CHEERING NEWS FROM LUCKNOW.

295

TELEGRAMS received at SIMLA.

18th September (8 A.M.). Our mortars have been firing throughout the night, and must have inflicted much damage within the Palace.

2 P.M. Our position the same as last night. We are strengthening ourselves in the Bank; our sappers are working towards the house, which commands the Burn Bastion. No suitable place yet found from which to breach the Palace, which we continue to shell. Selimgurh has only fired a few shots, and does no harm. We have received no information to-day of the movements of the rebels. Yesterday Delhi Gate of Palace was said to be open, and covered carts passing out. No certain intelligence regarding the King.

The ordnance captured is:-On the works, thirty-five; in the magazine, one hundred and seventy. Immense stores of shot and shell, and large quantities of percussion-caps, but no powder. The magazine building uninjured excepting the portion injured previously by the explosion. No increase of sickness in camp. General Nicholson not so well to-day. Lieutenants Pogson and Webb died of their wounds; Lieutenant Briscoe, 75th, killed this morning.

Rain has fallen, and made it nice and cool for the wounded.

Nothing from Delhi later than 2 P.M. of 18th. A letter from Cawnpore of 6th instant gives cheering news of Lucknow : Residency all right, and the garrison apparently supplied with food by some secret friends. The 5th and 90th Foot, and detachment of 78th, 84th, and Madras Native Infantry, expected at Cawnpore about 10th instant. General Havelock would then be able to advance on Lucknow with two thousand European infantry, three batteries of Artillery, and four thousand Sikhs.* The move was to be made immediately the reinforcements became available. Sir J. Outram accompanies, but will not take the command from General Havelock. One thousand Goorkhas are to remain at Azimghur, and two thousand at Joudhpore; the Madras Brigade marching up Trunk Road, and Her Majesty's 53rd proceeding up in carts. The Godas in Lucknow, numbering five * The four thousand Sikhs with Havelock only existed in fiction. He had, perhaps, four hundred of the regiment of Ferozepore.-H. W. NORMAN.

296

*

FLIGHT OF MANY MUTINEERS.

thousand, said to be fighting on our side against the insurgents. Dinapore mutineers making for Delhi vid Banda. Numerous Europeans said to be concealed in Rohilkund by the Thakoors. CHAMBERLAIN (Brigadier).

Colonel KEITH YOUNG to his wife.

DELHI, Saturday, 19th September.

I was so glad to find by the receipt of your letter, No. 115 of the 16th, that you had heard through Colonel Becher of our all being well on the afternoon of the 14th. It is sad to think that our letters are so long on the road, but there is no helping this, and you must be content to know that all is progressing most favourably, and that there is every prospect of our getting possession of the Palace and the rest of the city in a very short time, without any further loss of life. We have made considerable progress since yesterday in the direction of the Palace, and are now within three or four hundred yards of it; whether it will be necessary to breach the walls seems doubtful, but preparations are being made for the batteries in case it is. The impression is that both the Palace and Selimgurh are abandoned, not a gun having been fired from either all to-day, and no muskets either from the Palace walls, though our men, many of them, have been close up. I dare say we shall hear in the course of the day whether the Palace is empty or not. The report is that the King and all his family have gone out to Nizamoodeen's Tomb-you remember the place that we went with the Goughs to see? There is a large serai there, and lots of room to accommodate a very large party.

Our cavalry all went out this morning to reconnoitre, and they bring back word that the Bareilly mutineers, who had their camp outside the city near the Delhi Gate, had left their camp standing and fled towards Muttra; and there seems no doubt that what Sepoys are left are gradually disappearing, and parties of tens and twenties were seen this morning going over the bridge of boats, at which we have not been firing to-day, for what reason I know not, but perhaps to allow of the scoundrels clearing off * I do not know what is meant by the five thousand Godas said to be fighting on our side at Lucknow. No one was fighting on the side of our small garrison.-H. W. NORMAN.