THE ENGINEERS TOO SANGUINE. 273 Camp, Delhi Cantonments, Thursday, 10th September. Your letter of the 7th instant reached me early this morning, and after reading it I went up to the usual place of rendezvous of all the idlers here-the Flagstaff-to see what was going on. It was a very foggy morning, and we could not see much, but sufficient to show that we have already done a great deal of damage to the walls and bastions with our one battery, and ought to have it all our own way when all our batteries come into play. There is only one now requiring to be finished-that in the Custom House Gardens, for four guns. That at Ludlow Castle is ready; twelve or thirteen guns, I think, there are in it; but the General won't allow it to be opened till the other one is ready, which Chesney, who was up at the Flagstaff, told me it must be by the morning. Every one is abusing the Engineers for having promised so much more than they have been able to perform. They talked of having all the batteries ready in one night, but nobody thought it was possible; and the result has proved this, for this will be the fourth night, and it is considered by those who are judges in such matters that as much as was possible has been done with their available means. I fancy no one here shares Mrs -'s fears for those who go into Delhi. After the place has been well shelled for a day or two, there will probably be less opposition made by the wretches than in some of those fights when we first came here. I told you wrong the other day about the Koodsee Bagh, where the mortar battery is. This is not the garden that we used to go to, but the one next to it. The heavy battery, however, that is to be finished to-night is in that garden, and they have had to cut down lots of those beautiful orange-trees to make room for it. It has been a very hot day, but a refreshing shower an hour or two ago has made it considerably cooler, and there is now a pleasant breeze blowing, and thunder rumbling in the distance. I wish it would come down a good plump of rain, and it would serve, too, to put out the fire in one of our batteries, which caught fire just now, and seems inclined not to allow itself to be put out. Fortunately it is a battery in which the guns are not very much required now, and they must be removed until the battery is repaired. 274 PROGRESS OF BATTERIES. Were you alarmed at all at Simla when you saw the story of the villagers attacking Murree? It seems they always have been troublesome, and in former days there was continual fighting with them, and there has been once or twice before since we took the place; so that Simla and Murree are quite different in this respect, and the recent row had nothing, apparently, to do with the mutinous proceedings below. No further news to-day from Agra or Cawnpore. City letters say the people are trying to get away with their families, but the gates have been shut, and no one now is allowed to leave without, I suppose, paying well first, which is the meaning of the prohibition. Past 4 P.M., and no further news. There were a few casualties yesterday, and two officers wounded-Lieutenant Murray, Engineers, and Lieutenant Eaton, 60th Rifles. (Diary) 10th September.-Went up to the Flagstaff again this morning, and up to the first floor; but very misty, and saw little beyond smoke. One heavy battery in the Custom House Garden, of four guns, not yet ready; the other, near Ludlow Castle, up and guns in it. Loud exclamations against the Engineers for promising more than they could perform. Excessively hot; a grateful shower at noon. Look at the progress of the tomb in the evening, and then to the Flagstaff. Battery on fire this afternoon. CAMP, DELHI CANTONMENTS, Friday, 11th September. Your letter of the 8th I found lying on the table when I came back from my ride this morning. I had got up very early, as had many others, and gone to the Flagstaff to see our new heavy batteries open, which they were to have done at daybreak all together on a signal-rocket being thrown up. We were doomed, however, to disappointment; and after waiting an hour or two we ascertained that the entertainment was postponed, the batteries not being ready. They have since, however, partially opened, and the battery at Ludlow Castle has, I understand, quite demolished the Cashmere Bastion and silenced all their guns in that direction. The heavy battery in the Custom House Garden must be ready by this evening, and I hope in the morning to find that it is in full |