letters received from my son which detail any of the events of the
campaign. As he was actively engaged with the Bombay division, his
narrative may be relied upon so far as he had an opportunity of
witnessing its operations; and it being my intention to have only a few
copies printed, to give to those friends who may take an interest in his
letters, I need not apologize for the familiar manner in which they are
written, as they were intended by him only for his own family, without
an idea of their being printed. A history, however, may be collected
from them most honourable to the British soldiers, both Europeans and
natives of India. They shew the patience with which, for more than
twelve months, the soldiers bore all their deprivations and fatiguing
marches through countries until then unknown to them, whether moving
through arid sands or rocky passes, under a burning sun; or over
desolate mountains, amidst the most severe frosts, with scarcely an
interval of repose. Neither was their gallantry less conspicuous than
their patience, when they had the good fortune to find an enemy who
ventured to face them. Although the circumstances which his letters
detail might well deserve a better historian than my son, yet are they
of that high and honourable character, that they cannot lose any part of
their value by his familiar manner of narrating them.

When I decided upon printing these letters, it became a matter of
interest to place before the reader a short account of the countries in
which the operations of the army were conducted, as well as of the
native rulers who took part in, or were the cause of them; in order that
the letters might be more clearly understood by those friends who have
not felt sufficiently interested in the history of those countries to
make any inquiries about them. But, before I do so, I shall draw the
attention of the reader to the army of Alexander, to which I have before
alluded.