heir bank of the river Sutlej, as we had to reinforce our posts on
that river.

"The Sikh army had, in 1843 and 1844, moved down upon the river
from Lahore, and, after remaining there encamped a few weeks, had
returned to the capital. These reasons, and above all my extreme
anxiety to avoid hostilities, induced me not to make any hasty
movement with our army, which, when the two armies came into each
other's presence, might bring about a collision.

"The army had, however, been ordered to be in readiness to move at
the shortest notice; and, on the 7th and 8th December, when I heard
from Lahore that preparations were making on a large scale for
artillery, stores, and all the munitions of war, I wrote to the
Commander-in-Chief, directing his Excellency, on the 11th, to move
up the force from Umballah, from Meerut, and some other stations in
the rear.

"Up to this time no infantry or artillery had been reported to have
left Lahore, nor had a single Sikh soldier crossed the Sutlej.
Nevertheless, I considered it prudent no longer to delay the
forward movement of our troops, having given to the Lahore
government the most ample time for a reply to our remonstrance."

During the four days following the 8th of December, the fluctuating
intelligence from Lahore, although, on the whole, more cloudy than
formerly, was not of a character to shake the prevalent opinion that no
Sikh movement, on a large scale, was intended, and that the Sikh army
would not cross the Sutlej. On the 13th, the Governor-General first
received precise information that the Sikh army had crossed the Sutlej,
and was forming in great force on the left bank of the river, in order
to attack Ferozepore, which was occupied by a British force of little
more than five thousand men. He immediately issued a proclamation, on
the part of the British government, which set forth, that--

"In the year 1809 a treaty of amity and concord was concluded
between the British government and the late Maharajah Runjeet
Singh, the conditions of which have always been faithfully observed
by the British government, and were scrupulously fulfilled by the
late Maharajah.

"The same friendly relations have been maintained with the
successors of Maharajah Runjeet Singh by the British government up
to the present time.

"Since the death of the