of military stores. From Bombay to the Straits of Ormuz, at the entrance of the Persian Gulf, is 100 miles, and from Ormuz to Bushire 400 miles. The sea is generally calm, except during the south-west monsoon, which blows from the beginning of June till September. Even this rarely rises to a gale, and it is only the lazy and timid crews of the native craft who are afraid to navigate those seas at all times of the year.

The immediate arrangements for organising the expedition were necessarily intrusted to Lord Elphinston, Governor of Bombay, a nobleman, whose natural capacity for administration had been developed by ten years' experience at the head of an Indian Government. The headquarter army staff was also composed of able and practical men, so that every detail necessary to the efficiency of an army in the field was foreseen and provided for. The expedition got under weigh on the 12th and 13th of November. Most of the soldiers were on board sailing transports, but they were taken in tow by vessels belonging to the Indian Navy, or hired steamers. The force comprised H.M. 64th Regiment (destined for a more arduous struggle under Havelock the following year); the 2d Bombay Europeans, 4th and 20th Native Infantry; two squadrons 3d Native Cavalry, and one squadron Poona Horse; 3d Troop Horse Artillery; 3d and 5th Light Field Batteries; two companies Sappers and Miners, with a considerable staff of Engineer officers and an Engineer Park. The entire number of fighting men was 5670, of which 2270 were Europeans, with 3750 followers, 1150 horses, and 430 bullocks. There were eight Indian Navy steamers, seven steam and thirty sailing transports of the largest size. Major-General Stalker of the Bombay army commanded the expedition. The fleet glided smoothly "o'er Oman's waters," doubtless much to the astonishment of any Peris that happened

to be flying over at the time. On the 21st, headquarters reached the Straits of Ormuz, and waited four days at anchor, to reassemble the transports, and make a fresh departure for Bushire. The fleet proceeded slowly up the Persian Gulf, owing to strong north-westerly breezes which retarded the progress of steamers with two or three large transports in tow, but proved invigorating to European troops after a residence in the tropics. On the 5th December, however, all the force was at anchor in Bushire roads, with the exception of one or two sailing vessels whose tugs had cast them adrift. As the declaration of war was made at Calcutta on the 1st November, it had not reached Bushire, three thousand miles distant, before the arrival of General Stalker. The Persian governor of Bushire, whose sway extends all along the coast, is styled Durrya Bey, or Lord of the Seas. He expressed, and probably felt, considerable surprise at a fleet ten times larger than had ever before been seen in his waters, suddenly casting anchor in Bushire roadstead. He, of course, knew that a dispute was pending between England and Persia; and the unusual frequency with which steamers bearing despatches for Captain Jones, the British resident at Bushire, had been arriving and departing may have roused his suspicions. The Indian Government, although it gave the Persians very slender warning of when it was going to begin, made all its own preparations with a praiseworthy deliberation. Besides the collecting of troops and warlike stores at Bombay, Captain Wray, assistant quartermaster-general, and a commissariat officer, had been despatched to the Persian Gulf in October to spy out the land. Among other places, Captain Wray visited Bushire, provided with compasses, measuringchains, and all the necessary implements for taking a survey. This cool attempt to map out the fortifications of a town for whose capture a siege train had been already embarked, was more than the Resident's

sense of propriety could permit. The appearance of these military strangers, moreover, created considerable excitement both among the authorities and population of Bushire. Captain Jones was not sorry when he had them safely re-embarked after a few hours' sojourn ashore. He himself remained at his official residence until the expeditionary force arrived, removing his office on board one of the men-of-war on the 5th December, just five weeks subsequent to the declaration of war, and three days previous to the bombardment of Bushire. But no insult was offered to him, and the governor politely escorted him to the pier. This may have been partly owing to the Resident's personal popularity among the Persians, but their conduct contrasts favourably with that of the infamous Chinese mandarins who murdered English officers protected by a flag-of-truce. As the governor declined to surrender, preparations were made to disembark the land-forces. The town of Bushire is situated at the extremity of a small peninsula, pointing to the north-west, with the sea on one side, and a creek which joins the sea at an angle of about 30° on the other. The landward face is protected by a thick wall of inferior masonry, twenty feet high, flanked by circular bastions, which stretches across the peninsula where it is about three quarters of a mile wide. The sea and creek faces of the town have circular bastions partially connected by curtain walls. A bar across the mouth of the creek prevents vessels of more than 200 tons from entering it, and the coast shelves so gently that our frigates could not approach nearer than 1200 to 1400 yards. For six miles south of Bushire the coast is fringed by a coral reef, about twenty yards from the shore, mostly uncovered at low water, and interfering very much with a landing even from small boats. It then trends in an easterly or inward direction, forming a bay called Hattileh Bay, whose beach is free from any barrier of coral. This was se

VOL. XC.-NO. DLI.

lected as the point of debarkation, which commenced at eight o'clock A.M. on the morning of the 7th. Just as a few infantry had descended into the boats, and the officers and men whose turn had not yet come were sitting down to breakfast, a tremendous discharge of artillery from some of the frigates shook the astonished transports. All rushed on deck, and telescopes were in high demand to discover the unfortunate objects of this terrible demonstration, which continued for a quarter of an hour. It seemed principally directed at a clump of lofty date trees, but no living creature was sitting or moving beneath their scanty shade, nor had the date trees themselves given any known cause for offence. Five men, who in the hazy mirage rising from the sand could scarcely be distinguished from camels, were approaching, but far out of range, for Sir William Armstrong had not yet imparted to the world his invaluable secret for killing our fellow creatures, and burning their houses, at a distance of five miles. The fact is, that sailors will be sailors, as boys will be boys; and our gallant tars, who had a hard day's work before them, took this little bit of noisy pleasure, which it must be confessed was innocent enough, before settling to business. They then gave themselves no rest till well on into the night, and all the horses and men had been safely landed. No tents, or baggage of any kind, were brought ashore. The troops bivouacked on the sand.

Early next morning a small party was sent to reconnoitre the road to Bushire, while the main body were getting under arms. They discovered on the coast a square earthwork, not newly erected, but the remains of some old Dutch settlement. In this a party of the enemy, about 400 strong, had taken up their position, and opened a smart fire of matchlocks as the reconnoitring party approached. The latter, accordingly, fell back a little, and awaited the advance of General Stalker with the main body.

2 A

The redoubt which the enemy occupied was nearly a square in form, with the rear resting on the beach. It was so extensive that it would have been almost impossible to have driven the garrison out by shelling from our field-pieces, and time was of importance. Any delay at this outpost would have encouraged the garrison of Bushire itself. The ditch was of considerable depth, but there was a breach in two or three parts of the parapet on the side which directly faced the land, and the debris had so filled up the ditch below that an entrance could be effected without the use of scaling-ladders. The General formed his force so as to encircle the redoubt as much as possible, and prevent escape; while two columns, one of the 2d Bombay Europeans, and the other of the 64th regiment and 25th Native Infantry, were to give the assault, the former at the northeast angle, the latter on the east or landward side.

The few cavalry with the force were placed close to the sea, on the right of the line, so as to cut off the garrison from escape along the beach, in the direction of Bushire. The 4th Bombay Rifles were ordered to touch the coast on the other side of the redoubt with their left, to cut off any parties who might try to escape in the opposite direction.

They did not at first quite carry out this order, and a good many Persians eluded them by creeping along under the rocks which overhang the beach.

The columns of the 64th and 20th, under Brigadier Stopford of the 64th, clambered up the sides of the ditch and parapet almost simultaneously, under a heavy matchlock fire. The Brigadier was shot dead on the parapet; Utterson and Warren, of the 20th N.I., were mortally and Captain Wood severely wounded. Several soldiers also fell, but the whole was over in a few minutes. The 1st Bombay Europeans had an easier breach to enter by, and got in with few casualties.

The enemy ran out at the rear of the work, and a good number made off along the beach before the rifles discovered what was going on. At last the latter lined the rocks which adjoin the beach, and poured a destructive volley on the fugitives, who would not listen to, and probably did not understand, the demands to surrender, conveyed orally in English and Hindustani, or symbolically by waving of white handkerchiefs and turbans. Colonel Malet, with his cavalry, when he saw, by the red-coats appearing on the top of the parapet, that the fort was in our hands, passed in rear of it by the beach, and cut up some of those who had run the gauntlet of the rifles. One of his troopers was about to cut down a Persian, when the latter held up his hands for mercy, and Malet ordered him to be spared. As he passed on, however, the wretch whose life he had just saved, snatched a matchlock from a bush where it lay concealed, and killed his benefactor by a shot from behind. Colonel Malet was much liked in the army, and an excellent officer. His melancholy death, as well as that of Colonel Stopford, who was a thorough soldier, threw a gloom over the force.

The ground inside of the fort was much broken, and covered with the ruins of old houses. Several Persians had concealed themselves in the hollows and irregularities thus formed. When discovered, they never seemed to have an idea of asking mercy, but made a bolt of it, and were killed by the soldiers. One young fellow of about sixteen was dislodged by a soldier of the 2d Europeans, and shot down while running away. In his dying struggle he raised himself on one arm, and avenged himself by sending a bullet through the thigh of his slayer, who died from loss of blood in a few minutes, as the femoral artery was cut through.

The garrison was not composed of regular soldiers, but of men from the tribes near Bushire, especially of the Tungistanees, under their chief, Akbar Khan, whose two sons

again, in order that their flag may wave over the captured town.

Just before the town surrendered, an exciting but tragic episode occurred. The troops were drawn up parallel to the landward-front, not quite in line, but with the left echelloned forward; they occupied about one-half of the breadth of the peninsula, at the end of which Bushire is situated. A petty chief, with eight followers, had been paying a visit to the Governor of Bushire that morning, to give him information, and to take orders about call ing out the tribes or militia of the adjoining country. The chief did not desire to cast his lot with the garrison; his style of warfare was to perplex an enemy by rapid movements in the open plain, not to fight cooped up by walls and battlements. He was mounted on a fine Arab mare, and accompanied by his followers, dashed suddenly out from the Bushire gateway. The little band passed like wind across the plain, making straight for the left centre of our line, where there was a break occasioned by the Rifles and a couple of guns having been thrown forward to the left-front. Those two guns gave them a volley of grape, and the Rifles discharged several shots at them, as did the 2d Europeans, near whom they passed-all escaped except two, one of whom Brigadier Homer dismounted with his stick, while Captain Aitcheson, his brigade-major, cut down the other. Every one thought, and we hope every one was glad to think, that the gallant little band had safely ridden their daring race, when a small party of cavalry appeared right in their path. They had been detached to examine a village on the left of the column as it advanced, and were closing up to the front just as the fugitives had safely got to the rear of the main body. The horses of the Persians were blown by a gallop of more than two miles, for dear life, across the sandy plain, while those of the troopers were perfectly fresh; and just as life and liberty seemed within their

grasp the chief and his men were set upon and slain by these fresh assailants. As their fatalistic countrymen said afterwards,-"Their appointed hour had come."

The garrison of Bushire were by no means easy in their minds as to the fate which awaited them. Their ideas of capturing a fort comprised a wholesale massacre of the vanquished, from which women and children were not necessarily excluded. They were all brought out, to the number of about 2000 regular troops, and, after laying down their arms, were made to sit down in rows on the ground, and so passed the night under a guard. Their state of mind could not have been an enviable one, as, on every change of sentries or movement among the guard, they shouted "Imaun," mercy, as if the signal had been given for their execution. General Stalker, however, did not even think it worth while to take the trouble of securing them as prisoners, and the next day they were dismissed. Their muskets were all stamped with the Tower mark, and had been presented by the English to the Persian Government in former days, when we wished to strengthen Persia as a barrier against Russia. We were, in fact, now pulling down, what it had been the policy of a previous generation to build up, at no small trouble and expense; but it is not in eastern diplomacy alone that statesmen must do and undo as expediency requires.

The north-eastern shore of the Persian Gulf is very flat for about thirty miles from the sea, when a range of hills rises very abruptly from the plain. Through these some difficult passes lead to the central plateau, which composes the greatest portion of the Persian dominions. Wheeled vehicles are never used for the purpose of carrying merchandise across these hills. The steep narrow paths on the direct routes are sometimes barely practicable for a laden mule; but there are more circuitous routes by which artillery