text:  All efforts however to procure the liberation of the captives on any other condition than the liberation of Dost Mohammed and the evacuation of Affghanistan by the English (as hostages for which they had originally been given ) proved fruitless; and at length after more than four months' delay during which several sharp affairs had taken place with advanced bodies of the Affghans General Pollock moved forward with his whole force on the 20th of August against Cabul