said it should be attended to. "Rattleton," said the adjutant, “your men fired badly yesterday; how was that ?" "Why, I believe it was my fault," said Tom; "I was nervous, and that confounded gunpowder, the grains as big as swan-shot, blowing in my face from men's pans, made me more so; however, I must summion more force next time." "Do, my dear fellow," said the adjutant; "the colonel noticed it, I assure you, and desired me in a friendly way just to give you a hint." "He's a noble fellow," said Tom, with warmth," and I love him; I had rather have my cheeks excoriated, and my eyes damaged in future, than give him cause of complaint." “Well, that's all as it should be," said Wigwell. "Rattleton, your friend Mr. Gernon had better fall in with your company at parade; it may be pleasant for him; and you, you know," added he with a smile, can give him the benefit of your experience."

The next day, Tom took me to an unoccupied bungalow, near the lines, used for various purposes, in order that I might have my first lesson in the manual and platoon. We found Serjeant Giblett already there, and talking to several cadets or ensigns, who seemed much amused, and listening to him attentively. "And that, as near as I can kal-ki-late, was when I first jined the army under his Excellency Lefttennant-Gineral Lord Lake "—was, however, all we caught of the yarn. Rattleton now introduced me to my brother-aspirants for military glory-beardless tyros, wild as unbroken colts, and all agog for fun and frolic, in whatever shape it might present itself. "You've never had no instruction in the man'il and plytoon, I think you said, Sir ?" said the serjeant to me, touching his hat. "You're quite right; I did say so." "Well then, Sir, if you please, as it's the first day, it'l be jist as well for you to look on."

"Now, gin'lemen," said Serjeant-Major Giblett, dismissing at once his countenance of colloquial familiarity, and assuming the "wrinkled front" of stern duty; "now, gin'lemen, if you please-we're a-losing of time, and had better begin. I think you're all here, with the hexception of Mr. Wildman, and he, I am given to onderstand, is ill-disposed this morning." At this speech, one of the young hands in the squad winked to his neighbour, as much as to say, "twig the serjeant "-he exploded with laughter; his next file gave him a jerk or dig with his elbow-he lost his balance, and tumbled against his neighbour, and a general derangement of the ranks followed. "Come, gin'lemen, gin'lemen," said the serjeant, half angry, "this won't do this won't never do; if I am to teach you your man'il and plytoon, you must be steady—you must, upon my life. Come, 'tention," said he, briskly squaring up, and throwing open his shoulders, as if determined to proceed to business. "Shoulder! up! Order! up! Onfix bagganets! That's all right. Shoulder! up! That won't do, Mr. Cobbold; you must catch her up sharper than that. Now, please to look at me, Sir," taking the musket in hand, and doing the thing secundum artem. Another half-smothered laugh again disturbed the little serjeant's self-complacency. "Oh! this can't be allowed, gin'lemen. I'll give it up-I'll give it up. I'll report you all to the adjutant, if this here larking goes on, I will." This threat had a sedative effect on the disorderly rank and file, who now looked wonderfully demure, though with that mock and constrained gravity which threatened a fresh outbreak on the next elocutionary attempt of the self-important serjeant. "Now, gin'lemen, you'll please to observe that, when I says 'Shoulder !'—will you look this way, Mr. Wildgoose, if you please?-when I says 'Shoulder!' you must each take a firm 'grist' of his piece (a titter)—just here, about the middle; and when I gives

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the word 'Up!' you must chuck her up sharp. Now, then. 'Shoulder!' ‘Grist' her higher, Mr. Cobbold. Up!' That's it." "D-n it, Cobbold, take care what you're at, man," exclaimed Cobbold's left-hand man, on getting a crack on the head from the said Cobbold's awkward shouldering. "Order! as you were!-What are you a-doing, Sir? That's not right. When I says 'As you were,' I means 'As you was;' that is, as you was afore-rewerting to your former pisishion. Right about face! That's it. Now, gin'lemen, when I says 'Left about face,' you'll please to do jist the same thing, only exactly the contrary. Steady, gin'lemen, if you please-steady! Now march in file-quick march-lock-up step!"" 'Brown, mind where you're treading, man.” “D—n it, I can't help it; don't be so savage." Mark time! that is, keep moving without advancing. Halt front! left back'ards wheel! Now, gin'lemen, you'll be pleased to remember that when I gives the words 'Quick march!' you'll fall back'ards on the pivot man-that is to say, on the wheeling pint-all one as a gate on its 'inges. Quick march! That's it, gin'lemen— that's it." In this style the good-humoured but consequential little serjeant was wont to instruct us in the rudimental part of the glorious art of war. On breaking off and dismissing the awkward squad, the young men composing it assembled round Serjeant Giblett, who appeared to be a prime favourite amongst them, and he on his part was evidently so much pleased with them, that it was obviously with difficulty that his good-nature allowed him to maintain that dignity which he evidently felt, and which ought to be the inseparable concomitant of command. "Well, serjeant, how did I do to-day ?" Why, Sir," said Giblett, "it's not my wish to flatter no gentleman, but you have sartainly improved in your marchings." "And me, serjeant," said another, how do I get on ?" 'Why, Sir, you'll soon be all right, if you pays a little more attention." "I say, serjeant, what makes you call the musket she?'" Why you know, Sir, the firelock among 'Ropeyarn* sogers (it's different, of coorse, among the Seapies+) alw's goes by the denomy-nation of Brown Bess, and so we calls it 'she.'" "Oh, that's it, is it, serjeant?" "Take a glass of grog, Giblett, after your fatigues." Thankye, Sir, I don't care if I do." "Here, you bearer, black fellow," said the donor, "brandy shrub, pawney, serjeant, ko do" (i.e. give the serjeant some brandy-and-water). Serjeant Giblett took the empty glass, extended his arm in one direction to have it filled, whilst he turned his head in another; bearer applies his teeth to the brandy-bottle to get the cork out. "You were a-axing of me, Sir, I think, about the cellybrated battle of Laswarrie, in which we—that is, the ridg'ment I then belonged to-was present, under Lift'tennant-Gineral Lord Lake; yes, that was pretty near the stiffest business we had. There was the battalions of the French gineral, Munscer Donothing (Duderneg); and very good troops they was, though not so good as our Seapies. Hulloa!" he exclaimed, breaking off in his story, and looking towards the tumbler, which the bearer was busy in filling, "what's this here man about-he's a-givin me all the bottle of brandy; here, come, you must put some of this back." "No, no-nonsense, serjeant," said the liberal donor, "drink it all-it won't hurt you." This was just what Serjeant Giblett wanted. "Well, thankye Sir; but I'm afraid it's over strong. Gin'lemen, here's towards your very good healths." So saying, Giblett drained off the dark potation—a regular "north-wester"-set down the empty glass, and took his leave, reserving his "yarn" for another time.

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* Europeans-thus pronounced by English soldiers.

Asiat.Journ. N.S.VOL.36.No.144.

† Seapie, sepoy.

2 K

CAPT. BROWN'S ACCOUNT OF HIS PROCEEDINGS AT KAHUN.

THE Governor in Council of Bombay has published the private journal kept by Capt. Lewis Brown, 5th Bombay N.I., of his proceedings from the 8th April to the 1st Oct., 1840, embracing the period from his arrival at Poolajee, where he assumed charge of the detachment placed at his disposal, to garrison Kahun, to that of his arrival in the plains, on the latter date, after having maintained possession of that fort against the repeated endeavours of the enemy to dislodge him, until they had guaranteed him a safe conduct to the plains. The journal is entitled, "Rough Notes of a Trip in the Murree Hills and detention in Kahun."

With the detachment, Capt. Brown was to convey up six hundred camels, with supplies, and Lieut. Clarke was to return with the empty camels. Capt. Brown was detained at Poolajee till the 2nd May, the heat, meantime, occasioning some sickness in the detachment. He received such strong reports of the intention of the Murrees to oppose them at the pass of Nuffoosk, and again in the fort, that he made a requisition on Lehree, for one of the guns (which had been returned there) to be sent back. "Having been before over the hills, with the detachment under the late Major Billamore," he says, "I knew the almost utter impossibility, if opposed, of getting my convoy up safe without artillery."

On commencing the march, in consequence of a dispute with the Patan horse (whose cowardice or treachery he had witnessed), he left them behind. The route was most difficult, the heat intense; the cattle became almost useless from exhaustion and want of water and forage, whilst the Beloochees were watching them on the heights, and annoying their flanks and rear. He chose the short cut over the mountains of Surtoff and Nuffoosk, only twenty miles, but very difficult for guns, in preference to the route round by Deerah, distance seventy-four miles. They ascended the Nuffoosk Pass on the 10th, with no appearance of an enemy in front, though breast-works had been thrown up across the road in three different places. The labour of getting the gun, &c. up the pass was severe, the bullocks being useless and the heat excessive; the camels fell down and gave in by dozens. The Beloochees followed the rear-guard, and some shots were exchanged. The detachment had now been three nights under arms.

From the top of the hill they saw several fires in the Kahun plain. Immediately the rear-guard left the top, to descend, it was crowded by about sixty Beloochees, who commenced a sharp fire; one of them appeared a good shot, wounding Lieut. Clarke slightly. Reaching Kahun, over a fine level plain, they found it completely deserted and the gates removed. "Thus ended this arduous and trying march; the difficulties we encountered from the nature of the road, being entirely through beds of rivers and over hills, and the want of water at the latter, were great indeed. The heat was excessive, and the bullocks refusing to put their shoulder to the collar, the labour of getting the guns over the hills fell entirely on the sepoys."

"Kabun is a large irregular sex-angular walled town, nine hundred yards in circumference, with six bastions, and one gateway. The walls are about twenty-five feet high, but so thin in some places, that they are seen through half-way down. There is no ditch, but a tank in front of the gateway, which fills after a heavy fall of rain. The houses inside are in very fair order; they principally belong to the Banyans; the Murrees (with the exception of the chief, his brother, and a few followers) inhabiting the plains outside, building mat huts in the summer, and retiring to the narrow passes on the hills in the cold weather. The plain, on which Kahun is situated, is about fifteen miles long and six broad. The air is very pure, and heat not nearly so great as it is in the plains." The inside of the bastions was destroyed, and the Beloochees cut down any one who ventured far from the fort. Lieut. Clarke, with twenty horsemen, scoured the country; he secured a good deal of wheat in stalk for

300 bayonets, 5th regt., under Ensign Taylor; 2 12-pounder howitzers, Lieut. D. Erskine; 50 Scinde Irregular Horse, Lieut, Clarke; 50 Patan Horsemen.

forage, and found the gates of the fort in a field two miles off: they were put up, and proved invaluable.

On the 16th May, the return convoy under Clarke started for Poolajee. Finding no opposition in the difficult pass of Nuffoosk, he sent back a subedar's party, consisting of five havildars and eighty rank and file, who were cut off by the Beloochees. A dooley-walla, the only man who escaped, stated that the subedar, on seeing the last of the camels (700) over the hill, began to descend on the other side; that when half-way down, they all of a sudden saw the top and bottom covered with Beloochees; that the subedar then commenced a double march, and took up a position on some rising ground, forming square. The Beloochees, to the number of 2,000, then completely surrounded them, and after receiving two volleys, rushed boldly in on them, and began to slaughter them right and left. He saw the subedar fighting to the last. "The poor subedar," says Capt. Brown, was one of the best native offieers in the regiment; he belonged to my light company, and was a great favourite of mine." This misfortune reduced the detachment to 140 bayonets and one gun, rather too few to man 900 yards of wall.

On the 21st, a cossid came in with the melancholy intelligence of poor Clarke's death, and the defeat of his party. It would appear that they had got as far as the bottom of the Surtoff mountain, thirteen miles from Kahun, when the Murrees were seen assembled in large numbers at the top. Clarke, after placing his convoy, and part of his infantry, to the best advantage, round his convoy, proceeded a little way up the hill, with about thirty infantry, to attack the most forward of them, and after fighting most gallantly for two hours, the ammunition being all gone, he, with the rest of the men with him, were all killed. Clarke himself killed two of the Beloochees with his own hand, and a third he seized round the waist, dashing him to the ground; he was then seen to stagger, as if wounded, and some of the Beloochees on another part of the hill, seeing a bugler Clarke had sent down bringing up ammunition, called out, "Now charge them, they are out of cartridges:" they did, and every man fell. The Beloochees then fell on the convoy. The horsemen made for Poolajee at speed, and the rest of our unfortunate sepoys were all massacred, save one havildar and eleven privates. The number of Beloochees present appears to have been 2,000. The loss they suffered is unknown. They secured every camel, tent, &c. Capt. Brown pays an affectionate tribute to the spirit and gallantry of Lieut. Clarke, who was the beau idéal" of an irregular horseman, and had inspired his men with his own spirit. To this day the Murrees speak of his bravery, calling him the "Burra Bahadoor." He lies buried half-way up the Surtoff. Thus the 5th Bombay N. I. lost 146 men.

Capt. Brown lost no time and neglected no means of strengthening the fort. Lieut. Loch sent an express to say he was coming with two hundred horse; Capt. Brown sent back the cossid to tell him on no account to attempt it, as, if defended, he could never force the Nuffoosk pass, particularly with horse.

On the 15th June, cossids brought intelligence of the Murrees and Boogtees having agreed to stand by each other, and attack the fort on the approaching dark nights with their whole force. The enemy got more harrassing daily; but the garrison shewed the best spirit, from this to the 25th, all working at the defences most cheerfully, and every man seeming to think that the safety of the whole depended on his individual bravery. "Treat sepoys kindly," observes Capt. Brown, "and I do not think they will ever fail at the push; nearly fourteen years of uninterrupted regimental duty, I think, entitles me to give an opinion on this point, and that before formed, is now fully confirmed. An old acquaintance of mine, Sheer Bheg Boogtee, who had acted as guide to us through these hills last year, paid me a visit. I had had the means of shewing him some kindness. During the campaign he had been taken prisoner, and plundered of many head of cattle; and I, having obtained his release, and clothed him, he has followed me like a shadow ever since."

On the 29th, the Beloochees intercepted some bullock drivers, who were out foraging, and slaughtered ten out of twenty, the shrapnell shells making havock amongst the

marow!"

enemy. One of the poor bullock-drivers was heard to beg for mercy; but Kurreem Khan, the chief, who was superintending the slaughter, kept crying out “marow, Upon another occasion, when the camel-men were out cutting forage, accompanied by two sepoys, about twenty Beloochees rode at them; but the two sepoys, instead of running for it, coolly stood still, and fired into their faces, wounding one of them. This was quite sufficient for the Beloochees, who turned and fled. Had the sepoys retreated under the walls, the camel-men must have been cut up.

On the 3rd July, Sheer Beg again made his appearance, bringing forty-five sheep and goats, a most welcome supply. He stated that it was the Murrees' intention to attack the fort on the night of the 6th. "Their syud persuaded them that our leaden bullets will not kill, in proof of which he had a bullock placed one hundred yards off, and had three hundred bullets (taken from Clarke's party) fired at it, without effect! This story frightened my naib (a Belooch) so, that he came to me with a most serious face, and begged that I would procure iron bullets for the two first rounds, and that then the Beloochees would run away! These Murrees seem to have a great name amongst the other tribes."

The Beloochees still continued their desultory visits, to which the garrison got accustomed, and were glad of the excitement of an exchange of shots; when they fell amongst the Beloochees, they would scamper away, heaping abuse on the garrison.

On the 11th, about two hundred cattle crossed the plain about a mile and a-half off, intended as a trap. The men began to be afflicted with ulcers, ninety, of all ranks, being laid up with them. The camels and gun-bullocks began to break up for want of forage. By the 26th, the Beloochees had completely surrounded the fort; little parties, like picquets, were seated around in every direction, advancing closer and closer every day; their matchlocks carried twice as far as the sepoys' muskets. Fever began to prevail, with which Capt. Brown was laid up on the 26th. On the 9th August is this entry: "Beloochees up to some mischief at the Nuffoosk Pass, going up there in small bodies of twenty and thirty; destroying the road up, I suspect." Capt. Brown subsequently learned that they were intent upon attacking the fort, but gave up the idea.

The flocks of the Beloochees coming nearer and nearer the fort, on the 10th the garrison made a sortie, and secured three hundred sheep and fifty-seven goats, a most timely prize, as they had, besides beef rations, but one sheep left: "the fort became one large cook-shop." Next day, Capt. Brown received a note from Dodah, the chief, offering, if the detachment would leave his fort, that he would escort them down to the plains. This offer was then regarded as treacherous. On the 18th, a cossid brought a letter from the political agent, stating that it was contemplated to throw in supplies by means of Jeyt Sing, a Shikarpore merchant, and of Meer Hussain. Of this man, who figures in the Report of the Court of Inquiry into the Nuffoosk affair, Capt. Brown says: "I am almost positive he was the cause of poor Clarke being attacked, and it is fully proved it was he who led Major Clibborn's watering party into the ambuscade. I hope he will yet meet with the punishment he deserves."

This project was, however, given up, and a detachment, under Major Clibborn, was despatched from Sukkur, with a convoy, for the relief of the garrison of Kahun. Great joy was excited by the news that this convoy was on the march. Skirmishes with the Beloochees continued, and threats were still heard that the Murrees would come and put the garrison to the sword. The ensuing entries are full of interest: Aug. 31st. A day of great and almost overpowering excitement. It commenced about five o'clock last evening, when the plains and hills became alive with Beloochees, and at dark large signal fires on the tops of all the hills. At day-break, large parties of horse and foot were seen hurrying across the plain to the Nuffoosk Pass, on the opposite side of which, we soon learnt of the arrival of our convoy, from the report of one of their guns, a signal agreed upon between us; about sunrise we saw collected on the very top of the pass about two thousand Beloochees, and others prowling about in all directions. The distance, as the crow flies, from the fort to