1 COOLNESS OF THE SIKH OFFICERS. 251
2 to Ranjeet Singh when we were on the banks
3 of the J ehlam- to place the Gherkha battalion
4 ~ and a couple of guns on our arrival at Pe-
5 shawr at the Colonel’s disposal ; and he wrote
6 in reply that Nao Nihal: Singh would furnish
7 him with that force. His present disapproval
8 ‘of the measure did not therefore appear to be
9 ‘very consistent either with his previous com-
10 munication, or his sincerity of purpose to assist
11 the Shah Zada at the time when the aid
12 of his. troops and: officers was chiefly re-
13 quired. The Sikhs had the same -time to
14 coinplete the. provisions of the tripartite com-
15 pact that -we had, and repeated letters. had
16 been addressed by Sir Claude Wade to his
17 Highness since our departure from Lahore,
18 reminding him of the necessity of these pre-
19 parations, " and urging ‘him to hasten their
20 completion, without, as it has been seen, pro-
21 ‘ducing any other result than the assurance
22 of ‘orders having been issued“which were not
23 obeyed by his officers, while studious care was
24 taken to inform the Mission that the Sikh
25 forces were advancing, and might soon be