1 The attitude assumed
2 by the Amirs of Sindh.
3 The scope of Licut,
4 Burnes’ explorations.
5 The hindrance
6 eaused by the Sindh
7 Anis,
8 Journey on the bank
9 of Indus, 1831.
10 The wonder of the
11 inhabitants at the
12 sight of the English.
13 Their courtesy.
14 Lieut. Burnes in the
15 country of Nawab
16 Bahdwal Khan,
17 Tuterview with the
18 Nawab.
19 Sri Satguru J agjit S
20 444. HISTORY OF THE PANJAB.
21 Alexander’s expedition. Moreover, the successes of Russia in Persia, and the
22 apprehensions lest that Power should entertain further designs against
23 castern countries, had made it highly desirable to extend the knowledge of
24 the English people as to the state of the countries on the frontiers of India,
25 and the facilities for military defence offered by that great river barrier,
26 the Indus. The Amirs of Sindh evinced the greatest jealousy of Europeans,
27 and. declined to allow the mission to proceed beyond Hyderdbdd, their
28 capital. Lieutenant Burnes was made the bearer of presents for the Amirs,
29 and was at the same time charged with communications of a political
30 nature. His instructions were to obtain information as to the depth of water
31 in the Indus, the direction and breadth of the stream, the facilities it offered
32 for steam navigation, the supply of fuel on its banks, the conditions of the
33 people and princes bordering on it, together with any other particulars which
34 the exploration might suggest. Lieutenant Burnes had in his suite a young
35 and active officer, Ensign J. D. Leckie, of the 22nd Regiment, N. I, a sur-
36 veyor, and a native doctor, and was provided with a suitable establishment
37 of servants. He sailed from Mandvi, in Katch, with a fleet of five native
38 boats, on the morning of 21st January, 1831, The Amirs of Sindh -show-
39 ed a strong repugnance to letting the fleet pass through their country on the
40 grounds of the difficulty of navigation and the unsettled and distracted
41 state of the country between Sindh and Lidhore, which were of course very
42 much exaggerated. After much unnecessary delay, the requisite permis-
43 sion was given, but not before Colonel Pottinger, the Political Agent at
44 Katch, had written strongly on the subject to the Amirs, and convinced them
45 that their refusal to give the required permission to the mission to proceed
46 by the Indus route could be viewed in no other light than that of an
47 act opposed to decency on the part of the ruling Mirs, and calculated to
48 give offence to the British Government.
49 Lieutenant Burnes describes tlie intense curiosity with which the people
50 on the banks of the Indus looked upon Englishmen. One man stopped the
51 party and eagerly demanded that the “white-faces” should be shown to
52 him, for they had never seen such faces in their life before. The welcome
53 which the mission had received everywhere on the Indus induced the
54 Englishmen to exhibit themselves to the man and the crowd of which he
55 was the spokesraan. They said they had seen Shah Shujd, the ex-king of
56 Kabul, but never an Englishman. “ Bismilléh” (“In the name of God”) was
57 the exclamation everywhere that the “white-faced” made their appear-
58 ance. They were styled: kings and princes, and the ladies expressed more
59 astonishment at the sight of them than did their husbands,
60 On the evening of 27th of May, the party entered the country of the Daud-
61 potras, ruled by Nawab Bahdwal Khan, and were received with much distinc-
62 tion by Ghulé4m Kadir Khan, a person of high rank, who had been sent by
63 the Nawab to welcome them. The interview with the Nawdb took place at
64 Uch with great ceremony, including a salute of eighty guns. The Khan was
65 seated in an area spread with carpets and attended by about ten persons.
66 He rose toembrace Lieutenant Burnes, and made particular enquiries regard-
67 ing Mr. Elplinstone, who, he said, had founded a lasting friendship between the
68 family of the Ddudpotrds and his own Government. Lieutenant Burnes des-
69 cribes Bahawal Khan as a handsome man of about thirty years of age, grave
70 in his demeanour, but affable and gentlemanly. He held a rosary in his
71 hand, but his conversation was not interrypted by the telling of the beads.
72 He talked of the honour which had been conferred by the King of England
73 on Ranjit Singh, by sending him presents. He did not touch on_ political
74 matters but al ed about his favqurite put yit the manner of hunting
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