the Kháibar, or 'take a forward position near Jalálábád, or even advance to Kábul.' Lord Ellenborough further desired that a large force under Sir J. Nicolls should be massed upon the Sutlej, in order to influence the Sikhs and the Indian States by an attitude of imposing strength, and to give confidence to our own soldiers and subjects.
In the same letter the Governor-General showed himself fully alive to the advantage of re-occupying Kábul 'even for a week,' with a view to recovering the prisoners, gratifying the army, and overawing all our enemies. But no such movement was to be attempted, unless Major-General Pollock could feel sure of his power to conquer all resistance with his own troops alone, and to keep up his communications with Pesháwar. And he expressed a fear that the want of cavalry and beasts of draught and burden would disable Nott from achieving anything except the relief of Khelát-i-Ghilzai and the safe withdrawal of his troops 'at the proper season' from Afghánistán[1].
The letter did not err on the side of rashness: it might have been dictated by Nicolls himself, or by Lord Ellenborough's second-in-council, Mr. Wilberforce Bird. For the vindication of our honour and the punishment of 'an atrocious enemy,' some risk might have to be incurred. But our generals were exhorted to minimize those risks by every possible precaution. They were not to depend upon the good faith of our
- ↑ Afghan Papers.
