GOOD NEWS FROM PESHAWAR.

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does, then let me have your communication, on the thinnest paper and the smallest space, for Agra or Calcutta.-Believe me, yours very sincerely, R. MORRIESON.

Colonel KEITH YOUNG to his wife.

CAMP, DELHI Cantonments, Wednesday, 17th June.

I wish with you that we were in Delhi, but of the wisdom of remaining where we are until reinforcements arrive there cannot be a question. We shall then be able to act effectually, and pursue with vigour those of the mutineers who escape from the city, which, with our present small force, would be a manifest impossibility.

Nothing of the least moment has occurred since my letter of yesterday. The enemy have hardly fired a shot for the last twentyfour hours, and must be getting more and more disheartened and uncomfortable; and as to the mutineering regiments from Jullunder and other places joining them, we scarcely look upon these additions as any great advantage to them, for there is no proper leader to organise their forces, and the more men they have the more difficult will be their organisation. It seems very doubtful, however, if either the Jullunder or Rohilkund mutineers are making for Delhi, but parties of ours and of the Jheend Raja's are on the lookout for the former; and as to the latter, it is said that one, Bahadoor Khan, a descendant of the old Rohilla Chiefs, has set up the standard of independence at Bareilly-and this being the case, he will of course endeavour to keep the mutineering regiments with him.

Nothing is known of the 28th at Shahjehanpore yet, but it is feared they would go with the rest. No more Rosa sugar or rum for milk punch! I hope you have been manufacturing plenty of apricot jam !

*

We continue to receive the best accounts from Peshawar, where General Cotton has arranged a first-rate force, mounting some of the Europeans who can ride on the 5th Cavalry horses. Of the 64th Mrs Poulton will have later accounts from the Lahore Chronicle than I can give. The impression here appears to be that, however mutinously inclined, they would dare to do nothing

* The late General Sir Sydney Cotton, G.C.B.

66

SUCCESSFUL ATTACK ON THE ENEMY.

after hearing of the severe examples that have been made in other corps in Peshawar.

George Hall came and sat with me this morning for half-anhour; he is very well, but is rather disgusted at being ordered back to Paniput with some men of his regiment to secure the communication being kept open. Another officer goes with him,

and there is also a civilian of the name of Richardes, so that he will not be alone; and besides, with the fresh troops that are daily coming up, he will meet with many friends; but he does not like being away from Delhi and Head-Quarters. He is an excellent officer, and is allowed to have done very good service; and this is perhaps the reason why he has been selected for this duty, as he will exercise a kind of independent command.

CAMP, DELHI CANTONMENTS, 17th June (later).

There is an interesting letter just received from M'Causland at Almorah, saying that all was right there, the Goorkhas behaving admirably, and an expedition being organised to retake Bareilly. The Goorkhas' four guns, manned with European Volunteers, and about four hundred Horse would, it is supposed, be sufficient. The Nawab of Rampore is favourable to us, and has taken charge of Moradabad, so that I hope soon we shall have good accounts from Rohilkund.

Word has come in from the city that the inhabitants there are willing to guarantee to us thirty lacs of rupees if we agree to spare the city.

I saw Hodson this morning, and he has asked me to mention to Mrs Hodson that he had not time to write as he intended. I have never come across Duncan Pemberton since the first day of his arrival; I fancy he is always at Hindoo Rao's, in the batteries there.

Poor Dr Hay is one of those murdered at Bareilly. Mrs Hay was at Nynee Tal.

There was an attack this afternoon in two columns, under Reid and Tombs, on a battery being erected on our right flank: a quite successful capture of a 9-pounder gun, and many men killed. Tombs had two horses shot under him. General Barnard is very excited about it, and came over to the mess to thank Tombs.*

*The late General Sir Harry Tombs, K.C.B.

CARELESSNESS OF THE ENGINEERS.

CAMP, DELHI CANTONMENTS, Thursday, 18th June.

67

Your letter of 15th reached me rather late yesterday afternoon. We had begun to fear that the dâk was plundered; and it seems, from what the postmaster says, that there was an attempt on the part of some Sowars to seize the dâk horses, and this in some measure was the cause of the delay. It is wonderful how the dâks come along so regularly as they do; but there are so many of our troops now moving along the road that I trust any of the insurgent Sowars there may be about will think twice before they try anything on the Trunk Road. George Hall, too, moving up with his men will have a good effect.

He started last night.

Major Martin, I believe, remains here; but the doctor (Allen) went off last night with the wounded, and such ladies as there were in camp, to Meerut. Amongst the latter we have at last got rid of Mrs Laughton (the Persian), wife of Major Laughton. Fancy the absurdity of his being allowed to bring her with him from Umballa; and she must have had some twenty or thirty camels and half that number of carts in her train!

The enemy have again been firing at us, but they do not harm us much, as their gunners are not very good marksmen, which is fortunate, as otherwise our outposts might suffer considerably. However, a sad casualty has occurred, which ought not to have happened, and our Engineers are blamed for not being as careful as they might be. There has consequently been rather an outcry against them generally, though the young hands, including certainly Chesney, are liked, and known to be good men. Yesterday an unfortunate shot from the enemy's battery in the city found its way near Hindoo Rao's house into an open doorway, and killed an officer (Lieutenant Wheatley, 54th), two Carabineers, two Goorkhas, and wounded four men besides; all which might have been avoided had a few sand-bags been put up by the Engineers, as they have been ordered to do. General Barnard was very vexed and angry about it, and I understand he pitched into Major Laughton furiously this morning. It is a great pity that this should have occurred, as with this exception the enemy's guns have done no damage for the last two days; but they fire very seldom now, and seem to have given up attacking us. Yesterday afternoon, however, it was found that they