, might be cut off
from its resources by the descent of the enemy upon Peshawur.

There is some road from Roondorg through Cashmere, but I do not fear that.
The road an enemy would choose would be that by the Valley of the Cachgu.

We know nothing of these passes, nothing of the country beyond them,
nothing of the course of the Indus--but we should have full information so
as to be able to crush an advancing enemy, by making the whole country
hostile, which money would do.

To meet an invasion we must raise every regiment to 1,000 men.

168 Regiments
360 "
-----
1,008
504
------
60,480 Men, besides Artillery.
4,000 King's Inf. raised to 1,000 each Reg.
1,000 Do. four Regiments of Cavalry.
4,000 Four new Regiments.
2,000 Two new Cavalry.
Besides King's Artillery.
------
71,480

Besides the increase which would take place in the Irregular Corps,
particularly in Skinner's.

A smaller increase than this would not be sufficient; for we should require
20,000 men at Delhi, 20,000 in Lahore, and 60,000 in Cabul. I speak of
enrolled, not effectives--but with these augmentations the Regular Army
would only be

148,000 N.I.
24,000 King's.
-------
172,000
20,000 Native Cavalry.
6,000 King's.
-------
198,000

The out provisional battalions, local corps, &c., of 198,000, I do not
think above 100,000 could possibly be disposable, and there would not be
70,000 effectives. The Artillery must be very numerous. I omitted the
Company's English Regiments, about 3,000 men.

Of all nations the Russians are the least adapted for an enterprise of this
nature. They have neither medical staff nor commissariat, and the men are
without resource. A French army would be the best. I doubt the possibility
of Russia bringing more than 20,000 men to Cabul, and these could not
descend the mountains till the third year, if Cabul was occupied. What I
fear is an occupation of Khiva unknown to us. No preparation on our part--
no marching forward--so that in three or four months from leaving Khiva the
enemy might be at Cabul. I am sure we can defeat the enterprise. We ought
to defeat it before the enemy reaches the Indus. If 20,000 Russians should
reach the Indus, it will be a sharp fight.

_November 1, 1829._

A letter from the Duke. He returned the papers I sent him. He has doubts as
to the expediency of making the Commissary-General of Stores I proposed;
but he se