. The expeditionary force was broken up on the 4th of April 1898. A memorable feature of this campaign was the presence in the fighting line of the Imperial Service native troops under their own officers, while several of the best known of the Indian princes served on Sir W. Lockhart’s staff. (C. J. B.) 


TIRANA, a town of Albania, European Turkey, in the vilayet of Scutari; 20 m. E. by N. of Durazzo, at the southern extremity of the plain of Kroīa. Pop. (1905) about 12,000. Tirana is beautifully situated on the border of the richly wooded highlands inhabited by the Mirdite Albanians. It is a picturesque town with a large bazaar and many mosques, gardens and olive groves. It was founded early in the 17th century and was long the see of a Greek bishop, although the majority of its inhabitants have always been Moslems. Kroīa, the ancient stronghold of Scanderbeg (q.v.), is 14 m. north.

TIRARD, PIERRE EMANUEL (1827–1893), French politician, was born of French parents at Geneva on the 27th of September 1827, and, after studying in his native town, became a civil engineer. After five years of government service he resigned to become a jewel merchant. His determined opposition to the empire, culminating in 1869 in a campaign in favour of the radical candidate opposed to Ollivier, was rewarded by his election as mayor of the 11th arrondissement of Paris and as deputy for the Seine. Nominated a member of the Commune, he protested against the tyranny of the central committee, and escaped from Paris to resume his place among the extreme Left in the National Assembly at Versailles. In 1876 he was returned for the first arrondissement of Paris to the Chamber of Deputies, and was re-elected next year. He specially devoted himself to finance, being for a short time president of the customs commission before his appointment as minister of agriculture and commerce in March 1879 in the Waddington cabinet. He held the same portfolio in the first Freycinet ministry (1879–1880) and in the Jules Ferry cabinet (1880–1881). He was minister of commerce in Freycinet’s second cabinet (1882), of finance under E. Duclerc (1882–1883), and under A. Fallières (1883), retaining the same office in the second Jules Ferry ministry (1883–1885). When Carnot became president of the Republic in 1887 he asked Tirard to form a ministry. He had to deal with the Wilson scandal which had led to President Grévy’s downfall, and with the revisionist agitation of General Boulanger. His refusal to proceed to the revision of the constitution of 1875 led to his defeat on the 30th of March 1888. He returned to power next year, and decided to bring Boulanger and his chief supporters before the High Court, but the general’s flight effectively settled the question. He also arrested Philip, duke of Orleans, who had visited France in disguise. He resigned office on the 15th of March 1890 on the question of the Franco-Turkish commercial treaty. He replaced M. Rouvier in the Ribot cabinet (1892–1893) as minister of finance, and died in Paris on the 4th of November 1893.

TIRE, an homonymous word, of which the meanings are (1) to weary out, (2) to adorn, or, as a substantive, a head-dress, (3) the outer rim of a wheel. “Tire” in sense (1) is from the Old English teorian, to weary, transitive and intransitive. Ultimately this word is connected with “tear,” to rend, the stages of meaning being to rend apart, to wear out, to be or make exhausted.