50 



CHAPTER Y. 



"fresh woods and pastures new." 184-6-1848. 



Before returning to Sabathu Hodson liad to play 

 his part in a certain drama enacted at Lahore by 

 special command of Lord Hardinge. As soon as 

 Lawrence reached Lahore a commission of five 

 British officers, headed by Mr (afterwards Sir 

 Frederick) Ciirrie, sat in judgment upon Lai Singh, 

 the treacherous Wazir who had secretly prompted 

 the rebellion of Shaikh Imam-ud-din. The Wazir's 

 guilt was proved beyond question, and the queen- 

 regent's worthless paramour was deposed from his 

 high office and sent off as a state prisoner to the 

 fort of Agra. 



Writing to Mr Foster from Sabathu on the last 

 day of 1846, Hodson speaks of his own modest 

 share in the historic tragi -comedy, which led up 

 to the treaty of Bhairowal, — a treat}^ under which 

 Henry Lawrence, as president of a remodelled coun- 

 cil of regency, became virtual ruler of the Punjab : 

 " You will see in the papers an account of the new 

 arrangement for the occupation of the Punjab ; but 

 you will not see an account of the share your 

 unfortunate friend had in it, and the rather con- 

 spicuous part I played at Lahore during the late 



