smart battle for some time, the General gave the word "Charge!" Every heart was filled with apparent desperation; a rush ensued; the enemy flew like chaff before the wind; the guns played with grape, shell, &c. The Cavalry and Infantry charged in fine style, and in the course of a few moments, hundreds of the enemy lay dead on the ground, though many, principally mounted, escaped; had we but had a Regiment of European Cavalry, not a man would have escaped. The town was routed, and after a severe action of about four hours, a victory was gained, and I am happy to say, with comparatively little damage on our side.

CHAPTER XIII.

The Return; Severe Weather; Miserable Prospects; Forlorn state of the Sick; Miseries of Hospitals in India; Conduct of Native Servants; Followers cut off; Massacre of a Guard; Fighting for Forage; Severity of the Winter; Enormous loss of Cattle in consequence; A Defeat; Great loss; Forage procured; Sad news; The loss of Ghuznee; Treaty broken; Enemy still about; Preparations for hard warfare; Seven days' bivouacking; Description of Route; Narrow escape of General Nott; Skirmishes too numerous to detail; Harrassing attacks; Enemy Cowards; Unsuccessful journey; The Return; Attack on the City; Valiant conduct of the sick; Bravery of the Troops; Noble conduct of an Artillery Guard; Treachery of some Native Sentinels.

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THE Cavalry having returned, the force ordered to march back to Candahar, in consequence of the extreme frost at night, and the men having walked and stood so many hours in water; on reaching about half way, the advance guard saw another or the same body of the enemy assembled on a hill to our left, but seeing us advance towards them, fled, and we arrived at the cantonments about sun-set. Immediately after the sun went down, the frost came on very severe; we repaired to our nominal rooms, tired and weary, cold and miserable, the frost so severe that the woollen

trousers of the men, being saturated with the water, were frozen stiff round our legs; and to render it more wretched, the men had no bed or change of clothes, as previous to marching to the field of fight, as before stated, the whole of the baggage was sent to the Citadel, and thrown into a heap, so that it was useless at that hour of night to attempt to find and distribute it; besides every man was so weary and tired; no fire, no food, because that day's rations were taken with them, and eaten; in fact there was no comfort wherewith to nourish the poor harrassed soldier, just returned most miserable from the scene of death. Most awful sensations visited me, as well as I may say every one, who, comparing our present situations with that of home and tranquillity, with friends to console and soothe our affections. It was oft in these extreme trials that I have thought on by-gone days; but, it was but a thought, and 'twas over; it recurred to my mind I was a soldier, and it ill became me to give way to so weak and disadvantageous ideas, and I have found myself raised by hopes that it would soon end, and that I was serving my country.

Next day, every one was busily employed in re-fetching and regulating their few necessaries.

The city during the battle of yesterday, was all quiet; trade of all kinds was suspended by order of the General, and those natives who were in the city seemed anxious to know the result of the battle. The sick of our Troops were very miserably

situated, suddenly removed from off a still bed in the hospital of the cantonments, to that of a cold hovel, with every privation, scarce attendance enough to perform the common necessities of nature, so weak and forlorn; coarse food, badly cooked, none to sympathize, none to ask the soothing question, "Is there anything you wish for, or that I can do for you?" none to administer those little comforts so beneficial to one in a state of sickness; with a mattress of straw on the cold ground, amid every kind of disturbance and uproar, unable to rise from off the pillow, to even reach a draught, and afraid to ask, lest a reluctant and indolent native attendant should feign ignorance, refuse or neglect. If there is one thing more than another which ought to be strictly looked after and attended to, on a line of march, it is a sick soldier. It will be almost impossible for any one unacquainted with the life of a campaigner in India, to even conceive the miseries of an hospital in the field. A more dejected, lost creature, does not exist, than a sick soldier on a long march in India; it must, nevertheless, be admitted, that the allowances of Government to the medical branch of the Army in India, is on a most liberal scale; surgeons, apothecaries, apprentices, stewards, and a most extensive establishment of not less than three hundred attendants to each Regiment, are allowed for the sick; no stint is given to the allowance, comforts of any and every kind at the discretion of the surgeons; but it is the

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attention evinced by these attendants; it becomes a mere nominal duty to them; they are of different castes, Hindoos, Mussulmen, &c., and they perform their respective duties to a certain extent, but do not enter into that fine feeling of humanity towards the Christians, as is shown in an English Hospital. Let a man be ever so sick, though in the last stage of life, if the Troops are ordered to march, he must be carried in a palanquin, and jolted on the shoulders of four men a day's march, averaging about twelve miles. The chances are, on his reaching the new ground, through the non-arrival of the hospital tents, that he may lie exposed to the heat of the Indian sun two or three hours in the palanquin, perhaps in a high stage of fever or dysentery (and several times have I seen when the palanquin has been examined, that the poor wretched man was a corpse; none knew the exact time of his death; suffice to say, he was alive when he left camp in the morning,) or on the arrival of the tent, tossed helpless into it, on an unprepared bed, on damp ground, with perhaps bad brackish water, and have to remain so, four, six, or eight hours, before the coarse meal would be ready, and when ready, issued in a most rude manner; truly it may be said, every nicety of comfort cannot be expected in a place like that, which will be readily admitted; but it is merely to point out the absurdity of our Government in India, in placing so much trust in these native attendants, whose general idea is to plunder