o to
Calcutta, in this warm weather, to have the case inquired into. Other
instances in which the natives have died from the effect of personal
chastisement administered by Europeans have occurred since I have been
here.

I have gone at some length into this case, both because you may hear
of it, and also because it exemplifies what is really our greatest
source of embarrassment in this country--the extreme difficulty of
administering equal justice between natives and Europeans.

* * * * *

_To Sir Charles Wood._

July 16th, 1862.

[Sidenote: Against interference in Afghanistan.]

I am very much averse to any interference on our part in the quarrel
which is now on foot in Afghanistan; and, indeed, I do not very well
see my way as to how any such interference can be managed without
entailing responsibilities which we may regret at a later period. You
are doubtless aware that we have no agent with the Dost. He
particularly requested that no one should be sent to his court in that
capacity, and we assented to his views on this point. All we know of
what is going on there is derived from the reports of a native vakeel,
who reports more or less faithfully what he hears and sees, but who is
not, and I apprehend, could not be employed to speak on our behalf to
the Ameer. In order, therefore, to communicate with him, we must
either send a special agent, or write. Now it must be observed that in
this affair the Dost has not been the aggressor. The Herat chief
attacked him without any provocation. We offered him no assistance,
made no remonstrance, and left him to take care of himself. He has
asked us for nothing, and we have given him nothing. It is now
proposed that we should inform the Dost that if he goes beyond a
certain point, and Persia comes into the field to support Herat, he
must not expect any assistance from us. If we had an agent there it
would be easy to instruct him to make such an intimation; and if the
Dost were to ask us for any support, an answer which would convey this
hint might be given. But situated as we are, we must move cautiously
in this matter. If the Dost stops on our suggestion, and if (as is
frequently the case with Orientals), the enemy, ascribing his
moderation to weakness, presses him with increased vigour, what are we