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- 131 - forces at Jalalabad and at Kandahar taking heart drove off our forces actually from the walls of the citadels. Not only this, they made further thrusts at Khurd Kabul and Tayzeen. There is no doubt, of course, that in this progress of English aggression, the arrival of a large English force under General Pollock from India was in a manner a positive element, but pages of history bear witness to the fact that prior to the crossing of the Khyber Pass by the Pollock force, the troops under General Sale at Jalalabad, who were beseiged for a time, did in effect manage to drive our forces away and to force Sirdar Mohamed Akbar Khan to beat a retreat to Kabul. Some have indicated that these reverses were not reverses, as such, but merely a matter of military tactics undertaken at the advice of Amir Dost Mohamed Khan. At any rate, General Sale and General Pollock mutually strengthened, and finding Prince Fateh Jung still available, forced their way through to Kabul once again, and on the morning of 16th, September 1842. A. D. arrived at Bala Hissar. On that unfortunate day, once again the English standard was unfurled on the turrets of Bala Hisar with the rejoinings of the English and the boom of big guns. The very first order which was issued by General Pollok upon arrival in Kabul was given to Maccastle to proceed towards Kohdaman and Kohistan in order to crush the resistance of the national fighters in that region. Sirdar Mohamed Akbar Khan was riding with the English officers towards Bamyan from Ghorband, and Aminullah Khan Logari, who had been depended upon to help the foreigners and prince Fateh Jung agains Sirdar Mohamed Zaman Khan, was now actually resisting the English. When the English stigmatised any person as their enemy, he was so regarded by them to the end of time. The English forces contined to advance helped by their big guns, and superior armaments, and the fire of the patriots used to recede further and further into the fastnesses of their highland homes as the aggressor advanced on and onwards into their territory beyond Istalif. Not long afterwards, however, those who had been driven out, saw smoke rise from the high hills of Istalif; and the leaves of the trees of beautiful Istalif with all the orchards and buildings were burnt