that direction, or to raise up a timely barrier against impending encroachments of Russia. His immediate and most earnest attention was to be given to the subject.
With this despatch in his pocket, and with Mr. McNeill never ceasing, week by week, to pour in fervid warnings from Teherán, the Governor-General was not likely to be allowed to sleep undisturbed by dreams of Russian aggression. A commercial mission he had already despatched to Kábul. Soon a political character would be added to it. He could only trust that Ranjít Singh would continue to be friendly; that the Amírs of Sind would show themselves amenable to his agent; above all, that Dost Muhammad Khán would fall into his plans, and thus enable him to complete the protection of his frontier, and to exchange guarantees of mutual assistance with the group of States between the Sutlej and Central Asia. If this could be achieved by the Indian Government, the instructions of the British Government would have been obeyed, and the safety of India secured.
With this hope in his heart, he watched anxiously the course of events. Shortly after the despatch of June 25 reached him, he had communicated to his masters in England his uneasiness at the direction which affairs were taking: —
'It is most annoying to me to learn,' he wrote on November 24, 1836, to the Chairman of the Court, 'that the Persians instead of strengthening themselves for defence,
