Page:The Earl of Auckland.djvu/174

168 for 'the maintenance of the honour and interests of the British Government.' Up to this time the display of vigour had been confined to the despatch of Wild's brigade across the Sutlej, the gathering of strong reinforcements about Karnál, and the final selection of Colonel George Pollock of the Bengal Artillery for the command which Elphinstone was deemed unfit to retain.

But this spurt of energy soon died off. There was much indeed to disquiet and perplex the Governor-General. There was war with China, in which troops from India, including three of his English regiments, had to bear a part. There was no certainty of maintaining peace with his neighbours in Nepál. The cost of his spirited foreign policy was saddling India with a heavy debt and reducing her garrisons below their proper strength. That policy was disliked by most of Peel's colleagues, and condemned by the bulk of Peel's followers. The Commander-in-Chief, Sir Jasper Nicolls, was strongly set against any attempt to reconquer any part of Afghánistán, even for the purpose of chastising an insolent enemy. And the Governor-General himself was loth in those last days of his rule to enter on new enterprises which might seem to tie his successor's hands. If Pollock's troops were to march through the Kháibar, they should do nothing more than help Sale to withdraw his garrison from Jalálábád. Any question of 'ulterior operations' for the punishment of our enemies, the recovery of our lost