1 210 DISAGREEABLE INTELLIGENCE.
2 the money he demanded, besides being ho-
3 noured by a khilat from the Shah Zada.
4 Another circumstance which prevented us
5 from profiting by the present opportunity was
6 the information which we were surprised to
7 receive from General Avitabile, on our arrival
8 at Chamkani, that neither he nor any of the
9 Sirdars at Peshawr had yet received the in-
10 structions of their master to co-operate in the
11 present expedition, although deceitful assu-
12 rances to the contrary had been given. This
13 news was, of course, very vexatious, especially
14 as but slight aid was then required from the
15 Sikhs at Peshawr to effect the object of seizing
16 the fort of Ali Masjid before its garrison was
17 increased, there being then only about fifty Ja-
18 zailchis all together in it,and they could not have
19 long held out against a large and disciplined
20 force; but the Sikhs, as I have stated above,
21 seem resolutely determined to defeat rather
22 than assist us in our operations. The Maha-
23 raja alone appears somewhat sincere to his
24 pledges and engagements in the tripartite
25 treaty. We hear, however, that he is too sick