h, Irish, and Scotch gentlemen, whose
honour and courage have created in their troops such an intrepid spirit
as to render India secure against every evil from which an army can
protect a country."

Notwithstanding the supposed necessity of Sir Charles Napier's
appointment, no great dispatch was used in his departure, and the public
began to suppose that the object of the government in this delay was to
gain time for Lord Gough to redeem his honour. This increased the public
irritation, which was exasperated by the private letters that reached
England from Lahore, and from Lord Gough's own camp. These letters led
the English public to believe that a general panic prevailed, not only
in the Punjaub, but at the head-quarters of Lord Gough's army. The
following are specimens of the letters, which, on their arrival in
England, so disturbed the public mind:--

"I have much pleasure in giving you the following latest information
from the commander-in-chief's camp, dated 16th instant; it indeed has
been a sad business, and it is impossible to predict when our mishaps,
and such fearful butchery and wanton sacrifice of life will end or stop,
under such a commander-in-chief. Unless the governor-general recalls Lord
Gough to the provinces, the chances ate he will not only lose the
splendid army under his command, which he has already done his best to
cripple and weaken, but he will so compromise the government that the
most serious apprehension may be entertained as to the ultimate result
of this contest.

"I told you Gholab Singh had an army of ten thousand men not far in
advance of the commander-in-chief's camp, doing nothing, but alive and
awake to take every advantage of the first serious mishap that might
occur to our army under its present chief; in addition to which Dost
Mohammed has a force of ten thousand to twelve thousand Affghans, at
a short distance from Attock, ready to cooperate with Chuttur Singh.
Gholab. Singh has fourteen pieces of cannon with his ten thousand men,
but he is not present in person; the wary chief is abiding his time in
the hills; he has, however, deputed a vakeel to offer a nuzzur at Lahore
to our resident; but deep craftiness and the most wily treachery are at
the bottom of this proceeding. The vakeel has been instructed to apprise
his master of every single occurrence that takes place at Lahore, and
to keep him well informed of all movements on our part. It is extremely
strange our government