as in love, a ready excuse may be found for the craft and cunning
exercised by this or any other tribe in their own defence; and it is
impossible to look even upon the cruelties practised by them, with any
other than an eye of pity and commiseration. They are taught from their
infancy the art of war; they fight under the banner of gloomy
superstition; cruelty is their creed; and murder of their foes the
zenith of their glory. Let us not, therefore, condemn too severely
these untaught babes of idolatry.

Notwithstanding my dismal forebodings, and the dangerous position which
we occupied, the night passed off quietly enough. Towards morning the
rain ceased, and the sun rose in all its splendour and majesty; but the
scene of death below marred and defiled the more distant prospect, which
was magnificent beyond description. The piquets from below were
withdrawn after daylight. On going round the hill afterwards, the dead
bodies there astonished me. It was scarcely possible to walk without
stepping on them. I could not have imagined that the one-twentieth part
had fallen; but, as I have before said, self, in action, is the grand
and primary object of man's regard. I paid a visit to the dead body of
my antagonist of the preceding day. I found that his head hung only by
the skin of his neck. He had also a cut in the abdomen, through which
the bowels protruded. I found that, in addition to this, he had received
a ball in the fleshy part of the thigh; but whether he got this before
or after the fall, I do not pretend to say, but I should imagine before,
from the direction of the ball. He was a fine-looking man, and was
dressed in a full general's uniform, the same as that worn by our
English generals twenty years ago, with the old frog lace, both on the
skirts and sleeves, but without epaulettes. When engaged with him, I
never dared take my eye off his. Had I not been thoroughly practised in
the sword exercise, I must soon have fallen, for he was a very expert
swordsman. In a letter addressed to me afterwards, by Captain
Pickersgill, quarter-master-general of the army, I was congratulated on
the fall of that distinguished _sobah_, or chieftain. His name, the
quarter-master-general stated, was Khissna Rhannah Bahadur, and that he
was the identical officer who had planned and executed the massacre at
Summanpore and Persah, the season before. The letter went on to state
that he was a great loss to the Nepaul government, and it was t