. Upon arriving near Maiwand, however, our spies
brought in the news that the whole of Ayoub's force was in front.

The morning was thick, and but little could be seen of Ayoub's army.
The cavalry were indeed found moving about in large masses, but these
fell back on our advance. Lieutenant Maclean, with two Horse Artillery
guns and a small cavalry escort, galloped out on the extreme left, and
got his guns into action on the Afghan cavalry. The position was
considered a dangerous one, and the guns were withdrawn. Large numbers
of the enemy, led by Ghazees, were now seen swarming down over the low
hills.

The British infantry were formed in the following order:--On the right
were the 66th Regiment, the Bombay Grenadiers formed the centre, and
Jacob's Rifles the left. Two guns were placed in position to support
the 66th on the right, the remaining ten--for the six British guns had
been increased to twelve by a battery captured from the Wali's
mutineers--between the Grenadiers and the main body of Jacob's Rifles.
There was no reserve, nor, indeed, with so small a force could there
have been any. The cavalry, the 3rd Scinde Horse and 3rd Bombay
Cavalry, formed up in the rear of the left centre.

Our guns shelled the enemy as they advanced, and it was fully an hour
before his artillery opened in reply, when five batteries unmasked and
opened fire. Under cover of this artillery fire, the enemy's irregulars
advanced. When within 600 or 700 yards of the 66th, the Martini fire of
the latter checked them, and in this quarter for a moment the attack
ceased.

Unfortunately our position was in every way a bad one. Deep ravines ran
both to the right and left of our force. By these the enemy could
advance until within a short distance of us. The position, too, was
dominated by the hills on either side, and after an artillery duel
lasting for some time, the enemy's guns were moved on to the hills and a
terrible fire opened upon our infantry. At about two o'clock the
smooth-bore guns began to run short of ammunition, and as only sixty
rounds had been captured with them and there was no reserve, these were
abandoned. The enemy's battery now came boldly up, their cavalry
manoeuvred on the left flank of the brigade, large numbers of their
infantry and irregulars got into the villages behind us, and the
position became more and more serious.

Half an hour later the two companies of Jacob's Rifles on the extreme
left began