1868,
when the occupation of Samarkand by Russia caused considerable
excitement, not to say consternation, amongst the authorities in
England.

Conferences took place in the spring of 1870 between Lord Clarendon,
the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, and Baron Brunow, the
Russian Ambassador, with the object of determining a neutral zone,
which should be the limit of the possessions of England and Russia in
Central Asia. For nearly three years, Russia was persistent in her
endeavours to have Afghanistan placed outside the pale of British
influence; but the Indian Government were equally persistent in
pointing out the danger of agreeing to such an arrangement, and it was
not until the 31st January, 1873, that the boundary, which neither
England nor Russia might cross, was finally agreed upon.

Six months later the conquest of Khiva by Russia was effected. It
was at first given out that the expedition was to punish acts of
brigandage, and to rescue fifty Russian prisoners, but was on no
account to lead to a prolonged occupancy of the Khanate. Count
Schouvaloff, the Russian Statesman who was deputed to communicate the
object of the expedition to the British Government, declared that a
positive promise to this effect might be given to the British public,
as a proof of the friendly and pacific intentions of his master the
Czar; but, notwithstanding these assurances, the Russians never left
Khiva, and it has been a Russian possession from that time.

Thus, in a little more than twenty years, Russia had made a stride of
600 miles towards India, leaving but 400 miles between her outposts
and those of Great Britain. Russia's southern boundary was now, in
fact, almost conterminous with the northern boundary of Afghanistan,
near enough to cause the Ruler of that country considerable anxiety,
and make him feel that Russia had become a dreaded neighbour, and that
the integrity of his kingdom could not be maintained save by the
aid of one of the two great Powers between whose fire he now found
himself.

I have endeavoured to show how it was that Sher Ali, notwithstanding
his soreness and disappointment at the many rebuffs he had received
from us in the earlier part of his career, gratefully remembered
the timely aid afforded him by Sir John Lawrence, and the princely
reception accorded to him by Lord Mayo, and was still quite prepared
in 1873 to enter into friendly relations with us, provided we would
recognize his favouri