to have been considered desirable for promoting good order and the reformation of the convicts."

The result, however, was that the colonists were victorious. The Order in Council was withdrawn, so far as it applied to the Cape, and the Neptune sailed away from Simon's Bay without having landed her obnoxious cargo.

INDIA. Our narrative of the siege of Mooltan closed with an account of the fearful explosion of a large powder magazine in the town, on the 30th of December, in the midst of the assault made by our troops. But this produced hardly a pause in the conflict. After an incessant roar of cannon and musketry for about 50 hours, the close attack was commenced by the advance of two columns from the Bombay army, while the Bengal force moved forward on the other side. The gate selected for the attack of the Bengal force was, on the arrival of that column, found not to have been made practicable, and to present besides an open drop in front, with strong defences in the rear. But meanwhile the Bombay column had successfully effected its entrance, and the first colours were planted in Mooltan by a Sergeant-Major of the Company's Fusileers. This occurred about three o'clock in the afternoon of the 2nd of January. The Bengal column quickly followed, and before sunset the town of Mooltan was completely in the hands of our troops. The citadel, however, still held out, in which Moolraj had shut himself up with a considerable force. Preparations were now made to approach it by regular parallels, and a vigorous bombardment was directed against it on the 4th, which was kept up

without intermission until the 18th, when the trenches had been brought close up to the walls; and, as the walls seemed effectually to resist the action of artillery, General Whish determined to try the effect of mining. On the 18th, three mines were exploded, and the counter-scarp was blown into the ditch. A shaft was then sunk under the trench, and a gallery driven towards the wall. One battery, from the town side of the fort, was placed on a level considerably higher than the citadel itself; another was moved close up to the wall, and here 18 and 24-pounders were employed incessantly in battering, while 8-inch howitzers discharged live shells into the wall, which buried themselves in the mud and brickwork of which it was constructed, and exploded like mines, tearing vast masses away with them. On the 19th, the sap had reached the crest of the glacis, and by the 21st, two practicable breaches were made, so that orders were issued to the troops to hold themselves in readiness for storming the fort on the following day. Moolraj had more than once offered to surrender, provided that he received an assurance that his life would be spared, but he was told that the only terms which would be listened to were those of unconditional surrender. On the morning of the 22nd, while the British columns were forming for the assault, the Sikh chief surrendered at discretion. A contemporary account says" First appeared about 200 ill-clothed miserable wretches, who seemed broken and dispirited; then followed about 3500 hard, trained, stern, and stalwart-looking men; they had defended the fort to the

last, and abandoned it only when no longer tenable. They looked as if they would have fought to the death in the breaches, if such had been the will of their chief. They brought camels, and horses, and large bundles of things along with them. These, together with their arms, were placed in charge of the prize agents as they passed. At last came Moolraj, and his brethren and chiefs-the last as became him in the retirement. He was gorgeously attired in silks and splendid arms, and rode a magnificent Arab steed, with a rich saddle-cloth of scarlet, which bore no marks of suffering or privation. No small curiosity was experienced to discover the appearance of one who had maintained a defence obstinate and protracted beyond any related in the annals of modern warfare. He but little exceeds the middle size; is powerfully but elegantly formed; his keen, dark, piercing, restless eyes surveyed at a glance every thing around. He neither wore the face of defiance or dejection, but moved along under the general gaze as one conscious of having bravely done his duty, and aware of being the object of universal regard." Mooltan having thus fallen, the troops employed on the attack immediately commenced their march northwards, to join the grand army under Lord Gough, opposed to the two rebel chief tains, Shere Singh and Chuttur Singh.

In our last volume we gave the details of the unfortunate conflict between a detachment of British cavalry, under the command of General Cureton, and the Sikhs in the fords of the Chenab, near Ramnuggur, which cost the lives of several brave officers and men, and effected

We

no useful object. At this time, the Sikh force under Rajah Shere Singh and other Sirdars, amount ing to about 35,000 men, with 28 guns, was entrenched on the right bank of the Chenab, at the principal ford, about two miles from the town of Ramnuggur. mentioned that Major-General Sir John Thackwell was sent with a detachment of troops from the main body, to ascend the river, and accomplish a passage higher up, so as to turn the left flank of the Sikhs, while Lord Gough, the Commander-in-Chief, engaged them in front. Sir John Thackwell commenced his march on the night of the 30th of November, and proceeded as far as Wuzeerabad, a town about 22 miles from Ramnuggur, where, with the aid of 16 boats, which had been previously secured by the energetic exertions of Lieutenant-Nicholson, assistant to the President at Lahore, he crossed the Chenab on the evening of the 1st and morning of the 2nd of December.

Upon receiving intelligence that the passage of the river was effected, Lord Gough immediately commenced a heavy cannonade upon the enemy's batteries and encampment at Ramnuggur, which forced them to fall back about two miles; and on the morning of the 3rd, a brigade of infantry, under Brigadier Godby, was able to cross about six miles up the river, where its passage was covered by the advance of the detachment under Sir John Thackwell. The latter officer had been ordered not to attack the Sikh army unless it attempted to retreat; but wait until he had effected a junction with the brigade under Brigadier Godby, and, in the mean time, content himself with repelling any aggres

sion of the enemy. What followed may be told in the words of the despatch written by Lord Gough immediately after the events. "About two o'clock on the 3rd, the principal part of the enemy's force, encouraged by the halt, moved to attack the detached column, when a smart cannonade, on the part of the enemy, took place, and an attempt to turn both Major-General Sir Joseph Thackwell's flanks by numerous bodies of cavalry was made. After about one hour's dis tant cannonade on the part of the Sikhs, the British artillery never returning a shot, the enemy took courage and advanced, when our artillery, commanded by that excellent officer, Lieutenant-Colonel C. Grant, poured in upon them a most destructive fire, which soon silenced all their guns, and frustrated all their operations, with very severe loss upon their side; but the exhausted state both of man and horse induced the Major General to postpone the attack upon their flank and rear, as he was directed, until the following morning, the day having nearly closed when the cannonade ceased."

During the following night (the 3rd), the whole Sikh force precipitately abandoned its position, and retreated in great disorder. Lord Gough immediately despatched across the river the 9th Lancers and 14th Light Dragoons, under the command of MajorGeneral Sir Walter Gilbert, in pursuit; and it was at the time imagined that this was the termination of the campaign, and that the Khalsa army would disperse, and seek their own safety by aban doning their rebel leader, Shere Singh.

But such anticipations were premature two desperate actions yet

remained to be fought, before our formidable foe was completely vanquished.

On the 28th of December, Lord Gough crossed the Chenab with the whole of his army, and encamped on the right bank of the river. Shere Singh retreated upon the upper Jhelum, and afterwards encamped at Russool.

On the 10th of January, Lord Gough received an official communication that the fortress of Attock, which had so long been defended by Major Herbert, had fallen, and that Chuttur Singh was advancing to join his forces to those under his son, Shere Singh, which then amounted to nearly 40,000 men, with 62 guns. He, therefore, determined to lose no time in attempting the complete overthrow of the Sikh army in his front; and at daylight, on the morning of the 12th, marched from Loah Tibbah to Dingee. The succeeding movements may be narrated in the words of his own despatch:

"Having learned, from my spies, and from other sources of information, that Shere Singh still held with his right the villages of Lukhneewalla and Futteh Shahke-Chuck, having the great body of his force at the village of Lollianwalla, with his left at Russool, on the Jhelum, strongly occupying the southern extremity of a low range of difficult hills, intersected by ravines, which extend nearly to that village, I made my arrangements accordingly that evening, and communicated them to the commanders of the several divisions; but, to insure correct information as to the nature of the country, which I believed to be excessively difficult and ill-adapted to the advance of a regular army,

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I determined upon moving on this village with a view to reconnoitre. "On the morning of the 13th the force advanced. I made a considerable detour to my right, partly in order to distract the enemy's attention, but principally to get as clear as I could of the jungle, on which it would appear that the enemy mainly relied.

"We approached this village about 12 o'clock, and I found on a mound close to it a strong picket of the enemy's cavalry and infantry, which we at once dispersed, obtaining from the mound a very extended view of the country before us, and the enemy drawn out in battle array, he having either during the night or that morning moved out of his several positions and occupied the ground in our front, which, though not a dense, was still a difficult jungle, his right in advance of Futteh Shah-keChuck, and his left on the furrowed hills before described.

them to be silenced by a few rounds from our heavy guns, which advanced to an open space in front of the village. The fire was instantly returned by that of nearly the whole of the enemy's field artillery, thus exposing the position of his guns, which the jungle had hitherto concealed.

"It was now evident that the enemy intended to fight, and would probably advance his guns so as to reach the encampment during the night.

"I therefore drew up in order of battle; Sir Walter Gilbert's division on the right, flanked by Brigadier Pope's brigade of cavalry, which I strengthened by the 14th Light Dragoons, well aware that the enemy was strong in cavalry upon his left. To this were attached three troops of horse artillery, under Lieutenant-Colonel Grant. The heavy guns were in the centre.

"Brigadier-General Campbell's division formed the left, flanked by Brigadier White's brigade of cavalry, and three troops of horse artillery, under Lieutenant-Colonel Brind. The field batteries were with the infantry divisions."

Such was the order of attack; but the question now arises, was it prudent under the circumstances to make the attack at all? The troops were wearied with their march, the day was almost spent, and there was no time to make proper preparations so as to avoid. unnecessary loss of life. The truth seems to be, that Lord Gough was irritated by the fire from the horse artillery of the Sikhs, and suddenly changing his plan of waiting until the next day before he attacked them, he resolved to chastise their presumption upon the spot. If such be the fact, the Commander

in-Chief was certainly, in this instance, more brave than discreet, and his indiscretion cost us dear. No sufficient reconnaissance was made of the ground that lay between our troops and the enemy, and it was not known in what part of his line his chief strength lay.

After a cannonade, which lasted between one and two hours, the left division were directed to make a flank movement, and in obeying the order exposed their own flank to a dreadful cross fire from Sikh batteries on their left, which had not been observed, and on the 3rd and 4th brigades ultimately reaching the guns, they were met by such a tremendous fire that they were obliged to retire with severe loss. As soon as it was known that these two brigades were engaged, the 5th was sent against the centre of what was supposed to be the enemy's line, and advanced, under Brigadier Mountain, through the jungle in the face of a storm, first of round shot, then grape, and lastly musketry, which mowed down the officers and men by dozens. Still they advanced, and on reaching the guns spiked every one in front, and two others on the left, which had subsequently opened a flank fire on them; but the Sikhs no sooner saw they were deprived of the use of their guns than they renewed such a fire with musketry, not only on the flank, but in the rear of the brigade, that it was compelled to retreat, a movement which was effected in good order, and with determined bravery. "In the mean time," we quote from a contemporary account, "Brigadier Godby, with Major-General Sir W. Gilbert as a leader, who was on the extreme right of the Infantry line, moved forward, and, after marching

At

through dense jungle for some minutes, came upon the enemy's infantry; the brigade opened their fire, but the enemy were in such numbers that they easily outflanked them. Two companies of the 2nd European Regiment were wheeled up, showed front, and the whole charged, but had not gone far when they found they were surrounded. They immediately faced rightabout, kept up some file-firing, and charged, rear rank in front. this juncture Dawes's battery came to the rescue, and, having beaten off the enemy, their guns were taken. While the Infantry were thus highly distinguishing themselves, and earning imperishable laurels, the Cavalry on the extreme left, under Brigadier White, had made a dashing charge, and contributed much to the defeat of the enemy, while the Cavalry on the extreme right, consisting of Brigadier Pope's force, with the 14th Light Dragoons temporarily attached, having been taken in advance of their Horse Artillery (Lane's, Christie's, and Huish's troops), were directed to charge a body of the enemy's cavalry, variously estimated at from 1000 to 5000. Instead of obeying the orders given them, they faced about, and, in spite of the energetic endeavours of their own and other officers, left the field (with the exception of a body of the 9th Lancers, who were rallied), and made direct for the Artillery; on coming up to which, instead of pulling up, they dashed through Huish's and Christie's troops, upsetting a wagon and some horses, and directing their course to the field hospital. The enemy, seeing the advantage they had thus unac countably ensured, followed our cavalry, got amongst the horse ar