whether, if Persia should persevere in her plans of conquest in Afghánistán, and should appear likely to succeed in them, the danger thence resulting to Great Britain would he greater than the security which might he derived from that other stipulation of the before-named Treaty, by which the Sháh undertakes to prevent any European army from traversing Persia in order to invade British India.
'In that case we might feel ourselves called upon to declare the whole Treaty at an end; but as such a step would be a departure from the usual practice, it would be more agreeable to us to learn that the Sháh had consented voluntarily to an amended Treaty, in preparing which, Mr. McNeill has, as you are aware, received instructions to omit the embarrassing article relative to Afghánistán.'
The long succession of events which led up to this decision has been thus traced, though with needful brevity, step by step. It has been seen how the chain of incidents stretches back to England and 1814; is taken up, in 1828, by Russia; links itself later, by Teherán and Herát, to Kábul; and so, in 1836, passes finally through the Punjab into Lord Auckland's hands. The converging influences have been indicated; the apprehensions, namely, of the British Cabinet, speaking through the Board of Control; the ambition of Persia; the intrigues of Russia, the greed of Dost Muhammad. We have seen how, in pursuance of Sir John Hobhouse's instructions, the Burnes mission passed from a commercial into a political colour. We have watched Lord Auckland throughout 1837 in communication with the Board of Control, keeping that body informed of his endeavours to give
