tion of the

which the road climbs by a steep ascent between lofty precipices. By incredible A.D. 1842. exertion the summit was nearly gained, when a sudden turn brought them in front of a barricade formed of shrubs and branches of trees. To penetrate it Annihilaseemed impossible, and either to halt or recede was inevitable destruction, since British force. the enemy, who had been lying in ambush, were already busy with their long knives and jezails. It was a most unequal struggle, and terminated in the almost total extinction of the force. Brigadier Anquetil, Colonel Chambers, and ten other officers, here met their deaths. During the conflict, about twenty officers and forty-five privates managed to clear the barricade and make their way to Gundamuck at daybreak of the 13th. The respite thus obtained was of

Major Grif

short duration. The enemy began to pour in from all quarters, and their intended victims had become incapable of resistance, as not more than two rounds of ammunition to each man remained. What was to be done? Obviously the only alternatives were to make terms, or if these were refused, to sell their lives as dearly as possible. The former alternative seemed not unattainable, for shortly after their arrival a messenger arrived with overtures from the chief of the district. Major Griffiths, now the senior officer, set out to have an Massacre of interview with the chief, and was only on the way, when the blood-thirsty mob fiths and his broke in upon his little band and massacred every man of them, except Captain company. Souter of the 44th and a few privates, who were made prisoners. A few officers, who had quitted the column at Soorkbab and continued in advance of it, still survived. As they proceeded, one after another perished, and at Futteahbad their number was reduced to six. Being now only sixteen miles from Jelalabad, their final deliverance seemed at hand, but the measure of disaster was not yet complete. In the vicinity of Futteahbad a treacherous offer of kindness threw them off their guard. While snatching a hasty meal to strengthen them for their remaining fatigues, they were attacked by a party of armed

A.D. 1842. men.

Dr. Bryden

as sole sur

vivor of the British force.

Two of their number were immediately cut down, and three, overtaken

after an ineffectual flight, shared the same fate. Dr. Bryden, now the only Arrival of survivor, having providentially escaped, pursued his journey. He rode a pony at Jelalabad So jaded that it could scarcely carry him, and on which, as he was both wounded and faint, he was hardly able to keep his seat. At length, however, on coming within sight of Jelalabad, he was descried from the walls. The British garrison there, though without any certain information on the subject, knew as much as filled them with the most dismal forebodings as to the fate of the Cabool force. Colonel Dennie, who had ventured, one cannot help thinking, somewhat unadvisedly, to predict that only one man would escape to announce the destruction of all the rest, no sooner heard that a solitary and apparently exhausted rider, recognized by his dress and appearance to be a British officer, was approaching, than he exclaimed, says Mr. Gleig, in a voice which "sounded like the response of an oracle, 'Did I not say so? Here comes the messenger." A party of cavalry immediately hastened out to Dr. Bryden's relief. He was too much exhausted to be able to give any details, but told enough to confirm their worst fears. A British force had been completely exterminated, and the British arms had sustained a disgrace greater far than had ever befallen them in any previous Indian campaign. It was some small relief however to learn that Dennie's prophecy, if he ever uttered it, was not literally fulfilled. Instead of one, there were several survivors, and among them the very persons in whom the deepest interest was felt. The British ladies and children though captives were still alive, and might yet be recovered. They were so in fact, but as it was after a considerable delay, the details properly belong to a more advanced part of the narrative.

CHAPTER V.

Operations in different parts of Afghanistan-Sale at Jelalabad-Conflicts in the Khyber Pass-Nott at Candahar-Views of the Indian Government-Conclusion of Lord Auckland's administrationLord Ellenborough governor-general-Proposed evacuation of Afghanistan-Double advance upon Cabool by Generals Pollock and Nott-Recapture of Ghuznee-Re-occupation of Cabool-Recovery of British prisoners--Evacuation of Afghanistan-Lord Ellenborough's proclamations.

HE formidable difficulties encountered by Sir Robert Sale in marching his brigade from Cabool to Jelalabad have already been referred to, with his consequent refusal to risk its entire loss by endeavouring to retrace his steps, in compliance with the urgent importunities of the envoy. When the first order to return was received on the 10th of November, the brigade was encamped in the valley of Gundamuck. Previously, however, it had been so

STORMING OF GHUZNEE.-BRIGADIER SALE'S STRUGGLE WITH AN AFGHAN.

SEE VOL. III. PAGE

ENGRAVED BY THOMAS WILLIAMS

brigade con

march to

roughly handled, and was so imperfectly provided with the provisions and A D. 1842. military stores which would be absolutely required in marching back through one of the most difficult countries in the world, and in the face of a population Sale's understood to be almost universally hostile, that a council of war, summoned tinues its to consider the important subject, decided, though not unanimously, that the Jelalabad. march on Jelalabad ought to be continued. Even this could not be effected without sacrifice. In order to move as lightly as possible, it was necessary to leave a large amount of valuable property in the cantonments at Gundamuck, and in the absence of better custodiers to intrust it to the charge of a body of the Shah's irregular cavalry. The result, which was probably not unforeseen, immediately followed. The Janbaz, such being the name by which these cavalry were designated, lost no time in fraternizing with the insurgents, the cantonments were burned down, the property disappeared, and the insurrection itself spread wider and wider over all the surrounding districts.

there.

The brigade resumed its march on the 11th of November, and the insurgents, probably not yet fully prepared for action, offered little obstruction. On the morning of the 12th, it became obvious that a different course was to be pursued By day-break the adjoining hills were covered with armed men, watching their opportunity to descend and sweep all before them. The task of keeping them in check was intrusted to Colonel Dennie, who, after a kind of running fight had for some time been kept up, had recourse to a manœuvre. Placing the cavalry in ambush, he led out the infantry to the attack, with instructions suddenly to wheel round when about to come into actual collision with the enemy, as if a panic had seized them. The enemy mistaking the feint for a real flight, raised a wild shout, and to complete their victory rushed into the low ground. A charge from the cavalry threw them into irretrievable confusion, and they fled leaving the valley covered with their dead. After this Its arrival decided check, no further opposition was made to the march of the brigade, which entered Jelalabad on the 13th of January, and took unchallenged possession of it. Sale's intention was to hold it as an intermediate post, from which reinforcements received from India by way of Peshawer might be forwarded to Cabool, and where, should the retirement of the Cabool force itself become necessary, it might find a haven of safety. The nature of the task which he had thus undertaken cannot be better explained than in his own words. "I found the walls of Jelalabad in a state which might have justified despair as to the possibility of defending them. The enceinte was far too extensive for my small force, embracing a circumference of upwards of 2300 yards. Its tracing was vicious in the extreme. It had no parapet excepting for a few hundred yards, which then was not more than two feet high. Earth and rubbish had accumulated to such an extent about the ramparts, that there were roads in various directions across and over them into the country. There was a space of 400 yards together, on which none of the garrison could show