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Capt. Von Orlich, a German, arrived in India
on 6 August, 1842 to join British army for participating in the
Kabool campaign and joined the Army at Ferozpoor. By then the British
forces have returned from the campaign with success. Hence Capt.
Orlich embarked on travels for "acquainting himself with that
remarkable country, which has been visited by very few of his countrymen."
"He relates plainly and faithfully, what he saw and felt, and,
to supply the deficiency of actual observation, he has added other
matter which he heard and learnt from men of impeachable credit."
Although like many other European authors, he has written his account
not with wholly impartial manner-Colonel Sykes, a director of the
East India Company was his personal friend who gave valuable assistance
to the author in his writings-still Orlich's writing provides important
and eye-witness information of those times.
In a letter dated Ferozpoor 4 January 1843 addressed to Maharaja
Shere Singh, the British Governor General Lord Ellenborough while
regretting his personal presence in the 'friendship mission' proceeding
to Lahore introduced Capt. Von Orlich as "of the guards of
his Majesty the King of Prussia, whom his Majesty had sent to witness
the campaign in Afghanistan. Capt. Orlich has been a witness to
the recent evidences of the mutual friendship of the two allied
governments; and I rejoice he will be enabled to report to his sovereign
that our alliance endures for ever."
The accompanying article is an extract from the author's detailed
letter on the affairs of the Punjab addressed by him to Alexander
Von Humboldt, dated Lahore 12 January 1843. These letters were first
printed in German and their English translation was published in
1845.
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