the contact of the frontiers of Great
Britain and Russia in Asia was only a matter of time, and his aim was
to make sure that the conterminous line, whenever it might be reached,
should be of our choosing, and not one depending on the exigencies of
the moment, or on the demands of Russia.

The Native agent (Bukhtiar Khan), who was the bearer of the Viceroy's
and Cavagnari's letters to the Amir, reached Kabul at the moment
when the Afghan officials who had accompanied Sher Ali in his flight
returned to that place from Turkestan. Counsel was held with these men
as to the manner of receiving the British Mission; but there was an
influential military party averse to peace, and the Amir was strongly
advised to abandon the English alliance and trust to Russia. Upon
hearing this, our agent became alarmed for the safety of the Mission,
and being apprehensive that Yakub Khan would not have the power to
protect its members from insult, he suggested to the Amir that he
should visit our camp instead of the British Mission coming to Kabul,
a suggestion which was ultimately adopted, the Viceroy considering
that it was infinitely the best arrangement that could be made.

On the 8th May the Amir arrived in Sir Samuel Browne's camp at
Gandamak, thirty miles on the Kabul side of Jalalabad, and on the
26th, owing to the tact and diplomatic skill of Louis Cavagnari, the
Treaty of Gandamak was signed, and so ended the first phase of the
second Afghan war.

Under the terms of the treaty, Yakub Khan agreed to the cession of
territory considered necessary by us, and bound himself to conduct
his foreign policy in accordance with the advice of the British
Government; while, on our side, we promised to support him against
external aggression. It was further arranged that a British
representative, with a suitable escort, should reside at Kabul;[2]
that the Amir should in like manner (if he desired it) depute an agent
to the Viceregal Court; that British agents with sufficient escorts
should be at liberty to visit the Afghan frontiers whenever, in the
interests of both countries, it was considered necessary by the
British Government; that there should be no hindrance to British
subjects trading peaceably within the Amir's dominions; that traders
should be protected, the transit of merchandise facilitated, and roads
kept in good order; that a line of telegraph should be constructed
from India to Kabul, at the expense of the British, but under the