Excellency had given, to hold the troops in readiness to move at
the shortest notice, and in the instructions which he had sent to
the officers in command of the stations at Ferozepore and
Loodianah. The force at the former post consists of one European
regiment, seven regiments of native infantry, two regiments of
native cavalry, and twenty-four field-guns, exclusive of heavy
ordnance. The force at Loodianah consists of one regiment of
Europeans, five regiments of native infantry, one regiment of
native cavalry, and two troops of horse artillery.

"After a full and satisfactory consultation with his Excellency,
and taking into consideration the improbability of the Sikh army
crossing the Sutlej, I determined that no movement should be made
towards the river by the forces from Umballah and Meerut, and I
postponed for further consideration with his Excellency any change
in the present distribution of the troops; eventually some
alterations will be made, which, when they have been finally
determined upon between me and the Commander-in-Chief, will be
reported to you. At the present moment, his Excellency coincides
with me, that no forward movement is required.

"In the midst of much hesitation and irresolution, the enterprise
ordered by the Sikh government does not appear to have been
formally abandoned; the intelligence received by Major Broadfoot on
the day of his joining my camp, showed that the three brigades of
the Sikh force had actually left Lahore a few miles in advance, to
be followed the next morning by three other brigades including one
of artillery. This was on the 24th ultimo. The intelligence
received from that date has been communicated to me by Major
Broadfoot each day, as it arrives.

"It is said they intend, in reply to Major Broadfoot's
remonstrance, to allege that the fact of our having collected so
large a force, with all the munitions of war, on the frontier, is
the cause of the concentration of their forces on the Sutlej; that
they intend to demand the reasons of our preparations; to insist on
the surrender to the Lahore government of the treasure which
belonged to the late Rajah Soocheyt Singh; the restoration by the
Rajah of Nabba of the village of Mowran, escheated by the Rajah,
and the escheat confirmed by us; and