the fact that it was for his share in
its capture, forty-one years before, that my father was given the C.B.

I was met by the Governor, who handed me the keys of the fortress, and
I placed my own guards and sentries in and around the city to prevent
collisions between the inhabitants and our troops, and also to make
sure that our demands for supplies were complied with. Up to this
point we had been fairly well off for food, forage, and water.

Our next march was across a barren, inhospitable track for twenty
miles to a place called Yarghati. On the way we passed Ahmedkhel,
where Sir Donald Stewart won his victory; the name had been changed
by the Natives to 'the Resting-place of Martyrs,' and the numerous
freshly-covered-in graves testified to the _ghazis'_ heavy losses. The
remains of the few British soldiers, who had been buried where they
had fallen, had been desecrated, and the bones were exposed to view
and scattered about.

At Chardeh, our next halting-place, a communication from Colonel
Tanner, Commanding at Kelat-i-Ghilzai, was brought to me by a Native
messenger; it was dated the 12th August, and informed me that Kandahar
was closely invested, but that the garrison had supplies for two
months and forage for fifteen days.

On the 21st we arrived at a point thirty miles from Kelat-i-Ghilzai,
whence we opened heliograph communication with that place, and were
told of an unsuccessful sortie made from Kandahar five days before, in
which General Brooke and eight other British officers had been killed.

[Illustration: CROSSING THE ZAMBURAK KOTAL.
_From a painting by the Chevalier Desanges._]

On the 23rd Kelat-i-Ghilzai was reached. The garrison[1] had been well
taken care of by Colonel Tanner,[2] and a large quantity of food for
man and beast had been collected; but I thought it unadvisable
at present to continue to hold the place, and have to keep open
communication between it and Kandahar, and as I could see no
compensating advantage in doing so, I determined to withdraw the
troops and take them along with me.

Colonel Tanner's report satisfied me there was no immediate danger to
be apprehended at Kandahar, so I decided to halt for one day; both men
and animals greatly needed rest after a continuous march of 225 miles.

I had endeavoured to keep the Government of India informed of my
progress by a message from Ghazni, and one from Oba Karez on the
18th August, but neither reached its destination. I now