hildren. A long and miserable siege
now took place. The Affghans surrounded the cantonments, and poured in
a constant fire from every quarter; and, at length, on the 11th of
December, the commissariat fort being captured by the enemy, Sir William
M'Naghten was compelled to sign this humiliating agreement with
the rebel chief:--"That the British should evacuate the whole of
Affghanistan, including Candahar, Ghuznee, and Jellalabad: that they
should be permitted to return unmolested to India; and that supplies
should be granted to them on their road thither--certain men of
consequence accompanying them as hostages; that means of transport
should be furnished to the troops; that Dost Mahomed Khan, his family,
and every Affghan then detained within our territory should be allowed
to return to their own country; that Shah Soojah and his family should
have the option of remaining at Cabul or proceeding with the British
troops to Loodianah, in either case receiving from the Affghan
government one lac of rupees per annum; that an amnesty should be
granted to all who had taken the part of Shah Soojah; that all prisoners
should be released; that no British force should ever be sent into
Affghanistan, unless invited by the Affghan government." The chiefs,
in retiring from the conference, took with them Captain Trevor as a
hostage. Much delay took place in carrying any of these terms into
effect; and in the meantime a trap was laid for Sir William M'Naghten,
into which he fell. On the 22nd of December two Affghans came into the
cantonment, and had a private conference with him, in which they made
a proposal on the part of Akbar Khan, that Ameenoolah Khan should be
seized the next day, and delivered up to the British as a prisoner; that
the Bala Hissar should be occupied by one of our regiments: that Shah
Soojah should continue king, and Mahomed Akbar become his Wuzeer, or
prime-minister; and that our troops should remain in the cantonment
until the following spring. To these specious terms the envoy unwarily
assented; and on the 23rd of December, accompanied by three officers, he
left the Mission-House to attend a conference with Mahomed Akbar Khan
in the plain toward Seeah Sung. While in the act of conference, however,
Sir William M'Naghten and the officers were seized from behind by armed
men; and he and Captain Trevor were murdered; the other officers escaped
with difficulty. The situation of the British troops was now evidently