(After compliments.) Your friendly letter has reached me just at this moment, 8 p.m., the 10th Shawal (27th September), and opened the doors of joy and happiness on the face of my heart marked with affection.  I feel perfectly certain and confident that the movements of Her Imperial Majesty’s victorious troops are merely for the purpose of consolidating the foundation of my kingdom and strengthening the basis of my government.

In truth, the sympathy of friends with friends is fitting and proper, and the indulgence and kindness of a great Government to a sincere and faithful friend are agreeable and pleasing.  I am exceedingly gratified with, and thankful to, the representatives of the illustrious British Government for their expression of sympathy and their support of my cause.  Your friendly and wise suggestion that none of the ignorant tribes of Afghanistan should oppose the British troops, so that the officers of the British Government should be the better able to support and protect me, is very acceptable and reasonable.  Before I received your letter, I had sent orders repeatedly to the Governors of Jalalabad and Lalpura not to let anyone oppose or resist the British troops, and stringent orders have again been issued to the Governor of Jalalabad to use his utmost endeavours and efforts in this respect.  The order in question to the address of the Governor of Jalalabad will be shown you to-morrow, and sent by an express courier.]

[Footnote 3:  It was a matter of intense gratification to me that the whole time we remained in Afghanistan, nearly two years, not a single complaint was made by an Afghan of any soldier in my force having interfered with the women of the country.]

[Footnote 4:  The force was made up as follows: 

-------------------------------------------------------

-
|                           |British  |  Other Ranks.  |
|                           |Officers.|----------------|
|                           |         |British.|Native.|
-------------------------------------------------------|
|Divisional, Brigade,       |         |        |       |
|and Departmental Staff     |   60    |        |       |
|F/A, R.H.A.                |    7    |   118  |       |
|G/3, R.A.                  |    7    |   137  |       |
|No. 2 Mountain Battery     |    3    |        |  223  |
|Two Gatling guns           |    1    |    34  |       |
|9th Lancers (one squadron) |    4    |   118  |       |
|5th Punjab Cavalry         |    7    |        |  325  |
|12th Bengal Cavalry        |    6    |        |  328  |
|14th Bengal Lancers        |    7    |        |  407  |
|67th Foot                  |   18    |   686  |       |
|72nd Highlanders           |   23    |   746  |       |
|92nd Highlanders           |   17    |   717  |       |
|5th Punjab Infantry        |    8    |        |  610  |
|5th Gurkhas                |    7    |        |  574  |
|23rd Pioneers              |    6    |        |  671  |