1 HISTORY OF THE SIKHS. 295
2 most economical scale, the whole will be hired at
3 the halting rates.”
4 In consequence of this communication, the Com- Troops.
5 mander-in-chief warned the troops on the frontier,
6 including the 2nd European regiments in the hills,
7 to hold themselves in readiness. The Meerut
8 force was likewise furnished with the same instruc-
9 tions. We are not certain whether the Com-
10 mander-in-chief actually gave the order for the
11 troops to move, on these data, or merely warned
12 them to be ready. That the Governor-general
13 deemed the steps already taken sufficient to meet
14 coming events, is gleaned from his Minute No. 9,
15 dated December 2nd, 1845, previous to which a
16 meeting had taken place between him and the
17 Commander-in-chief, at Kurnaul, and at which it TheGovernor-
18 general and
19 was surmised, that the steps taken by the Com- Tanmanders:
20 mander-in-chief, in consequence of a letter ad- at Kurnaul,
21 dressed to him by Major Broadfoot, had not
22 exactly met the views of the Governor-general.
23 In the Minute alluded to, the latter says, “ The The Governor-
24 precautions already adopted to provide against the fle steer on
25 possibility of our forces being unprepared to meet seiueatel
26 any movement of the Sikh army this season, and"
27 the arrangements of the Commander-in-chief on
28 the receipt of Major Broadfoot’s intelligence, ren-
29 dered it, in my opinion, unnecessary to allow these
30 reports of invasion to make any change in my
31 movements.” What the arrangements herein al-
32 luded to were, as having been made by His Excel-
33 lency the Commander-in-chief, will be best learned