e outbreak of hostilities last
year the Amir had raised and equipped with arms of precision 68
regiments of Infantry and 16 of Cavalry. The Afghan Artillery
amounted to nearly 300 guns. Numbers of skilled artizans were
constantly employed in the manufacture of rifled cannon and
breach-loading small arms. More than a million pounds of powder,
and I believe several million rounds of home-made Snider
ammunition, were in the Bala Hissar at the time of the late
explosion. Swords, helmets, uniforms, and other articles of
military equipment were stored in proportionate quantities.
Finally, Sher Ali had expended upon the construction of the
Sherpur cantonments an astonishing amount of labour and money. The
extent and cost of this work may be judged of from the fact that
the whole of the troops under my command will find cover during
the winter within the cantonment, and the bulk of them in the main
line of rampart itself, which extends to a length of nearly two
miles under the southern and western slopes of the Bimaru hills.
Sher Ali's original design was apparently to carry the wall
entirely round the hills, a distance of nearly five miles, and the
foundations were already laid for a considerable portion of this
length. All these military preparations were quite unnecessary
except as a provision for contemplated hostilities with ourselves,
and it is difficult to understand how their entire cost could
have been met from the Afghan treasury, the gross revenue of the
country amounting only to about eighty lakhs of rupees per annum.

7. I have referred to the prevalence of Russian coin and wares
in Kabul as evidence of the growing connexion between Russia and
Afghanistan. I am unable to find proof that the Czar's coin was
introduced in any other way than by the usual channels of trade.
It is quite possible that the bulk of it, if not the whole, came
in gradually by this means, the accumulation of foreign gold in
particular being considerable in this country, where little gold
is coined. Nevertheless, it seems to me a curious fact that the
amount of Russian money in circulation should be so large. No
less than 13,000 gold pieces were found among the Amir's treasure
alone; similar coins are exceedingly common in the city bazaar;
and great numbers of them are known to be in possession of the