protection of the Afghan Government; and that an annual subsidy of six
lakhs of rupees should be paid to the Amir and his successors.

The Khyber column was now withdrawn, with the exception of two
brigades, and orders were sent to the Kandahar column to prepare to
withdraw on the 1st September, the earliest date at which the troops
could safely march through the Bolan Pass. I was told to stay where
I was, as Kuram, by the treaty conditions, was to remain under our
control and be administered by the British Government.

On the 24th May I held a parade in honour of the Queen's birthday, at
which 6,450 officers and men were present.[3] They were thoroughly fit
and workmanlike, and being anxious that the tribesmen should see what
grand soldiers I had at hand should an advance be necessary, I invited
all the neighbouring clans to witness the display. The Afghans were
seated in picturesque groups round the flag-staff, when suddenly, as
the first round of the _feu-de-joie_ was fired, they started to their
feet, thinking that treachery was intended, and that they were
caught in a trap: they took to their heels, and we had considerable
difficulty in bringing them back, and in making them understand that
the firing which had so upset their equanimity was only a sign of
rejoicing on that auspicious anniversary. By degrees they became
assured that there was no thought of taking an unfair advantage of
them, and at the conclusion of the ceremony they were made happy by a
present of sheep. In the afternoon an impromptu rifle meeting was got
up. The matchlock men could not hold their own against our good shots
armed with Martini-Henry rifles, a fact which evidently greatly
impressed the tribesmen, some of whom then and there came forward and
promised that if I should be required to advance on Kabul they would
not oppose me.

I took advantage of our improved relations with the Afghans,
consequent on the ratification of the treaty, to enlarge our
geographical knowledge of the passes which lead from Kuram towards
Kabul, and the independent territories in the neighbourhood. The
presence of the troops, no doubt, had something to say to the cheerful
acquiescence of the tribesmen in these explorations, which they
appeared to look upon as the result of a wish to make ourselves
acquainted with the country assigned to us by the treaty, and having,
to use their own expression, lifted for us the _purdah_ (curtain) of
their country, they beca