1 ILL-HEALTH OF THE MAHARAJA. 211
2 and feeble to do any business, and is said to
3 have entirely lost his speech. Public affairs are
4 consequently managed by Raja Dhian Singh
5 and his other courtiers, who are strongly op-
6 posed to the scheme, and know that we are too
7 far off to counteract their opposition in per-
8 son; and they have succeeded in bribing the
9 news-writers of our government at court, on
10 whose reports no further dependence can now
11 be placed. The Governor-General has been
12 requested, therefore, to adopt the only course
13 left, viz., of deputing an officer to Lahore, to
14 give full effect to our requisitions.
15 Letters were received from the Khaibar
16 chiefs, in reply to those which were addressed
17 to them from the Jehlam to join the Shah
18 Zada. They expressed their sincere devotion
19 to’ the cause of the Shah, but begged to be
20 excused from attending his son, as their host-
21 ages were still in the hands of Mahomed
22 * Tn consequence of which Mr. G. R.-‘Clerk, who had
23 been appointed to act for Sir C. M. Wade on the frontier
24 of the Sutledge, in the absence of the latter with the
25 Shah Zada, was sent to Lahore,