he height of this place, say that "none but the
crafty hawk, high lingering over his prey, or the morning lark, sweetly
soaring and singing over its young, could ever see the inside of
Asseerghur."

Some few days before our arrival, the cuttrah had been stormed and taken
by a division of the Bombay army, under the command of Colonel Frazer,
of the Royal Scots; but they found the detention of their little
conquered town warm work, it being so completely commanded, that every
street could be raked by the firing from the fort. Some part of the
upper-works of the fort were within three hundred yards of the town. Our
soldiers were obliged, therefore, to seek shelter in the temples and
huts. If they had not had the opportunity of retiring to these places,
the town would not have been tenable. Those who were obliged, in the
course of duty, to run from one place to another, had, the moment they
were observed, a hundred shots at them. The enemy, with some reason,
conceived that this occupation of the town was but a preparatory step to
an entry by escalade into their fort. They, therefore, had a strong
party constantly on the look-out for the opportunity of destroying all
whom they could attack, either by surprise or stratagem. Soldiers are
prone to look about them, and many of them will, in spite of all risks,
go in search of plunder. Some of our troops, on this occasion, paid
dearly for their disobedience of orders and violation of military laws.
The principal post held by our troops in this town, was a large mosque
or temple, of which the officers occupied one side, and the soldiers the
other. One by one the men stole off in search of plunder. The enemy,
having observed this, rushed on the remaining few, and the brave colonel
was killed in defending himself against unequal numbers. On the return
of these soldiers to their deserted post, what must have been their
mortification and panic to find their brave colonel butchered, through
their neglect and disobedience of all orders, and their poor wounded
comrades, who but an hour before had shared with them in glory,
weltering in their blood! What could have equalled their anguish, if
their minds had not sunk below the ebb of feeling? Young soldiers, let
this be a warning to you. It is but one instance, out of a great number
within my own knowledge, of the fatal effects of breach of discipline.
Whatever may be your prospect of gain, never be seduced to leave your
post. You are, by