those who, well knowing the Amir's
position in the British camp, instigated the troops and people of
Kabul to take up arms against the British troops. They have been
guilty of wilful rebellion against the Amir's authority, and they
will be considered and treated as rebels wherever found.']

[Footnote 3: There was a slight fall of snow on the 11th November,
followed by severe frost, and the elephants were beginning to suffer
from the cold. Three of them succumbed on the Lataband Kotal, much
to the annoyance of the olfactory nerves of all passers-by. It was
impossible to bury the huge carcasses, as the ground was all rock, and
there was not wood enough to burn them. So intense was the cold that
the ink froze in my pen, and I was obliged to keep my inkstand under
my pillow at night.]

[Footnote 4: This party marched towards India on the 14th November,
followed by a second convoy of sickly men on the 27th idem. On this
latter date the strength of the 1st and 2nd Divisions, Kabul Field
Force, and the Reserve at Peshawar was as follows:

---------------------------------------------------------------
| British Force. | Native Force. |Total.|
|----------------+-----------------| |
|Officers.|Rank &| British |Troops.| |
| |File. |Officers.| | |
--------------------+---------+------+---------+-------+------|
1st Division, at | | | | | |
and around Kabul .. | 100 | 2,783| 71 | 5,060 | 8,014|
2nd Division, on | | | | | |
the Khyber line ... | 90 | 2,385| 118 | 8,590 |11,183|
|---------+------+---------+-------+------|
| 190 | 5,168| 189 |13,650 |19,197|
Reserve at Peshawar | 55 | 1,952| 49 | 4,654 | 6,710|
|---------+------+---------+-------+------|
| 245 | 7,120| 238 |18,304 |25,907|
---------------------------------------------------------------

Total:-- 483 British officers.
7,120 British troops.
18,304 Native troops.
Grand total:-- 25,907 with 60 guns, 24 with 1st Division, and 36 with
2nd Division and the Reserve.]

* * * * *

CHAPTER LV.
1879

Political situation at Kabul--Serious trou