'in which she would be joined by all the warlike restless tribes that formed the overwhelming force of Timúr.' Again carefully calculating distances, he points out that from Herát to Attock is a distance of 1,032 miles, which he divides into four further stages. 'The Afghán confederacy, even if cordially united, would have no means to resist the power of Russia and Persia. They probably would make a virtue of necessity, and join the common cause; receiving in reward for their co-operation the promises of all the possessions that had been wrested from them by Ranjít Singh, and expecting also to reap no poor harvest from the plunder of India. But, however this may be, it will be sufficient to assume the possibility that a Russian force of 20,000 men fully equipped, accompanied with a body of 100,000 horse, may reach the shores of the Indus.' Lord William Bentinck was far from wishing it to be understood that he thought that such an attack was imminent, or even probable. But he thought it possible; and the object of his Minute was to review the resources which the Government of India had at its command in order to frustrate such an endeavour.
Reserving further mention of Kábul affairs, this narrative returns to Calcutta, where war is not a contingency, but is raging furiously. The burning question of 1836 is Macaulay's Black Act. By this project, appeals by European British subjects from the decisions of the subordinate Civil Courts of the Company are in future to be taken not to the
