er, sent our artillery to join Sir John. About eight
o'clock, when within about three miles of Ghuzni, we heard the first
symptoms that the game of war was beginning: our batteries were firing
on the place, and the garrison were returning it with good effect; it
served as a sort of overture to the opera in which we knew we must soon
be actors.

In consequence of the great quantity of baggage, now the whole army was
joined, we were halted for a couple of hours to protect it, and the
whole of the cavalry was sent back for that purpose; and well it was
that they were, as a part of the enemy's cavalry made a demonstration
for attacking it, but withdrew on seeing ours. We were at length marched
on, and took up our ground a little to the S.W. of the fort, but out of
harm's way, when we heard a more definite account of what had been done.
The advance of the Bengal column, H.M. 13th Light Infantry and the 16th
Native Infantry, had some little work in driving the enemy out of the
gardens and old buildings that surround the town. This, however, they
accomplished with a trifling loss; our guns then opened on the place,
but as they were light ones (the heaviest being still in the rear), with
little effect. This desultory fire on both sides was, however, kept up
for about three hours: little execution being done, and a few casualties
having occurred among the artillery, Sir John Keane ordered the guns to
be withdrawn. We had not been on our ground more than three hours when
we were ordered once more on the march, and to march by a circuitous
route across the mountains, in order to avoid the fire of the town, and
take up our ground on the other side of it. We reached our new ground
about nine, after a fatiguing march of seven miles, crossing the river,
and, by an infernal path, through the hills. Here we bivouacked again
for the night, as little of our baggage had arrived.

The enemy took this move of ours as a defeat, and concluded that we had
marched on to Cabool, despairing of taking their fort: the event proved
how wofully they were mistaken! They wasted a good deal of powder in
firing for joy, and young Dost sent a dispatch from the place to his
father, apprizing him of the fact, and begging him to come down upon us
immediately, while he would follow upon our rear. He also sent to a
Ghiljee chieftain near us, telling him to collect as many followers and
country people as he could to make an attack upon our baggage, as he had
on