t Quettah, was also
ordered to advance to the assistance of the garrison.

General Phayre, however--although comparatively close to
Candahar--was unable to advance, for some time. The same miserable
economy which had dispersed the transport train, after the
signature of the Treaty of Gundamuk; and had so delayed the advance
of General Roberts towards Cabul, after the massacre of the
mission, again paralyzed the action of the British troops--the
whole of the transport train, collected at so much cost and
difficulty, having been dismissed to their homes, as soon as the
negotiations with Abdul-Rahman held out a prospect of peace. Many
weeks elapsed before a sufficient number of baggage animals could
be collected to enable General Phayre to advance, with his
relieving column.

In Candahar, things passed quietly. The enemy, from time to time,
fired shot and shell into the city from distant positions but,
believing that no relief could reach the garrison before the
supplies of food were exhausted, and that it must therefore yield
to hunger, Ayoub's army contented themselves by watching the city
from a distance; and by keeping a cordon of troops round its walls,
to prevent the country people from bringing in provisions.

Detached bodies, indeed, often crept up near the walls; and kept up
a musketry fire at any troops showing themselves, there. But no
attempts were made to batter down the walls, or to make anything
like a resolute assault. Ayoub's army had, indeed, greatly lost
heart. If 1500 British soldiers, attacked under circumstances of
the greatest disadvantage, had killed 6000 or 7000 of their
assailants; what might not be the slaughter which a greatly
superior force would inflict, when sheltered behind stone walls?

From one village, situate half a mile from the eastern gate of the
city, so constant and harassing a fire was maintained, by the
enemy, that General Primrose resolved to make a sortie, to capture
it. The affair was, however, badly planned, and resulted in
failure. The Afghans--sheltered in the strongly-built houses--kept
up so severe a fire upon the assailants that these were obliged to
fall back, with a considerable loss. After that, no further sorties
were attempted; and the city remained in quiet, until the relieving
columns were close at hand.

The force selected to march from Cabul to the relief of Candahar,
under the command of General Roberts, consisted of the 92nd
Highlanders, 23rd Pioneers,