THE RETREAT AND PURSUIT.

29

indeed, dark as it was, their dust was now visible. All on a sudden we were brought up by the dry bed of a river. Down we went, man over horse, and horse over man; we could stick at nothing, and a precious roll I got. We immediately righted, however, and a thought struck me that now our only chance lay in following the bed of this dry river. We did so for some four hundred yards, then pulled up and dismounted, and muffling our well-blown nags, we heard the mass of Beelooch cavalry pass through just where we had turned off. There must have been a very large body of them. We remained perfectly quiet, and in about an hour we heard them return, this time at a walk, shouting and talking very loudly. Back they went, to our delight, without examining the bed of the river. Half-an-hour afterwards, we pulled our horses out of the deep bed, and went off at speed to Colonel Marshall's camp, where I arrived at four o'clock the morning following the day of my departure. The Colonel was called, and greatly surprised

was he at seeing a British officer there from head-quarters with despatches.

The troops got under arms immediately. I had some refreshment, got a fresh horse, received command of the cavalry, one hundred and twenty Irregulars. Forward! was the word, and after a march of seven miles we came up. with Nusseer Khan, the Khan of Khelat. He was admirably posted. We waited here for upwards of an hour, until a flanking party of four hundred men, under the gallant Major Teasdale, of the 25th Bombay N.I., shewed their heads. This brave man was afterwards killed at Meanee, leading as gallant a body of men as John Company ever possessed-the 25th Regiment of Bombay N.I.

Nusseer Khan, confident in the superior number of his troops, did not refuse battle when it was offered him. The action commenced at 9 A.M., and, after some stiff fighting, at 4 P.M. we had thrashed the Beeloochees thoroughly. We only took one hundred and thirty prisoners, but of these eighteen were

THE PRISONERS OF WAR.

31

chiefs, the principal being Meer Bohur Khan, the Commander-in-Chief, and his son, Morad Khan, who were initiated into camel equitation by being sent at once prisoners, under my charge, to Sukkur head-quarters.

The only rest I had was during the time the despatches were being written by Colonel Marshall. When ready, off I started, with an injured hip, on the right side; returning to, and arriving at head-quarters (one hundred and fifty miles) at the same pace as that at which I went out, seriously injuring the antipodes of Meer Bohur Khan and his son, Morad Khan, who, during their camel trip, frequently begged of me to put them to death like soldiers, rather than shake their insides out on camels.

His im

On reaching the Residency at two in the morning, and General Brooks being informed I had arrived, he rose and greeted me. He could scarcely believe I had been there. pression was that I had been compelled to abandon the undertaking, and return. I was so exhausted that I requested him to read the despatches which were in my sabretache, and

which I could not even take out.

His surprise and joy were excessive.

He did so.

I met

with the kindest reception from him and Mr. Ross Bell, the Resident, and experienced every

care and attention.

I was confined to my bed

for a fortnight for my sins, weak, bruised, wearied, and fevered. But I had a capital febrifuge and consolation in the orders issued on the occasion by the Governor-General of India.

Nusseer Khan, the Khan of Khelat, escaped before Major Teasdale's flanking-party came up, but all his baggage, tents, camels, ammunition, &c., fell into our hands, even to the very bed he slept on. The hilly nature of the country rendered pursuit by our nearly worn out troops worse than useless. The result of the action, however, left Nusseer Khan helpless, and he and his young mother, Bibi Gunga, soon surrendered themselves to the British authorities, after some political flirting on both sides. The Beloochees never met us again on their hills after the lesson of Colonel Marshall, but were induced to make their last

COMPLIMENTARY ORDERS.

33

attempt in hordes at Meanee and Hyderabad three years subsequently, when the gallant Napier gave the coup de grace to their power, by extinguishing the authority of the Ameers, and adding Scinde to the British Indian pos

sessions.

I am enabled to add to this rough narrative, the gratifying orders of the Governor-General referred to above. They are at once confirmatory of my tale, and complimentary to the parties engaged in the campaign.

Government Gazettes, and Records of Services, of Captain T. Smith, Assistant Political-Resident at Nepaul, during the Years 1840 and 1841.

My Lord,

I.

Sukkur, November 2nd, 1840.

I did myself the honour yesterday of reporting my arrival at Sukkur. Among other papers which I found awaiting my arrival, was a General Order from his Excellency the Commander-in-Chief, instructing me to remand Lieutenant Smith, of the 15th Regiment Bengal N.I., to his regiment.

The circumstances under which this officer was