t had been the prey, not only
of every conqueror who invaded India from the north-west, but also of
every race which, during the perpetual wars in Hindostan, happened for
the time to be predominant. Tartars, Turks, Afghans, Persians, Mahrattas
and Rajpoots, each in turn in succeeding ages had been masters of the
city. There had been indiscriminate massacres of the populace, the last
by Nadir Shah, the King of Persia in 1747, when 100,000 souls were put
to death by his order, and booty to a fabulous amount was carried away.
Still, notwithstanding the vicissitudes of fortune through which it had
passed, Delhi was, in 1857, one of the largest, most beautiful, and
certainly the richest city in Hindostan. We knew well that there was
wealth untold within the walls, and our hearts were cheered even at this
time when we thought of the prize-money which would fall to our share at
the capture of the rebellious city.

The walls surrounding Delhi were seven miles in circumference, flanked
at intervals by strong bastions, on which the enemy had mounted the
largest guns and mortars, procured from the arsenal. Munitions of war
they had in abundance--enough to last them, at the present rate of
firing, for nearly three years. Long we gazed, fascinated at the scene
before us. A dead silence had reigned for some time, when we were
awakened from our dreams by the whiz and hissing of a shell fired by the
enemy. It fell close below the tower and burst without doing any harm;
but some jets of smoke appeared on the bastions of the city, and shells
and round-shot fired at the ridge along the crest of which a small body
of our men was moving. The cannonade lasted for some time, our own guns
replying at intervals. We could plainly see the dark forms of the rebel
artillerymen, stripped to the waist, sponging and firing with great
rapidity, their shot being chiefly directed at the three other
buildings on the ridge--namely, the Observatory--the Mosque, as it was
called--and, on the extreme right, Hindoo Rao's house.

From the Flagstaff Tower the ridge trended in a southerly direction
towards those buildings, approaching gradually nearer and nearer to the
city, till at Hindoo Rao's house it was distant about 1,200 yards from
the walls.

To the rear of this ridge, and some distance below, so that all view of
Delhi was quite shut out from it, was the camp of the besieging army,
numbering at this period about 6,000 men. The tents were pitched at
reg