crossed the Ganges at Surajepoor, and pushed on until within a mile
of Holkar's camp. Believing the British to be many miles away, no
precautions had been taken against surprise; and the first
intimation of an enemy being near at hand was the opening of fire,
at daybreak, by Lord Lake's artillery into their camp--the guns
being posted so as to permit the British cavalry to attack, without
coming across the line of fire.

Round after round of grape was poured into the camp; and then the
guns ceased firing, as the six regiments of cavalry dashed in among
the panic-stricken enemy. Scarcely any resistance was attempted
and, in a few minutes, the ground was strewn with dead. Holkar had
mounted and ridden off, with a portion of his cavalry, before our
men entered the camp; and did not draw rein until he reached
Caline, eighteen miles distant. His troops fled in all directions,
hotly pursued by the cavalry, for twelve miles; great numbers being
overtaken and cut down. The cavalry halted from sheer fatigue,
having performed the almost unparalleled march of seventy miles
since their last halting place; an exploit rendered all the more
wonderful by the fact that they had made a march of three hundred
and fifty miles in the preceding fortnight.

Their loss, in the action, was only two killed and twenty wounded.
Holkar's loss was estimated at three thousand killed on the field;
and half of his cavalry, which was previously sixty thousand
strong, were now but scattered fugitives.

That day three royal salutes were fired, for as many victories;
namely, that at Furukabad, that at Deeg, and the capture of
Shaddone--the last of Holkar's fortresses in the south--by Colonel
Wallis. As was expected, Holkar and his cavalry, as soon as they
recovered from their panic, rode to Deeg and joined the remains of
the infantry and artillery there.

General Lake remained a day or two, to rest the troops after their
exertions. The brigade of infantry that, had been left behind when
the cavalry started on their last march, had been ordered to move
rapidly down to Agra; and to escort thence the heavy guns that
would be required for the siege of Deeg and, on the 1st of
December, General Lake joined the force near that fortress. The
battering train arrived from Agra on the 12th, and the trenches
were opened on the following day.

In point of territory, the country ruled over by the Rajah of
Bhurtpoor was a comparatively small one. It was inhabite