verhanging
woodland. The 900 ponies, now deprived of their burden, carried in lieu
thereof sick soldiers from Niksich, or such as preferred riding to
walking. Little order prevailed, and it is only wonderful that the
consequences of entering a defile more than an hour after midday should
not have proved more disastrous than they actually did. In vain I added
my remonstrances to those of some of the staff, who were intelligent
enough to predict evil. The order had been issued. The advance guard had
already marched, and it was too late to countermand the departure. Thus
saying, Osman Pacha crossed the stream and ascended to the high ground,
now covered with a confused mass of bipeds and quadrupeds. At this
moment the rain, which had ceased during the past hour, began to descend
once more in torrents, accompanied by vivid flashes of lightning and
thunder, which, though still distant, reverberated through the woods
with grand effect. In the midst of this we retraced our steps until
about 4 P.M., when the centre of the column, with the baggage
and head-quarters, defiled from the woods into one of the open spaces,
of which mention has been made. The General informed me of his intention
to halt there until the morning; and he could not have found a spot
better calculated for the purpose, since, by massing the troops in the
centre, they would have been out of range of the surrounding heights,
and a double line of sentries would have been the only precaution
absolutely necessary. For some reason he, however, subsequently changed
his mind, and the delay which had taken place only made matters worse.
The advance guard of four battalions, under Yaya Pacha, had continued
the march in ignorance of the halt of the main body, and were ere this
out of hearing or chance of recall. Scarcely had we recommenced our
advance when a dropping shot in the rear gave us the first announcement
that the enemy had taken advantage of our false step, and was bent on
harassing what would now assume the appearance of a retreat.

The shots, which were at first few and distant, soon increased, and by
the time that the Affghan and myself had reached the rear of the column
the action appeared to have become general. Ali Pacha, who commanded the
rear-guard, now committed the grave error of halting the three
battalions of his brigade, and wasted most valuable time in performing
desultory movements, and in firing volleys of grape and musketry,
without arriving