o
is known to your Highness--his Excellency General Sir Neville
Bowles Chamberlain, Knight Grand Cross of the Most Honourable
Order of the Bath, Knight Grand Commander of the Most Exalted
Order of the Star of India, Commander-in-Chief of the Madras
Army--to visit your Highness immediately at Kabul, in order that
he may converse personally with your Highness regarding these
urgent affairs. It appears certain that they can best be arranged
for the welfare and tranquillity of both States, and for the
preservation of friendship between the two Governments, by a
full and frank statement of the present position. This letter is
therefore sent in advance to your Highness by the hand of Nawab
Gholam Hussein Khan, C.S.I., a faithful and honoured Sirdar of my
Government, who will explain all necessary details as to the time
and manner of the Envoy's visit. It is asked that your Highness
may be pleased to issue commands to your Sirdars, and to all other
authorities in Afghanistan, upon the route between Peshawar
and Kabul, that they shall make, without any delay, whatever
arrangements are necessary and proper for effectively securing to
my Envoy, the representative of a friendly Power, due safe conduct
and suitable accommodation according to his dignity, while passing
with his retinue through the dominions of your Highness.

'I beg to express the high consideration I entertain for your
Highness, and to subscribe myself.']

[Footnote 3: The Mission was composed of General Sir Neville
Chamberlain, G.C.B., G.C.S.I.; Major Cavagnari, C.S.I.; Surgeon-Major
Bellew, C.S.I.; Major O. St. John, R.E.; Captain St. V. Hammick,
43rd Foot; Captain F. Onslow, Madras Cavalry; Lieutenant Neville
Chamberlain, Central India Horse; Maharaj Pertap Sing of Jodhpur; and
Sirdar Obed Ulla Khan, of Tonk. Lieutenant-Colonel F. Jenkins and
Captain W. Battye were with the escort.]

[Footnote 4:

'PESHAWAR,

'15_th September_, 1878.

(After compliments.) 'I write to inform you that, by command
of His Excellency the Viceroy and Governor-General of India, a
friendly Mission of British officers, with a suitable escort, is
about to proceed to Kabul through the Khyber Pass, and intimation
of the despatch of this Mission has been duly communicated to His
Highness the Amir by the hand of the Nawab Ghulam Hussein Khan.

'I hear that