"The Afghans have not yet recovered from their astonishment at the
rapidity with which Ghuzni fell into our hands, nor up to this moment
will they believe how it was effected.
"This morning we received intelligence of Dost Mahomed's flight towards
Bamian; for several days past many of his former adherents had been
joining the King. Since this morning, thousands of Afghans have been
coming in to tender their allegiance to his Majesty, who is in the
greatest spirits at this pacific termination to the campaign, and says
that God has now granted all his wishes, --Cabool is at hand!
"We are all delighted at it. Few armies have made so long a march in the
same time that the army of the Indus has done. The country is every day
improving. The road to Candahar from where we are now encamped lies in a
continued valley seldom stretching in width above two miles; cultivation
on each side of the road, and numberless villages nestling under the
hills. Since we left Ghuzni, the fruits have assumed a very fine
appearance; the grapes, plums, and apples have become very large, like
their brethren of Europe. The climate now is very fine. The rapid
Loghurd river is flowing close to our encampments, and the European
soldiers and officers are amusing themselves with fishing in it. We are
beginning to get vegetables again. I passed this morning through fields
of beans, but only in flower. Our attention must be turned to the
cultivation of potatoes; they grow in quantities in Persia, and this
seems to be just the country for them. To revert from small things to
great: a party has just been detached towards Bamian with a view of
cutting off Dost Mahomed. It would be a great thing to catch him. The
party consists chiefly of Afghans, headed by Hajee Khan Kaukur, and
about eight or ten British officers have been sent with it, to prevent
the Afghans from committing excesses."