Your friendly and wise suggestion that none of the ignorant tribes of Afghanistan should oppose the British troops, so that the officers of the British Government should be the better able to support and protect me, is very acceptable and reasonable.

Before I received your letter, I had sent orders repeatedly to the Governors of Jalalabad and Lalpura not to let anyone oppose or resist the British troops, and stringent orders have again been issued to the Governor of Jalalabad to use his utmost endeavours and efforts in this respect.

The order in question to the address of the Governor of Jalalabad will be shown you to-morrow, and sent by an express courier.] [Footnote 3: It was a matter of intense gratification to me that the whole time we remained in Afghanistan, nearly two years, not a single complaint was made by an Afghan of any soldier in my force having interfered with the women of the country.] [Footnote 4: The force was made up as follows: -- ------------------------------------------------------ | |British | Other Ranks.

| | |Officers.|----------------| | | |British.|Native.| -- -----------------------------------------------------| |Divisional, Brigade, | | | | |and Departmental Staff | 60 | | | |F/A, R.H.A.

| 7 | 118 | | |G/3, R.A.