out of the way.

I carried the Government orders regarding Shurfod Dowla into effect,
and he is now, with his family, quiet and safe. The King behaved very
well, and resisted all the attempts of the minister to persuade him
to remonstrate. I am to-day to submit Shurfod Dowla's letter of
grateful thanks to Government. I hope Government will not write to
him in reply, as this might mortify and vex the King, since he is not
written to by the Governor-General.

I think I told you of the _raw_ the minister, Wasee Alee and Co., had
established on the King's mind--the belief that a party of the
members of the royal family and native gentlemen at Lucknow had been
trying to persuade Government to set him aside, and put his reputed
brother, Mostafa Alee, on the throne. Whenever they want to make the
King angry with any one, they tell him that he is a leader in this
cabal. But the King is, by degrees, growing out of this folly. There
never was on the throne, I believe, a man more inoffensive at heart
than he is; and he is quite sensible of my anxious desire to advise
him rightly, and see justice done in all cases. But I am a sad
stumbling-block to the minister and the other bad and incompetent
officers employed in the administration.

If you wish it, I will be more circumstantial about Weston's _locum
tenens_, Lieut. B., of the 1st Cavalry. For his own repute, and that
of the Government, I think the less he has to do with the political
department the better. He would be better in a military staff
appointment than a political one.

Yours sincerely,
(Signed) W. H. SLEEMAN.

To the Hon. Colonel Low, C.B.

__________________________

Lucknow, 11th September, 1854.

My Lord,

The post which this morning brought me your Lordship's letter of the
6th instant brought me also one from Bombay, which I enclose for your
Lordship's perusal. Should you think it worth while, Colonel Outram
will be able to sift the matter to which it refers. I have long been
aware of the intrigue, and have taken care to let the King know that
I am so; but as I knew, at the same time, that the object was merely
to get money out of him, and to strengthen his confidence in his
minister, which had begun to give way, I did not think it necessary
to trouble your Lordship with any reference on the subject. I knew
that letters had been forged as fro