p the dust like
drops of rain, but no damage was done; they then galloped off. It was a
great pity we had no more cavalry with us; only fifty Bengal, or
Irregular Horse, and their cattle were so done up that they were
perfectly useless. The enemy laughed at the advance companies that were
now sent out to skirmish with them. The ground consisted of undulating
hills, and rather rough, over which our skirmishers, encumbered as they
were with knapsacks and other absurdities, "selon les regles," found it
very difficult to move quickly, and the enemy, riding their sure-footed
horses to the top of one of those hills, would fire down, and wheel
round, and be under cover of the other side of the hill before our men
could return the compliment effectually. If we had had a squadron of
Dragoons with us, lightly equipped, the result would have been very
different. But, unfortunately, the only time during nearly the whole
campaign when cavalry would have been of important service to us we were
without them. However, very little blood is ever shed in desultory
affairs of this sort, and they only wounded about three or four of our
men; and at one place, a party of them coming unexpectedly upon the
reserve of the skirmishers, two sections opened a fire upon them,
emptied a few saddles, and sent the rest flying. We with the main body
had a very good view of the whole affair, and a very animating scene it
was. Our road had hitherto lain through a valley, about four miles
broad; but when within about three miles and a half from Kelat, it takes
a sudden turn to the right, and leads, for the next mile and a half,
through a narrow and straight pass, after penetrating which, and
arriving at the debouche, the fortress of Kelat appeared before us,
frowning defiance. The first sight of it had certainly a very pretty
effect: the sun had just burst out, and was lighting the half-cultivated
valley beneath us, interspersed with fields, gardens, ruinous mosques,
houses, &c.; while Kelat, being under the lee of some high hills, was
still in the shade; so that, while all around presented a smiling and
inviting appearance, as if hailing our approach with gladness, the
fortress above seemed to maintain a dark and gloomy reserve, in high
contrast with the rest of the picture; nor was the effect diminished
when a thin cloud of smoke was seen spouting forth and curling over its
battlements, followed, in a short interval, by the report of a large
gun, which ca