h escaped from Lahore
and became a pensioner of the East India Company. For many years after
the fall of Shah Soojah, anarchy ruled in Afghanistan, until in 1826
Dost Mahomed established himself upon the throne at Cabul.

Meantime Shah Soojah never ceased to plot for his restoration, and in
1832 came to an agreement with Runjeet Singh, in pursuance of which the
latter undertook to assist him in an armed attempt to oust Dost Mahomed.
The Indian Government, while professing neutrality, indirectly assisted
Shah Soojah by paying his pension in advance.

In 1833 Shah Soojah's army was thoroughly beaten by Dost Mahomed before
Candahar, though he himself escaped. But Runjeet Singh was more
successful; he drove the Afghans back into the Khyber Pass and occupied
Peshawur, which province he held against all the attempts of the Afghan
Ameer to expel him.

In 1837 the Shah of Persia, under the instigation of and with assistance
from, Russia, and in spite of strong remonstrances by the British, made
war upon Afghanistan and marched upon Herat.

ELDRED POTTINGER AT HERAT.

The siege of this place commenced on the 23rd of November 1837, and
lasted over nine months, when it utterly collapsed, owing mainly to the
determination and courage of Lieutenant Pottinger, who had arrived in
the city just before, and assisted the Afghans in the defence.
Notwithstanding the assistance of Russian volunteers the Persian attack
was but feebly delivered; still, but for the presence of Pottinger and
the courage given by his example, the Afghan defence would have been
equally spiritless. At length, after some days' bombardment, a general
assault was made on the 23rd of June 1838, and repulsed by Pottinger
with heavy loss. Soon after the Shah, hearing that a British expedition
had been sent up the Persian Gulf to force him to retire, raised the
siege and left Herat, which has remained up to the present in the hands
of the Afghans--a fact which may be said to be in the first instance due
to the heroic achievements of one young British officer, Lieutenant
Eldred Pottinger.

THE AFGHAN WAR.

The Indian Government had now determined, for reasons into which it is
not our province to inquire, to make war upon Dost Mahomed and to
replace Shah Soojah upon the throne.

This war, which ended so disastrously to our arms and prestige, seems at
this time, when it is possible to take an impartial view of the
question, to have been one of wanton aggressio