fiance from our trenches. We did not show hands, as we had
none to spare; but as we were, of course, anxious to see what kind of a
place this said Bhurtpore was, we took every opportunity of peeping,
whenever we saw a gun fired, crying out, "Shot," which was a signal to
bob our heads. On the firing subsiding in the slightest degree, we
continued our work, and at length completed our batteries and magazines,
and widened our trenches to seven feet, leaving just sufficient room to
pass and repass, so as to communicate with our principal depot under
shelter. During the whole of this day, the enemy kept up an almost
incessant fire, both with great guns and small arms, and we had some few
men wounded. A soldier of the light company, named Murphy, stood upon
the bank, exposing himself, and drawing upon us the fire from the fort.
Some of us remonstrated with him on his imprudence, when Paddy coolly
replied, "Never fear, honey; sure I have got my eye on them; and, if
they kill me, bad luck to me if I don't be after paying them for it when
I get into that same fort." In the course of the day he was shot in the
finger, for his disregard of our advice, which, he said, was "just
because he was looking another way at the time."

In the evening we got our guns into battery, erecting two small
batteries of twelves and sixes. A constant fire was kept up by the enemy
during the night, and blue lights were to be seen at intervals, as
though to inform us that they were on the watch. From the debauched
habits of the Mussulmans, in any situation in life, they seldom retire
to rest till very late; and then, indeed, so stupefied with eating and
smoking auffeem (opium), that they are incapable of being roused to any
active duty. From their constant use of this intoxicating drug, they are
dull companions when the spirit is absorbed and dead within them; but,
when revived, I know no set of people more talkative, communicative, and
jovial. Often have I listened with delight to an old Mussulman soldier's
relation of his campaigns and stories. We heard drums and music the
whole night, now and then accompanied by the inharmonious roar of their
guns. The guns used in India by the natives are of cast iron; but, from
their using ball beat out instead of cast, the guns labour and roar
dreadfully, and the rough surface of their balls tears the muzzles to
pieces.

When the morning bestrewed its bright rays abroad, we threw a little
further light upon the