y the medical department, and
both the elephant and horse dying shortly afterwards, Sir David
peremptorily called upon the Nepaul government for satisfaction for this
diabolical attempt to poison his army; but they denied all knowledge of
such a base transaction, protesting that the heads of the offenders
should be the penalty, if they could discover the authors of such a
scheme, which they affected to suppose must be the act of some
individual who had sustained injury by the war. They promised that a
most strict inquiry should be set on foot, and that the result should be
made known to our government. Here, I believe, the business ended; at
least, we heard no more of it. A guard was, after this discovery,
placed on the poisoned water, to prevent any of the cattle that followed
from drinking it; and the basin was afterwards filled up by our
pioneers, as an effectual remedy to prevent any other travellers that
might be journeying that way from becoming its victims.

Nothing worth narrating happened during our march to our new place of
encampment, or where a temporary cantonment was to be erected; save that
we went to visit the still exposed bones of those poor creatures who
were murdered at Summanpore and Persah. Skulls, and whole bodies, were
here to be seen in all directions, and scarcely a tree that had not
fifty shots in it. We dropped a tear to the memory of the poor fellows
who had here fallen, and committed their fleshless bones to the earth.

Having arrived at our new place of encampment, we found that some
temporary barracks had been erected there, for two regiments, the year
before. The site of our new cantonment was marked out. It was on the
banks of a beautiful lake, well stocked with fish and wild fowl. Here
every one commenced building his hut, not knowing the moment we might be
called upon to re-commence the campaign; for breach of treaties with
such people was an everyday occurrence. From the long and uninterrupted
friendship which has now subsisted between the two nations, we may, I
think, with fairness conclude, that first impressions are the most
durable; and, if in my power, I would take especial care not to run the
risk of a failure at the beginning of a campaign. An effectual blow then
makes the enemy shy and tame; and the complete victory gained over the
Nepaulese, at Muckwanpore, beat them into principles they never knew
before. They are, however, still tenacious of admitting strangers into
their