1 WANT OF CONFIDENCE. 467
2 working hard to endanger the road; for on
3 our arrival at Teizeen we heard that it was
4 beginning to be infested by the Ghilzaes, in
5 consequence of which the Colonel took the
6 necessary precautions to guard against sur-
7 prise or accident. The Afghans now appeared
8 to lose their confidence in the new Government.
9 Had the Shah and his advisers acted with pru-
10 dence, and not at once have put Haji Khan in
11 arrest, the commotions which followed would
12 not probably have occurred. Every one now
13 began to be fearful of appearing at court, and
14 every assurance failed to dispel their alarm.*
15 * When the ministers and a good many followers of the
16 Amir returned from Turkistan, they told us that he, the
17 Amir, instead of having the slightest hope or thought of
18 the good offices of Haji Khan in delaying the march of the
19 English, not only threw loads of abuse on his head when-
20 ever his name was mentioned, but concluded that he would
21 do all to facilitate the means of his being overtaken.
22 Whatever the faults of Haji Khan Kakar were, it was very
23 impolitic to punish him. He was three months ago nomi-
24 nated Nasir-ul-daulah, with a considerable salary; and
25 now we made him a prisoner, and banished him to India.
26 We gained no good by this, but rather shook, the con-
27 fidence of many other chiefs. Immediately hig fate was
28 known in the capital of Afghanistan, Aziz Khan, the