1 A. D. 1831. AND AT LAHOR. 159
2 and the progress np it was tedloas in the extreme, being
3 dependent entirely on the track rope.
4 On the 17th of July, Lieutenant Burnes reached
5 Labor, where his arrival with the present from the King
6 of England, and with the letter of Lord Ellen borough
7 vhich accompanied it, was a source of great pride and
8 rejoicing to Runjeet Singh. The attention he paid
9 to Lieutenant BuRNES was very marked, and he had in-
10 vited Captain Wade over from Loodeeana, to assist at
11 the ceremonial of reception. From Labor, Lieutenant
12 Burnes proceeded to Shimla, to render to the Go-
13 vernor General an account of his mission, and to lay
14 before his Lordship the valuable information obtained
15 during it. This enterprizingand zealous officer obtained
16 His Lordship's permission, to return to his presidency of
17 Bombay through Persia, and to explore the route of
18 Bulkh and Bukhara, after first crossing the Punjab and
19 Kabool territory, in order that he might be the means of
20 adding information of this little known route, to the stores
21 of intelligence already contributed by him.
22 The very favorable disposition in which the ruler of
23 Labor seemed to be at this juncture, encouraged Lord
24 William Bentinck to hope, that a proposition for a
25 personal meeting between himself and Runjeet Singh
26 would be likely to be well received. He accordingly
27 instructed Captain Wade, when at Labor, on the occa-
28 sion above related, to sound the Chiefs confidential
29 advisers on tlie subject. As anticipated by His Lord-
30 ship, the Ruler of Labor showed great desire for the meet-
31 ing, but some difficulty was at first started in respect to
32 the etiquette of a previous return mission, Runjeet