1 .
2 COMMUNICATION WITH AZIZ KHAN. 507
3 valry with a quantity of treasure was encamped
4 here on its way to Kabul, and the thieves were
5 probably encouraged to annoy us in conse-
6 quence of the tempting prize before them.
7 On our way to Jalalabad Sir Claude Wade
8 opened a communication with Aziz Khan and
9 the Ghilzae chiefs, by inviting them to join him,
10 with a view to effecting a reconciliation between
11 the Shah and themselves. At first, such was
12 their alarm from the arrests which had taken
13 place at Kabul, that they hesitated to come.
14 Some of them, as already stated, were amongst
15 those who had joined the Shah Zada in our way
16 to that city, but had retired to their homes from
17 the same cause. At length, on our arrival at
18 Soorkhab, after some negotiation, and many
19 assurances of good faith and protection, Aziz
20 Khan promised to come; but when the time
21 came he still showed a distrust of our in-
22 tentions, proposing that the Colonel should
23 visit him first in his own fort, attended by a
24 few followers, which Sir Claude declined ; but
25 offered instead to send a Reesh Safed apd con-
26 fidential agent of his own, as well as a Sayed,
27 zZ 2