A serious-looking telegram had previously been received in the beginning
of the week from Candahar. The Kakars, a great Pathan tribe near Quetta, saw in General Stewart's march their opportunity ; they rose behind him, cut the tele- graph through the Bolan, stormed a small outpost, killing Major Wandby and some Sepoys, and, as was at first an- nounced, moved to attack Candabar. A body of cavalry was, however, pushed forward from Quetta and communications were restored, the Kakars declining any engagement with any decent body of troops. The incident was, in fact, unimportant, except as showing that in every part of Afghanistan the people bear us a deadly hatred; and are only restrained from attack by fear or bribes. The authority of the Sirdar Shere Ali, whom we are supposed to have made independent, is worthless over the hillmen, or, indeed, over anybody else, unless British troops are always at hand to support it. The new " plan " for quieting Afghani- stan is a failure from the beginning, as any other plan will be, except the recognition of an Ameer able to maintain himself without our help,
