noitring the surrounding
country; but, from the intricacy of its nature, but little information
could be obtained which we could on sure grounds act upon. At last,
after our patience was worn almost threadbare with this delay, it was
given out, as the firm opinion of the quarter-master-general (grounded
on unquestionable information from his trustworthy spies), that to force
an entrance at this point would be attended with the most disastrous
consequences. To risk a failure at the commencement of a war against
such a foe, would have been the basis of our ultimate defeat and
destruction; and it appeared, from information not to be doubted, that
in the direction which we had thought of taking, there were stockade
upon stockade, and fort upon fort. The attempt, therefore, to prosecute
our enterprise in this direction, under all these circumstances, could
be considered in no other light than wantonly knocking our heads against
the flinty rocks, or offering our shattered limbs as wadding for the
enemy's guns, or our bodies to fill up some deep vacuity in their new
and numerous stockades. We had more than fifty years' dear-bought
experience, and an officer seventy years of age for our guide. The young
and inexperienced officers, in the ardour of youth, felt mortified at
this information; and, had their will and feelings been consulted, they
would have madly rushed to their graves.

It was the opinion of the more calm-thinking and experienced men, that
if, after the information we possessed, we had proceeded in the same
track, and a failure had been the result, the whole dishonour of the
catastrophe would have fallen on the head of the commander, and have
been visited with the government's disapprobation and censure; but we
had at our head a soldier possessing every requisite for such a critical
campaign, and whose thoughts were now turned to some more practicable
part of the country. Every one was actively engaged in the attempt to
discover some new road, path, or ascent. Spies had now been absent two
days, and some apprehensions were entertained as to their safety,
knowing the barbarity of the Nepaulese; but on the evening of the third
day they returned; but not a syllable could be gleaned from the
quarter-master-general's department; every ear was on the listen to
catch the slightest hint, but all was silence and secrecy throughout the
camp. Rumours were flying about, and strange stories were circulated;
but the prevailing