mean time the road to the gate was occupied by the storming party,
the advance of which was composed of the flank companies of all the
European Regiments. The head of the advance was once driven back by a
resolute party of Affghans, who fought desperately hand to hand, but a
jam taking place, the check was only momentary. After clearing the gate,
the enemy must have become paralysed, and both town and citadel were
gained with an unprecedentedly trifling loss. None of the engineers, or
of the party who placed the bags, were touched, although from the enemy
burning blue lights they must have been seen distinctly: two, of a few
Europeans who accompanied Capt. Peat were shot; one killed. During the
day a great number of prisoners were taken, among whom was Dost
Mahommud's son; a great number of horses also fell into our hands.

_24th_.--Ghuznee: by this morning at 9 o'clock every thing was quiet, and
the last holders-out have been taken; strict watch is kept at the gate to
prevent plunder, dead horses are now dragged out, and dead men buried:
the place looks desolate, but the inhabitants are beginning to return. It
appears to me a very strong, though very irregular place, the stronger
for being so: the streets are very narrow, and dirty enough, houses poor,
some said to be good inside, it is a place of considerable size, perhaps
one-third less than Candahar. It is surrounded by a wet ditch, of no
great width, the walls are tall and strong, weakest on the north-east
angle immediately under the citadel; parapets, etc. are in good repair.
The loop holes are however absurd, and even when large are carefully
screened. The ditch is crossed at the Cabul gate by a stone bridge. The
Zuburjur is a very large gun, but almost useless to Affghans, who are no
soldiers. Every side of the town might have been stoutly defended.

The view from the citadel is extensive and fine, the mountains to the
north and north-west extremely so, and seem crowded in the view, while
the river and its cultivation add novelty to an Affghan landscape; many
villages are visible in every direction, surrounded with gardens and
orchards.

There is a good deal of cultivation all round the town, which is situated
on a sloping mound, separated by the ditch from the ridge forming the
northern boundary of the valley, up which the Cabul road runs; there is a
small mosque on this ridge, and below it, within 400 yards of the
ramparts, a small village, from whi