Despite the loss of gunpowder incurred by the destruction of the Muchee Bhowun Fort, we had been well supplied with this invaluable material during the siege. Latterly, however, the expenditure of it had been great, especially in destroying the enemy's batteries, and the buildings adjacent to them, which were captured in the recent sorties. It was, therefore, soon found necessary by Captain Olpherts, who, during Major Eyre's illness, succeeded to the temporary command of the Artillery, to husband with the greatest care the expenditure of powder. And during the blockade not a shot was unnecessarily fired. There were about fifty barrels of powder remaining when we were finally relieved.

Occasionally during the blockade, the Highlander Bagpipers would parade through the different garrisons, in the afternoon, playing their various Scotch airs. And it was amusing on these occasions to see them followed, as they might be in England, by a crowd of soldiers' wives, ladies, and youngsters, who enjoyed the rare amusement of music, and the fun.

Having thus endeavoured to convey a general idea of the state of things inside our works during the blockade, I proceed to note the several occurrences which appear to be of interest.

Sir James Outram was very anxious that measures should be taken to afford us the means of communicating with the native grain merchants, and through them the means of introducing supplies. I therefore frequently consulted with Meer Furzund Ali, the Artillery Darogah, and Runjeet Singh, and other natives who formed my garrison, on the subject. They all recommended the course which also approved itself to me, viz. the seizure of the iron bridge and the occupation of the grain suburb of Aleegunje,

beyond it. Aleegunje abuts upon the open country, and by holding it our communications would have been greatly improved. Mention has already been made of Meer Furzund Ali, and I must say something more of Runjeet Singh, who also rendered good service during the siege.

Runjeet Singh is an old pensioned native officer of our sepoy army: a native of Duriabad, in Oudh, where he was found by Captain Hawes, when he formed there the cantonment of the 5th O. I. Infantry. Runjeet Singh had been dispossessed of two villages belonging to him by a neighbouring talooqdar, which he now re-claimed, and which were restored to him by the British district officer. On the occurrence of the mutinies, and the disorganization of our Government, Runjeet Singh thought it best to leave the neighbourhood, fearing the vengeance of the talooqdar. He came therefore to Lucknow and offered his service, and was enrolled among the pensioner force, which aided in the defence of the Residency, and was stationed at my post. Before the siege, he brought in a number of other pensioners, all of whom behaved well; and it was he who recommended to us the messenger "Ungud," also a pensioned sepoy, who rendered such signal service in conveying our communications. Runjeet Singh was always cheerful, and bore himself admirably during the siege, and has been liberally rewarded.

During the day of the 1st of October, orders were issued for the attack of the iron bridge, but they were subsequently countermanded, and an attack in force on the enemy's Cawnpoor battery ordered instead. The firing of the force of between 500 and 600 men, composed of detachments of different regiments under Colonel Napier, ordered to attack the enemy's Cawnpoor road battery, began at 3, P.M. In this battery,

known also as Phillips' Garden Battery, the enemy were believed to have the 8-inch howitzer taken from us at Chinhut, which the General was very anxious to recover. It appeared, on subsequent inquiry, that our party had gone steadily to work, and had possessed themselves by nightfall of certain houses commanding the enemy's battery. Some of the buildings, however, remaining in the hands of the rebels, it was thought advisable to await the morning before the attack was made. Early next day, the battery was taken and three guns, viz. two 9-pounders and one 6-pounder captured, with small loss to ourselves. But the 8-inch howitzer was not found. It was reported that this piece had been removed by the enemy during the night. Singularly enough this party discovered, and rescued from death a private of the 1st Madras Fusiliers, who three days before had fallen down a well, and had remained in it all that time undiscovered.

On the 2nd of October, a heavy cannonade was kept up from the 18-pounders of the Redan battery, upon the buildings at the entrance to the iron bridge, leading to the belief that an attack in that quarter was intended.

On the 3rd of October, the 78th Highlanders, under Major Haliburton, began to extend our position along the direct Cawnpoor road, working from house to house. On the 4th he was reported to have been mortally wounded, and died on the 5th. Major Stephenson,* also, of the Madras Fusiliers, and several other officers, having been severely wounded on the same service, the attempt to extend our position in that direction was abandoned, and the troops were retired early on the 6th. Our extreme position in that direction accordingly extended up to the barri

* This gallant officer afterwards died of the wound he received.

cade thrown across the Cawnpoor road opposite Anderson's house. Probably in consequence of the withdrawal of our advanced posts, the enemy pressed on, and assembled in large numbers in the forenoon, in the buildings around the centre bastion of my post, from which they kept up a very severe fire of musketry. We replied sharply from our loopholes; but they were so close that their shot repeatedly struck the loopholes, and one of my levies was shot dead by a ball which entered by a loophole through which he and myself were looking at the same time. My head being a little withdrawn at the moment, I was mercifully preserved, and only received some brickdust in the face.

On the subject of loopholes it may be as well to mention the result of our experience in respect to their construction. Those which we first made were found to be much too large. They were usually, that is at first, made in the form of a perpendicular slit in the parapet-wall, about four inches wide externally, and widening inside to four or five times that width; much in appearance resembling what are seen surmounting the turrets of European castellated buildings. These, however, were found to admit the enemy's bullets too easily, and in their subsequent construction we took a lesson from themselves, by merely piercing a hole through the wall large enough externally to permit of the muzzle of a musket or double barrel to protrude. On the inside the loophole was made considerably wider, so as to allow of aim being taken to the right or left. Our original defective construction of this description of defence cost us many valuable lives; and in the new fortifications which I have since had the opportunity of observing elsewhere, I have noticed the same defect.

Similarly, our first embrasures for artillery were often made too wide in the interior opening. Two feet afford a space amply sufficient to work a long 18pounder, widening, of course, to five feet or more externally.

The enemy suffered on the same day a severe check, with a loss of, some say thirty, and some 150 men, at the Furhut Buksh Palace, where they attacked and followed inside our lines a party of our workpeople. The Seikhs and Europeans closed in behind them, and killed a large number.

Fodder continuing to get daily scarcer, the General was still anxious that the Irregular and Volunteer Cavalry should make their way out to Alum Bagh, failing which, he declared that all the horses must probably be turned out, not excepting his own chargers. One of our pensioned sepoys assured me, at the close of the first week, that if we could extend our position to the Dilkoosha road, he should be able to summon a number of zemindars, through whom arrangements for supplies could be made. I mentioned this to the General, but the extension of our position was considered impossible. We lost during this week Lieutenant G. W. Greene, of the 13th N. I., of dysentery.

We were roused at my garrison on the night of the 9th of October by General Outram's Private Secretary, Mr. W. J. Money, coming over with the good tidings of the capture of Dehli, the king and his begum having been made prisoners: and the march of Brigadier Greathed towards Oudh commenced. This, though not wholly unexpected, was great news, and gave much encouragement to the native portion of our garrison, who now began to think that they did not after all choose their side so badly. The