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-127- Indiawards. Clause number ten of this Treaty, too, had undertaken that the English would leave military officers as hostages at Kabul, till the matter of the return of Amir Dost Mohamed Khan and his relatives from India to Afghanistan could be settled at Peshawar. In accordance to this latter clause, the English left seven of their offi- cers at Kabul, namely Durrand, Walsh, Warburton, Webb, Conolly, Avery and Anderson. These hostages were detained in the house of Nawab Mohamed Zaman Khan. When the English troops left Kobul, and the Jalalabad contin- gent did not move out according to the treaty, Sirdar Mohamed Ak- bar Khan, who was moving behind the English retreating lines-for the protection of the English-noticing the departure from their writ- ten-pledge, drew the attention of the English officers to this fact. But unfortunately no practical steps were taken by the English. The English intention seemed to be that the two contingents-one from Kabul and the one at Jalalabad-should be united, while persistent reports showed that General Sale's column was being strengthened at Jalalabad. The lack of fulfilment of the English promise, and the danger which lurked behind it, compelled Sirdar Mohamed Akber Khan to detain the English forces on their way to Jalalabad in the depth of winter. More hostages also were demanded from them because no action had been taken by the Jalalabad column to move out of that city prior to the arrival of the Elphinstone force from Kabul. On one occasion, three officers, and on the second occ- asion they had to give seven military officers, ten women and twentytwo children as hostages. The reason for giving women and children as hostages was that as such they could be protected by the hospitality of the Sirder and would thus escape the rigour of winter and camping difficulties in the snow. Amongst these women Lady Menaughton the widow of the dead Menaughton and Lady Sale, the wife of the English commander at Jalalabad, were also included. In the ranks of the high military officers were General Elphinstone, General Aiyer and Pottinger were included, the last named being the signitory of the Treaty under review. When at last it was quite apparent that Ceneral Sale had no intention of moving out of Jalallabad, and was determined to fight it