the Queen would have thought
it more becoming that she herself should have rewarded her troops with
a medal than leaving it to the Governor-General.

[Footnote 109: Lieut.-General Sir Jasper Nicols (1778-1849),
created a K.C.B. for his services at Bhurtpore.]

[Pageheading: THE GATES OF SOMNAUTH]

_Lord Ellenborough to Queen Victoria._

SIMLA, _18th October 1842._

Lord Ellenborough, with his most humble duty to your Majesty, humbly
offers to your Majesty his congratulation on the entire success which
has attended the operations of the Fleet and Army under your Majesty's
direction in the Yantze-Kiang,[110] and submits to your Majesty
the general order which, on the receipt of the intelligence of that
success and of the peace concluded with the Emperor of China upon the
terms dictated by your Majesty, he issued to the Army of India.

Your Majesty will have observed that in the letter of the 4th of July
to Major-General Nott, that officer was instructed to bring away the
gates of the Temple of Somnauth, from the tomb of Mahmood of Ghuznee,
and the club of Mahmood also.

The club was no longer upon the tomb, and it seems to be doubtful
whether it was taken away by some person of Lord Keane's Army in 1839,
or by Shah Sooja, or whether it was hidden in order to prevent its
being taken away at that time.

The gates of the Temple of Somnauth have been brought away by
Major-General Nott.

These gates were taken to Ghuznee by Sultan Mahmood in the year 1024.
The tradition of the Invasion of India by Sultan Mahmood in that year,
and of the carrying away of the gates after the destruction of the
Temple, is still current in every part of India, and known to every
one. So earnest is the desire of the Hindoos and of all who are not
Mussulmans to recover the gates of the Temple, that when ten or twelve
years ago Runjeet Singh was making arrangements with Shah Sooja for
assisting him in the endeavour to recover his throne,[111] he wished
to make a stipulation that when Shah Sooja recovered his power he
should restore the gates to India, and Shah Sooja refused.

Lord Ellenborough transmits for your Majesty's information a copy of
the Address he intends to publish on announcing that the gates of the
Temple will be restored.[112]

The progress of the gates from Ferozepore to Somnauth will be one
great national triumph, and their restoration to India will endear the
Government to the whole people.[113]