of no surer way than that of making over to Dost Muhammad the coveted valley of Pesháwar.
'I have been sorry to see,' wrote the Private Secretary to Captain Burnes on February 7, 1838, 'that you still cling to the idea of the abandonment of Pesháwar, even in its civil government, by Ranjít Singh. He has given us no indication that he has the slightest intention of the kind. He may be possibly brought to make over the administration of the territory to the Sultán Muhammad Khán; but Dost Muhammad Khán can exercise no interference on the point. This should be understood distinctly and definitely.'
Again on March 14 the Private Secretary recurs to the subject under the Governor-Generals instructions: —
'You will see that it is a principal object with the Governor-General to ascertain, what does not clearly appear from the papers yet before him, whether Dost Muhammad Khán intends to make under all circumstances a sine quâ non of possessing some share in the Pesháwar territory. Apprized as you now are of his Lordship's fixed opinions, you will, he is quite satisfied, use every endeavour to dissuade Dost Muhammad from persisting in such a resolution. ...
'The question is, whether Dost Muhammad would prefer renouncing his connexion with us, that he may retain a barren claim to a portion of the Pesháwar territory, to leaving the Sikh in the immediate occupation of that country, under the continued exercise of our influence for his safety in his Kábul dominions. ...
'If Dost Muhammad should wish his scheme of having a share in Peshawar to he freely discussed, though without making a sine quâ non of it, this, I dare say, will readily be done. While it is thought (you will see) that advantage will
