The Letters of Queen Victoria Volume I Part 110

On the 16th of September, General Pollock entered Cabul with his victorious troops and planted the Colours of your Majesty in the Bala Hissar, on the spot most conspicuous from the city.

An extract from a letter from General Pollock to Lord Ellenborough, dated at Cabul the 21st of September, gives the most gratifying intelligence that _all_ the British prisoners, with the exception of Captain Bygrave, have been rescued from Akbar Khan, and were expected in the British camp on the 22nd of September.

An extract from a letter from General Pollock announcing the redemption of the prisoners is also most humbly submitted to your Majesty, by your Majesty's most dutiful Subject and Servant,

FITZGERALD AND VESCI.

[Footnote 108: The mail, which informed Ministers of the Chinese success, also brought the news of the capture of Cabul. General Nott (see _ante_, p. 402 (Ch XI, 'Sale and Pollock')) had by the end of July completed his preparations, and marched upon Ghuznee, having arranged to meet Pollock at Cabul, and having transferred the Scinde command to General England. Nott was before Ghuznee on 5th September, but at daylight on the 6th found it evacuated; the citadel was destroyed by him and the Gates of Somnauth removed, as directed by Lord Ellenborough. Pollock, to whose discretion Ellenborough had entrusted the policy of advancing on Cabul, secured supplies at Gundamuck, and on his advance met the enemy in a strong position in the Jugdulluck Pa.s.s and dispersed them; then at Tezeen, on 12th September, he was attacked by Akbar Khan with 20,000 men. The Pa.s.s was forced, and the Afghans retired to the Haft Kotal, where they were utterly defeated, close to the scene of Elphinstone's disaster. Nott arrived at Cabul on the day after Pollock.]

[Pageheading: AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL]

_The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria._

ARDENNE, _24th November 1842._

MY DEAREST VICTORIA,--... I do not think, or I may say I am pretty certain, because I have often seen Donna Maria's letters, they hardly ever speak of politics, except just saying that they are surrounded by such very sad people without honour or honesty. I am sure they are not French at Lisbon beyond the kindly feelings which result from the recollection of Donna Maria's stay at Paris. My constant advice has been to look exclusively to the closest alliance with England, and Ferdinand is now _well aware_ of it; but you know that the Liberal party tried to even harm him by representing him as a _mere_ creature of England. We live in odd times when really one very often thinks people mad; their _uncontrouled_ pa.s.sions do not develop amiable feelings, but on the contrary everything that is bad and unreasonable....

You are a very affectionate and kind Mamma, which is very praiseworthy; may Heaven preserve your dear little children! Victoria is very clever, and it will give you great pleasure to see the development which takes place with children just at that time of life.

What you say of Ernest is unfortunately but too true; that trick of exaggeration is one of the worst I almost know, and particularly in people in high stations, as one finally knows not what to believe, and it generally ends with people disbelieving all such individuals do say.... Your devoted Uncle,

LEOPOLD R.

_Queen Victoria to Sir Robert Peel._

WALMER CASTLE, _25th November 1842._

The Queen wishes Sir Robert to consider, and at an _early_ period to submit to her, his propositions as to how to recompense and how to mark her high approbation of the admirable conduct of all those meritorious persons who have by their strenuous endeavour, brought about the recent brilliant successes in China and Afghanistan.

[Pageheading: MILITARY HONOURS]

_Queen Victoria to Sir Robert Peel._

WALMER CASTLE, _29th November 1842._

Approve of the G.C.B. given to--

Sir H. POTTINGER.

Sir W. PARKER.

GENERAL NOTT.

GENERAL POLLOCK.

Likewise of the proposed pension to Sir R. Sale, and the Baronetcy to Sir Hugh Gough.

Thinks the latter very fit to succeed Sir Jasper Nicols[109] as Commander-in-Chief in India.

Grants with pleasure the permission _to her troops_ engaged in Afghanistan to accept and wear the four medals which the Governor-General has had struck for the Indian Army, and hopes that besides gratifying the troops, it will have the beneficial effect of still further strengthening the good feeling existing between the two armies. Were it not for this impression, the Queen would have thought it more becoming that she herself should have rewarded her troops with a medal than leaving it to the Governor-General.

[Footnote 109: Lieut.-General Sir Jasper Nicols (1778-1849), created a K.C.B. for his services at Bhurtpore.]

[Pageheading: THE GATES OF SOMNAUTH]

_Lord Ellenborough to Queen Victoria._

SIMLA, _18th October 1842._

Lord Ellenborough, with his most humble duty to your Majesty, humbly offers to your Majesty his congratulation on the entire success which has attended the operations of the Fleet and Army under your Majesty's direction in the Yantze-Kiang,[110] and submits to your Majesty the general order which, on the receipt of the intelligence of that success and of the peace concluded with the Emperor of China upon the terms dictated by your Majesty, he issued to the Army of India.

Your Majesty will have observed that in the letter of the 4th of July to Major-General Nott, that officer was instructed to bring away the gates of the Temple of Somnauth, from the tomb of Mahmood of Ghuznee, and the club of Mahmood also.

The club was no longer upon the tomb, and it seems to be doubtful whether it was taken away by some person of Lord Keane's Army in 1839, or by Shah Sooja, or whether it was hidden in order to prevent its being taken away at that time.

The gates of the Temple of Somnauth have been brought away by Major-General Nott.

These gates were taken to Ghuznee by Sultan Mahmood in the year 1024.

The tradition of the Invasion of India by Sultan Mahmood in that year, and of the carrying away of the gates after the destruction of the Temple, is still current in every part of India, and known to every one. So earnest is the desire of the Hindoos and of all who are not Mussulmans to recover the gates of the Temple, that when ten or twelve years ago Runjeet Singh was making arrangements with Shah Sooja for a.s.sisting him in the endeavour to recover his throne,[111] he wished to make a stipulation that when Shah Sooja recovered his power he should restore the gates to India, and Shah Sooja refused.

Lord Ellenborough transmits for your Majesty's information a copy of the Address he intends to publish on announcing that the gates of the Temple will be restored.[112]

The progress of the gates from Ferozepore to Somnauth will be one great national triumph, and their restoration to India will endear the Government to the whole people.[113]

[Footnote 110: See _ante_, p. 441, note 107.

(Ch. XI, 'Successes in China')]

[Footnote 111: See _ante_, p. 142. (Intro Note to Ch. VIII)]

[Footnote 112: "The insult of 800 years," he wrote in this rather theatrical proclamation, "is at last avenged. The gates of the temple of Somnauth, so long the memorial of your humiliation, are become the proudest record of your national glory.... You will yourselves, with all honour, transmit the gates of sandal-wood, through your respective territories, to the restored Temple of Somnauth."]

[Footnote 113: See _post_, pp. 463, 468, and 477.

(Ch. XII, Footnote 13; 10th March, 1843; 19th February, 1843)]

[Pageheading: FRANCE AND SPAIN]