terms his hope of being recognized as Amir. He greatly
desired, he wrote, the friendship of the British, and their assistance
in restoring peace and order to Afghanistan; but at the same time,
he hinted that his obligations to the Russian Government for the
hospitality they had extended to him placed him in some doubt as to
the terms upon which our friendship might be accorded to him, and
while he expressed a desire for the permanent establishment of
Afghanistan, with our assistance and sympathy, he let it be understood
that he wished to consider himself under the protection of Russia as
well as of Great Britain.

In a verbal message, however, he added that he was ready to cross the
Hindu Kush to discuss matters with our officers, and he begged that
he might be furnished with information as to the 'nature of our
friendship' and 'its conditions.'

In answer, Mr. Griffin was directed to inform Abdur Rahman that the
relations of Afghanistan to the British and Russian Empires was a
subject the Government of India must decline to discuss with him, and
to explain that their declared determination had been the exclusion
of foreign influence and interference from Afghanistan, a cardinal
condition 'which had at all times and under all circumstances been
deemed essential for the permanent security of Her Majesty's Indian
Empire,' a condition, moreover, which had always been accepted by the
Government of the Czar, which had repeatedly renewed those assurances,
solemnly given to Her Majesty's Ministers, that 'Russia considered
Afghanistan as entirely beyond the sphere of her influence.'[6]

Early in April the Mustaufi (whom, it will be remembered, I had sent
to Ghazni to communicate with the Chiefs, and ascertain their ideas
and desires as to the future government of Kabul) returned without
having achieved much success. He had persuaded some of the leading men
to accompany him as far as Maidan, whence a few representatives came
on to Kabul as bearers of a document signed by Mahomed Jan, twelve
other Sirdars, and 189 influential tribesmen, setting forth their
views and wishes; but as these were all based upon the restoration of
Yakub Khan, their proposals could not be entertained.

On the 13th April I held a durbar, at which I received this
deputation; all the Sirdars, Chiefs, and _maliks_ of Kabul and many
Hazaras being present. Mr. Griffin, on the part of the Government,
told them that Yakub Khan could not be allowed to retur