1 of interest in England,—and the heavy professional
2 claims upon the author’s time,—determined him to
3 send forth the work in its present comparatively
4 crude form. The part of the second volume which
5 speculates upon possible occurrences, which either
6 did or did not afterwards transpire, and to which
7 reference is subsequently made, must be accepted
8 rather a* a journal of operations than as a com¬
9 prehensive digest of the entire campaign.
10 The author is under deep obligations to several
11 of the military authorities, and to many brother-
12 officers for the aid he has received in the
13 prosecution of his arduous task; and he begs they
14 will, individually and collectively, accept his cordial
15 acknowledgements. His object has been to record
16 every fact, connected with the History of the
17 Sikhs, from the birth of Nanuk Shah, to the
18 capture of Kote Kangra by the British; to present
19 a complete history of the life of Runjeet Singh,
20 the former despot of the Punjab; and to render
21 justice to all those enlightened men and gallant
22 spirits, whose skill and intrepidity combined to
23 repel the insolent invasion of a rgbellious army
24 and to consolidate the British' power in the north¬
25 west of India.