te vicinity of the cantonment. The
troops were accordingly withdrawn, the forts were immediately occupied
by the Affghans, and the cantonment thus placed at their mercy. On the
18th, the promised cattle for carriage had not yet been supplied, and a
heavy fall of snow rendered the situation of the troops more desperate.
On the 19th, the Envoy wrote an order for the evacuation of Ghuznee. On
the 20th, the Envoy had another interview with the chiefs, who now
demanded that a portion of the guns and ammunition should be given up.
This also was agreed to. At this stage of the proceedings, Lieutenant
Sturt of the engineers proposed to the General to break off the treaty,
and march forthwith to Jellalabad; but the proposal was not approved.
The arrangements for giving effect to the treaty were still carried on;
and the Envoy again met Akber Khan and Osman Khan on the plain, when
Captains Conolly and Airey were given up as hostages, and the Envoy sent
his carriage and horses, and a pair of pistols, as presents to Akber
Khan, who further demanded an Arab horse, the property of Captain Grant,
assistant adjutant-general:--

"Late in the evening of the 22d December," (says Capt.
Mackenzie, in a letter to Lieut. Eyre,) "Capt. James Skinner,
who, after having been concealed in Cabul during the greater
part of the siege, had latterly been the guest of Mahomed
Akber, arrived in cantonments, accompanied by Mahomed Sudeeq
Khan, a first cousin of Mahomed Akber, and by Sirwar Khan, the
Arhanee merchant, who, in the beginning of the campaign, had
furnished the army with camels, and who had been much in the
confidence of Sir A. Burnes, being, in fact, one of our
stanchest friends. The two latter remained in a different
apartment, while Skinner dined with the Envoy. During dinner,
Skinner jestingly remarked that he felt as if laden with
combustibles, being charged with a message from Mahomed Akber
to the Envoy of a most portentous nature.

"Even then I remarked that the Envoy's eye glanced eagerly
towards Skinner with an expression of hope. In fact, he was
like a drowning man catching at straws. Skinner, however,
referred him to his Affghan companions, and after dinner the
four retired into a room by themselves. My knowledge of what
there took place is gained from poor Skinner's own relation, as
given during my subsequent captivity with h