he Afghan official, Mirza Mahomed Hassan Khan, generally known
as the "Dabir-ul-Mulk," who had travelled with Colonel Stolietoff
from the Oxus to Kabul, accompanied him on his return journey to
Tashkent. Here the Mirza was detained under pretence that orders
would shortly be received from the Emperor, until the news of my
father's flight from Kabul reached General Kauffmann. He was then
permitted to leave. Two Aides-de-Camp were sent with him, one a
European, the other a Native of Bokhara.

'My father was strongly urged by General Kauffmann not to leave
Kabul. At the same time the members of the Embassy were ordered to
return to Tashkent, the Doctor being permitted to remain with my
father if his services were required.

'Throughout, the Russian Embassy was treated with great honour,'
and at all stations between Mazar-i-Shariff and Kabul, orders were
given for the troops to turn out, and for a salute to be fired on
their arrival and departure.'

4. I cannot, of course, vouch for the exact words used by Yakub
Khan, but I am confident that the foregoing paragraph, which is
written from notes taken at the time, contains a substantially
accurate record of the conversation.

5. It would be superfluous for me to advance any proof of the fact
that for one reason or another Sher Ali did during the latter part
of his reign fall away from us and incline towards an alliance
with Russia. But I think the closeness of the connection between
Russia and Kabul, and the extent of the Amir's hostility towards
ourselves, has not hitherto been fully recognized. Yakub Khan's
statements throw some light upon this question, and they are
confirmed by various circumstances which have lately come to my
knowledge. The prevalence of Russian coin and wares in Kabul,
and the extensive military preparations made by Sher Ali of late
years, appear to me to afford an instructive comment upon Yakub
Khan's assertions. Our recent rupture with Sher Ali has, in fact,
been the means of unmasking and checking a very serious conspiracy
against the peace and security of our Indian Empire.

6. The magnitude of Sher Ali's military preparations is, in my
opinion, a fact of peculiar significance. I have already touched
upon this point in a former letter, but I shall perhaps be excused
for noticing it again. Before th