ular intervals behind the ruined houses of the old cantonment, which,
at the outbreak on May 11, had been burnt and destroyed by the sepoys.
A canal which supplied us with water from the Jumna ran round the ridge
past the suburb of Kishenganj into the city, and was crossed by two
bridges, over which communication with the country to the north-west,
and leading to the Punjab, was kept open by the loyal Sikh chieftains
and their retainers.

Our position on the ridge extended about a mile and a half, the right
and left front flanks defended by outlying advanced pickets, which I
shall hereafter describe.

The city walls, as before recorded, were seven miles in circumference,
so that at this time, and, in fact, almost to the end of the siege, we,
with our small force, in a manner only commanded a small part of the
city. The bridge of boats remained to the last in the possession of the
enemy, and was quite out of range even from our advanced approaches,
while to the right and rear of the city the gates gave full ingress to
reinforcing bodies of insurgents from the south, whose entrance we were
unable to prevent.

Our investment, if such it could be called, was therefore only partial,
being confined to that portion of the city extending from the water
battery near Selimgarh Fort to the Ajmir Gate, which was just visible
from the extreme right of the ridge. This part was defended by, I think,
four bastions, named, respectively, the Water, Kashmir, Mori, and Burn.
Three gates besides the Lahore gave egress to the mutineers when making
sorties, the afterwards celebrated Kashmir Gate, the Kabul and the Ajmir
Gates.

The Hindoo Rao's house, on the right of the ridge where it sloped down
into the plain, was the key of our position, and was defended with great
bravery and unflinching tenacity throughout the whole siege by the
Sirmoor battalion of Goorkhas, and portions of the 60th Royal Rifles and
the Guide Corps. Incessant day and night attacks were here made by the
enemy, who knew that, were that position turned, our camp--in fact, our
very existence as a besieging force--would be imperilled.

But no assault, however strong and determined, made any impression on
the men of these gallant regiments, led by Major Reid, the officer
commanding the Sirmoor battalion. They lost in killed and wounded a
number far out of all proportion to that of any other corps before
Delhi, and must in truth be reckoned the heroes of the siege.

Th