CHAPTER X.

THE WAR CONTINUED.

SIR DAVID OCHTERLONY, who took the field at the same time with Gillespie, was opposed to one of the best officers in the Nepaul army. Umur Sing, in person, formed, from the first, a just estimate of the character of his enemy, and the difficulties he would have to contend with; he, therefore, resolved to proceed with caution, and on the 31st of October, the day Gillespie was killed at Kalunga, he reached Plasseea, situated in a valley within the hills which he entered from the Sutlej by a pass less difficult than those further east. Umur Sing was at this time at Urkee, considerably within the

hills; they run here in broken ridges, stretching N.N.W., and each ridge affords a series of positions; the outermost ridge was surmounted by the fort of Nalaghur, which, with an outpost, commanded the principle route into the hills. On the next range stood three small forts, above this again towered the heights of Maloun, and near which was the capital of Umur Sing's staunch ally, the Rajah of Belaspore.

Having garrisoned the forts of Nalaghur Hills, and reckoning that Ochterlony would be some time occupied before them, he was in no hurry to leave his position. Sir David, however, resolved on hazarding nothing, invested Nalaghur with his heavy guns on the 1st November; having breached the wall, the garrison surrendered on the 5th. Having established depôts at the captured forts, Sir David proceeded on the 13th against the Ramgurh positions, sending on Colonel Thompson with a brigade one day's march in advance.

The position of Ramgurh was so steep on the sides next the plains, that Sir David

determined to turn it, if possible, and act on its rear; these ridges, it may be observed, are all so many steps to the vast Himalaya snowy range; each, therefore, as it nears that stupendous range, towers over that before it, and as you look from the plains, the steeper side is always opposed to you. Ramgurh stood nearly in the centre of the ridge, and formed Umur Sing's right; and Ochterlony, in advancing from Nalaghur, turned his left, and in November had seized a point from which he hoped to be able to batter one of the stockades of that wing. By the end of November, after incessant labour, in making roads and dragging up guns, a battery was constructed; but when it opened, the stockade was found to be almost out of range, and the shots had little effect. Lieutenant Lawtie, the engineer, observing this, advanced with a small party to reconnoitre another point further on; the Goorkhas sallied out to prevent it, and obliged him to seek the shelter of a wall that stood near: his critical situation being perceived, Lieutenant Williams

was sent with two companies from the battery to support the reconnoissance, but a much larger body came down to the Goorkhas and surrounded the whole party, who thus found themselves under the necessity of fighting their way through the enemy to secure their retreat. The movement was successfully executed, but with the loss of poor Williams, who was killed besides seventy-five Sepoys.

This affair was of no further consequence than it gave the enemy an occasion of triumph. The Nepaulese, however, permitted us the next day to remove and bury the dead, a courtesy they certainly never refused us during the war. Sir David Ochterlony was busily engaged all this while in surveying and improving the roads, and reconnoitering Umur Sing's position. on every side. By the first week in December, he was enabled to form a plan of attack, the object of which was to make a lodgment on a point within the position; the proposed advance was to be made from the battery above mentioned, and was a dangerous under

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taking in consequence of there being but one road to the position, and that laid under fire of one of Umur Sing's principal stockades, which the advancing column would have to receive on its flank, probably followed by a sally from the garrison as it passed. However, seeing no other way of inflicting a heavy blow on the enemy, Sir David submitted the plan to his two Brigadiers, Arnold and Thompson to obtain their opinion of it. The propriety of making the attack was still under delibération when the news arrived of our second failure before Kalunga, and Ochterlony hearing of a reinforcement being on its way to his own force by direction of Lord Hastings, determined to abandon the plan and to hazard nothing. Sir David at this time had many serious doubts of our ultimate success in the struggle, and he feared that our native army with its well known courage, and gallant officers, would be found ill adapted to a protracted warfare in a country too rugged to admit its discipline being brought in play. The gallant old general,