Genealogical memoirs of the family of Robert Burns and of the Scottish house of Burnes

30 GENEALOGICAL MEMOIRS OF
men, and the Indian Government began to apprehend that
Persia and Eussia might unite their forces with those of
Afghanistan to make an attack on the Indian empire.
From Herat the Persians were forced to retreat, but Captain
Burnes requested Dost Mohammed to dismiss the Russian
agent Vicovitch from his court. This he refused to do, and
on the contrary dismissed Captain Burnes. Repairing to the
Governor-General at Simla, Captain Burnes was knighted
and promoted as lieutenant-colonel. From Scinde he pro-
ceeded to Beloochistan on a political mission, which proved
unsuccessful. When Shah Shoojah was restored to the throne
of Cabool, he was, in September 1839, appointed political
resident at that capital, with a salary of £3000. He remained
at Cabool not without a sense of insecurity, and on the out-
break of an insurrection for restoring Dost Mohammed, he
was set upon, and along with his brother Charles and seven
other officers, cruelly murdered. This sad event took place
on the 2d November 1841. Sir Alexander Burnes died un-
married at the age of thirty-six. In 1842, his work entitled
" Cabool ; being a Narrative of a Journey to and Residence
in that City in the years 1836-7-8," was published at London.
Possessed of a deep sagacity and marvellous powers of
observation, Sir Alexander Burnes would, with a prolonged
career, have been eminently serviceable to the Government
of India. He, opened up the Indus, and extended his re-
searches to the shores of the Oxus, the ruins of Samarcand,
and other territories which became the scenes of important
events. A brief memoir of his life, published by Dr George
Buist in the columns of the Bombay Times newspaper, is re-
produced by his brother, Dr James Burnes, in his " Notes on
his Name and Family."