During the march, the communications received from Mehrab Khan were, so
far from acceding to the terms offered, that he threatened resistance if
the troops approached his capital. I therefore proceeded, and arrived at
the village of Giranee, within eight miles of Kelat, on the 12th
instant.

Marching thence the following morning, a body of horse were perceived on
the right of the road, which commenced firing on the advanced guard,
commanded by Major Pennycuick, her Majesty's 17th regiment, as the
column advanced, and the skirmishing between them continued until we
came in sight of Kelat, rather less than a mile distant.

I now discovered that three heights on the north-west face of the fort,
and parallel to the north, were covered with infantry, with five guns in
position, protected by small parapet walls.

Captain Peat, chief engineer, immediately reconnoitered; and having
reported that nothing could be done until those heights were in our
possession, I decided upon at once storming them simultaneously, and, if
practicable, entering the fort with the fugitives, as the gate in the
northern face was occasionally opened to keep up the communication
between the fort and the heights.

To effect this object I detached a company from each of the European
regiments from the advanced guard with Major Pennycuick, her Majesty's
17th regiment, for the purpose of occupying the gardens and enclosures
to the north-east of the town, and two more companies in the plain,
midway between them and the column; at the same time I ordered three
columns of attack to be formed, composed of four companies from each
corps, under their respective commanding officers, Major Carruthers, of
the Queen's, Lieutenant-Colonel Croker, her Majesty's 17th regiment, and
Major Western, 31st Bengal Native Infantry, the whole under the command
of Brigadier Baumgardt, the remainder of the regiments forming three
columns of reserve, under my own direction, to move in support.

A hill being allotted to each column, Brigadier Stevenson, commanding
the artillery, moved quickly forward in front towards the base of the
heights, and when within the required range opened fire upon the
infantry and guns, under cover of which the columns moved steadily on,
and commenced the ascent for the purpose of carrying the heights,
exposed to the fire of the enemy's guns, which had commenced while the
columns of attack were forming.

Before the columns reached their respectiv